Today we spent a great deal of time listening! Visiting the Chief Timothy Island Park listening experience because there is an art installation on the island called the listening circle which was designed to be a place to listen to the spirits and to your heart and to each other. Timothy was a contemporary of Chief Joseph but had a different philosophy of dealing with the white men. Joseph wanted to be left alone to live as his fathers had. Timothy thought the Nez Perce should learn to live as the white people. The jury is still out but it is thought that they were both right. The place we visited was inhabited by Chief Timothy’s family who later donated the island for a state park in honor of their grandfather.
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.