Another warm, sunny autumn day greeted us as National Geographic Sea Bird cruised to the confluence of the Palouse and Snake Rivers. It was here where guests disembarked for coach cruises to Palouse Falls, the state waterfall of Washington. The Falls tower high above the gorge below where gulls, doves, and vultures soar. After taking in those views, guests returned to the rivers for a cruise up the Palouse.
This cruise is one of the natural history staff’s favorite operations of the trip. Along the banks, great blue herons wade while dragonflies hunt the bevy of insects that skim the vegetation-covered shoreline. Above these creatures belted kingfishers and red-tailed hawks fill the air with a chorus of shrieks and rattles. This grand, natural spectacle takes place against a phenomenal backdrop of the basaltic hills of the channeled scablands.
Following our morning operations, National Geographic Sea Bird cruised west on the Snake. A presentation on photography and a wine tasting were among the options for the afternoon, as was enjoying the quiet scenery of Eastern Washington.
