Cruising the Columbia, 9/23/2022, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Pacific Northwest
Our beautiful autumn day started with National Geographic Quest anchored at Crow Butte Park on the Columbia River across from Boardman, Oregon at River Mile 201.
After transferring to the park, we divided into groups for our various walks. Some passengers walked the shore to a viewpoint of National Geographic Quest. Some enjoyed photo tours, and others took a walk with a 390-foot elevation gain to the top of the butte to see its impressive views. We observed signs of many different animals, including a nesting owl, a kangaroo rat, and many different birds. We also saw sagebrush and prickly pear cactus.
A steady breeze developed in the afternoon as National Geographic Quest raised its anchor, and we headed up the Columbia River.
Robert is a native of eastern Washington and an avid outdoorsman who enjoys exploring and sharing the splendor of the Pacific Northwest with others, whether it is by foot, auto, or boat. His work career was in agribusiness, insurance claims/Special I...
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From our docking in the Dalles, Oregon, guests from National Geographic Sea Lion traveled in buses along the Columbia River Historic Highway up to Rowena Crest. Commanding views from Rowena Crest highlighted the rapid change in vegetation from the temperate rain forest climate to a semi-arid steppe climate. Leaving Rowena Crest, guests next arrived at the Mosier Tunnels. Built in the early 1920s, the tunnels incorporate designs from Europe and connect the west-to-east passage on the Columbia River Historic Highway. One group of guests hiked 4.5 miles east while the others hiked west up to the tunnels and walked back. Along the way our guests spotted turkey vultures, Steller’s jay, scrub jay, and a variety of plants beginning to wind down for autumn and winter. The afternoon started with a visit to the Columbia Discovery Center; we enjoyed a raptor presentation, as well as fascinating exhibitions on the natural and cultural history throughout the Columbia River Basin Gorge. Leaving the museum, guests were invited to visit Rock Fort where Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery camped on both their outbound and return journeys from the Pacific Ocean. Next we returned to National Geographic Sea Lion , where guests joined staff on the bow as we transited The Dalles Lock and Dam. Afterwards we enjoyed cocktail hour, recap, and dinner. We finished the evening with an expert presentation on smartphone photography from our certified photo instructor, Chelsea Mayer.
“Ocian in view! Oh the joy!” As Merriweather Lewis once proclaimed, so we too took in the view of the mighty and roaring Pacific today. On our first day of activities, we split into two groups — the Big Horned Sheep and the Eagle — representing symbolic creatures on either end of our journey. Some of us first visited the nationally renowned Columbia River Maritime Museum. Epic images of man’s fight against the unwavering power of Mother Nature will stick in our minds; here we learned about the bravery of the Columbia River Bar Pilots, and the tragic conclusions of all the ill-fated ships attempting to cross the bar. The Columbia River Bar has claimed over 330 ships, making it the most hazardous bar on the west coast of North America, and giving it the nickname “Graveyard of the Pacific.” Inspired for our own adventure, we then headed to the Astoria Column. This monument to the town’s history is built atop a hill and provides a most excellent viewpoint. A few strong-feeling guests decided to take the spiral staircase to the top; some even launched small wooden planes in a joyous moment. Filled with tales of daring and rescue, we headed back to the ship to enjoy another fabulous meal. In the afternoon we took a peek at another prominent historical point for the area, with a trip over to Washington State and Cape Disappointment State Park. The gorgeous drive was lined with Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, and western hemlock, breaking in parts to give us views of the notorious ocean behind. A short hike took us up to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, where a volunteer ranger gave us an overview of the area. We explored the center, immersing ourselves into the rich history of Chinook culture, and how the world changed forever once the Corps of Discovery arrived. Lost in history, we eventually had to collect ourselves and return to our own mighty ship. We sailed upriver, tracing the path of Lewis and Clark to our next destination.
We started the morning on the Columbia River with our first objective in sight: the Bonneville Dam. Built in 1933, it is a major factor for all who sail up the Columbia. We entered the lock and the gates closed; we watched in awe as the water (and our ship!) rose steadily up the roughly seventy feet to the height of the pool behind the dam. We left the lock sailing east toward Hood River and disembarked the ship for side trips to the Bonneville fish hatchery and Multnomah Falls. Afterwards we enjoyed a catered lunch off-ship at a pear orchard along the famous “fruit loop” near Mount Hood. The hatchery was built in part to replace the fish that were lost due to the deleterious effect of the dam. Currently it hatches both Chinook and Sockeye salmon that will grow within the confines of the hatchery. After about a year within the hatchery pools, they are released to Columbia below the dam. Sadly, only a very small number of these fish survive the transit to the sea to grow to adult size and return to Columbia River. A few miles from the hatchery, Multnomah Falls is a beautiful sight with a vertical drop of 620 feet — in North America, its height is second only to Yosemite Falls. It is Oregon’s most visited tourist attraction, receiving more than two million visitors a year. After lunch, we made a brief visit to a local u-pick farm for cider and fruit tasting and to the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (or WAAAM, for short). An immense and extraordinary collection of cars, airplanes, and many other collectables are displayed throughout a vast hangar. Most if not all of these machines are still in working order and are paraded throughout the area each month. We closed down the museum and headed back to the ship, tired but fulfilled.
