Our first full day en route aboard National Geographic Sea Lion and one full of activities around the Columbia River Gorge. Near Hood River, most of us visited the Western Antique Airplane and Automobile Museum, then took in a little time to explore town. Others went to the Draper Girls Family Farm, sampling fresh fruit and their excellent fresh-pressed pear cider. For the afternoon the whole group of explorers went to spectacular Multnomah Falls, then stopped by the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, including adult white sturgeon and rainbow trout ponds, in a beautiful park-like setting. We returned to National Geographic Sea Lion just in time for cocktail hour and began our voyage down the Columbia towards Astoria, Oregon with sublime evening light on the cliffs of the lower gorge.