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.
10/23/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Walla Walla
We awoke anchored at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers, National Geographic Sea Lion perfectly framed by the Ed Hendler and Pioneer Memorial Bridges. Departing shortly after breakfast, everyone headed to shore for a full day of adventure, education, and indulgent wine tasting. Once ashore, some of us headed to Seven Hills Vineyard for an exclusive tour while others explored the rich cultural history of Fort Walla Walla. We reconvened at the stunning Seven Hills Tasting Room in downtown Walla Walla for a spectacular lunch and our first tasting of the day. After lunch we split up again, with options for excursions ranging from wine tasting to ice cream sampling, shopping, and a visit to the Whitman Mission National Historic Site. Our Zodiac rides back to the ship were perfectly timed with the sunset, making for a beautiful end to a busy day exploring the Pasco and Walla Walla area. After yet another exceptional wine and dinner pairing by Wine Specialist Kristine, a sporty game of Pacific Northwest Trivia ensued!