We awoke this morning to the beautiful sunlit hills surrounding the Snake River in Clarkston, WA, for the final day of activities on our expedition. After breakfast, we gathered onto a jet boat for a fast-paced adventure 57 miles up Hells Canyon! On our way up, we stopped at Cache Creek, where Oregon, Washington, and Idaho all converge. We continued upstream past the Salmon River before turning around at the Imnaha River convergence. On our way back, we stopped at the Garden Creek Ranch Nature Conservancy for lunch. We saw sandstone deposits from ancient oceans and petroglyphs from thousands of years ago. Passing through the narrowest part of Hells Canyon — only 25 feet wide! — we saw a group of bighorn sheep. We also saw golden eagles, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, great blue herons, bufflehead ducks, mule deer, and possibly a brief bobcat viewing! When we finally returned to National Geographic Sea Lion mid-afternoon, we enjoyed sunny weather, fun stories, and some drinks together. We had entertaining, informative, and inspirational stories and songs from JR Spencer, an elder from the local Nez Perce tribe. Afterwards, Coco Umiker joined us on board to share tastes of her local wines and stories about life as an artisan winemaker. Finally, to top off a perfect day, we enjoyed the Captain’s Dinner in the dining room and the guest slideshow in the forward lounge. Tired, happy, and content, we trickled off to bed for a final night on board before heading home early the next morning.
4/24/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Hood River
Unseasonably warm and dry weather continued to grace us as we proceeded with our expedition down the Columbia River. The morning was crisp as we disembarked in Hood River, Oregon, but quickly warmed up as we boarded our coaches. Our explorations began at Multnomah Falls, the number one tourist attraction in the state of Oregon. After we experienced this astounding cascade, some of our guests proceeded to Beacon Rock for a scenic climb up this 800-foot tall, aged lava plug. Others went to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery where we visited a local icon, Herman the sturgeon. Then both groups of explorers met at the Columbia Gorge Interpretative Center for Syncline wines and an overflowing helping of intriguing local history. As the superb weather continued, we voyaged back to National Geographic Sea Bird for a lovely afternoon of classic cruising down the Columbia River. Guests enjoyed the sun on deck or an engaging presentation on how climate change is affecting migratory birds. Complimentary water-level views of Multnomah Falls followed, and our last transit through a lock of this trip – a lovely passage through the Bonneville Lock and Dam. Photos by Doug Crispin and Alex Rubenstein
