At 6:30 this morning, as the sun was rising, National Geographic Sea Lion entered The Dalles Lock, the seventh of the eight locks we will navigate on our way down river to Portland. As we left the lock chamber and approached the city of The Dalles there was a spectacular view of Mount Hood, with the city glowing in the foreground! After tying up to the dock and eating another hardy breakfast, it’s off to a very full day of exploration of this area of the Columbia River Gorge. First a view of the gorge from Rowena Crest, 700 feet above, followed by walks to and through Mosier Tunnels. Then off to lunch at the Grag Rat Hut, a drive around the “Fruit Loops” area, down to Hood River for a kite-boarding demonstration, finishing with a visit to the Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center! What a Day!
4/27/2024
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Astoria, Oregon
We reached the penultimate day of our journey in Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia River collides with the open ocean. We were met with a typical Pacific Northwest day of gentle rains punctuated by moments of sunshine. The guests were divided to conquer this gem of a city, nestled under bridges; half headed across the river to Washington to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment, while the other half visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum and Astoria Column. The museum and the interpretive center are both excellent examples of what the west coast can offer with regard to history and culture. Each has thoughtful exhibits that cover broad swaths of topics, and are staffed with informative and helpful faculty. After a hearty lunch on board, the groups swapped in order to have the best of both worlds. Finally, all met back aboard for the week’s final recap and guest slideshow.