Our second day in the beautiful autumnal forests of the Columbia River Gorge began in the small city of The Dalles, where we boarded our coaches for a morning’s scenic drive on the old two-lane highway that winds along the cliffs on Oregon’s side of the river. We stopped for a delightful hike through the colorful oaks and maples along the old route of the highway (now closed to motorized traffic) and then drove to the Rowena Crest overlook for a fantastic view of the eastern end of the gorge. Our afternoon was spent cruising through the gorge, admiring the scenery from every new angle and enjoying our final lock passage through the Bonneville Dam. Then the pirates appeared!
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.