At sunset last night, we began our journey eastward from the mouth of the Columbia River, passing by Portland in the predawn and reaching the Columbia River Gorge just after breakfast. Fierce winds of 35-40 mph blew from the east as we prepared to Zodiac ashore for hikes up Taylor Creek canyon, a visit to the Bonneville Dam Fish Hatchery, and world famous Multnomah Falls. After lunch, we passed through the locks at Bonneville Dam and then skirted the remains of a mega-landslide, known as the Bridge of the Gods, which once blocked the Columbia River. We anchored for the evening at the town of Hood River, Oregon.
10/3/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Walla Walla, Washington
We took our Zodiacs to shore and boarded busses for our day’s adventure in and around Walla Walla, Washington. First stop for most was the Whitman Mission National Historic Site. This museum and park preserve the memory of a tragic altercation between Native Americans and early white missionaries that resulted in the death of thirteen missionary settlers and ultimately the decimation of the Cayuse native people of the Walla Walla area. The site is a beautiful and peaceful park with trails to the settler’s graves and a monument dedicated to the memory of the event. We left the mission site for lunch and wine tasting at the Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla. After lunch, some of the group went venturing to the Fort Walla Walla Museum and others went directly to town. Among its many interesting artifacts, the museum displays a replica pioneer village with buildings reconstructed from original materials dating from the latter-half of the nineteenth century. Last stop for all before heading back to National Geographic Sea Lion was the beautiful downtown center of Walla Walla. While window shopping and exploring the town, nearly all our guests took advantage of a free ice-cream cone.