The first light of dawn found us sailing upstream on the Great River of the West, the Columbia, and into the heart of the Columbia Gorge. The stars of Orion the Mighty Hunter were dimming in the south and soon Beacon Rock loomed ahead in the distance. This passage from interior Washington to the Pacific Ocean was carved by the Columbia River. The Columbia, an antecedent river, was here before the Cascade Range rose and the river maintained its course to the sea by cutting downward as fast as the mountains rose, forming the Columbia Gorge. The growing light revealed high cliffs of layered lava; these are stacked flows of the Columbia River Basalt Province, in which we will be sailing for most of our journey on the rivers. At the Bonneville Dam, we passed through our first of eight locks on this journey and proceeded on to Hood River for our day’s excursions. Excursions included enjoying a magnificent view of Mount Hood while sampling fruit at the Draper Girls Farm, hiking the Historic Columbia River Highway to the Mosier Tunnels, and visiting the amazing Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum (WAAM); you have to see it to believe it.
10/3/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Walla Walla, Washington
We took our Zodiacs to shore and boarded busses for our day’s adventure in and around Walla Walla, Washington. First stop for most was the Whitman Mission National Historic Site. This museum and park preserve the memory of a tragic altercation between Native Americans and early white missionaries that resulted in the death of thirteen missionary settlers and ultimately the decimation of the Cayuse native people of the Walla Walla area. The site is a beautiful and peaceful park with trails to the settler’s graves and a monument dedicated to the memory of the event. We left the mission site for lunch and wine tasting at the Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla. After lunch, some of the group went venturing to the Fort Walla Walla Museum and others went directly to town. Among its many interesting artifacts, the museum displays a replica pioneer village with buildings reconstructed from original materials dating from the latter-half of the nineteenth century. Last stop for all before heading back to National Geographic Sea Lion was the beautiful downtown center of Walla Walla. While window shopping and exploring the town, nearly all our guests took advantage of a free ice-cream cone.