Guests on National Geographic Quest awoke to the ship cruising toward Crow Butte along the Columbia River, with a wonderful sunrise and still waters along the way. We began our day with walks ashore; the long walkers summited the Butte’s crest at 671 feet. In the afternoon, guests enjoyed a wonderful presentation on local geology by naturalist Grace Weiner. Afterwards, the ship cruised through the John Day Dam; guests enjoyed cocktails served from both ship bars in the incredible 80-degree weather and sunny afternoon.
11/4/2023
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Astoria, Oregon
O! the Joy! Hmm, we needed to rethink that one this morning, as we woke to a rainy and blustery Astoria. What this weather did give us was a taste of historic authenticity in relation to the Corps of Discovery and their experiences here in the winter of 1805-06. Our first activity this morning was amongst the magnificent exhibits of the Columbia River Maritime Museum. This world-class facility tells the story of the mighty Columbia and the treacherous results to mariners when the river shoves against the incoming tides of the Pacific Ocean. As our day progressed, we crossed the Astoria-Megler bridge to the state of Washington. At the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center the winds continued but the rain subsided, and we enjoyed a sun-drenched afternoon with an option to walk a forest trail down to Waikiki Beach. The sun and sand were a siren to us and we made an additional stop at the North Jetty to get a water-level view of the waves crashing against the rocks of the Cape Disappointment lighthouse. The day turned out anything but disappointing.
