Thursday, November 15, 2018

Columbia River Cruise

Every other year Carol and I join friends of ours, most of whom attended Northwestern with me, for a getaway week of activities, dining, and camaraderie. This year we decided on a National Geographic cruise on the Columbia River, following the footsteps (and canoe path) of Lewis and Clark.

(Wednesday, October 3) After a last hug with Walter, who would be looked after by our dog-sitter, Dee, for the next week or so, we drove to the airport and parked in long term parking. The check-in and flight to Seattle went smoothly, and a couple of hours later we boarded a small plane that took us to Pullman, Washington where we took a half hour taxi ride to the Quality Inn in Clarkston, WA.


We'd met Doris and Bill in Seattle, and they joined Carol and me for dinner at the motel. The other four members of the group were flying from Wisconsin and Connecticut, and they arrived a couple of hours later and spent the night in Lewiston, Idaho, right across the Snake River.

(Thursday, October 4) After breakfast at the motel we walked across the river and met our friends at the Nez Perce Historical Society and Museum in Lewiston. We walked around the small museum for a couple of hours, and then walked a few blocks to the Main St. Cafe where we had lunch. The last time I was in Lewiston was on a summer afternoon several years ago, and I remember the downtown area as being lively and inviting, but on a cool October afternoon it was quiet and somewhat forlorn. Lewiston is a college town, so perhaps that explains the unusual barbershop combo.


A Walmart and Costco were within easy walking distance of the motel, so I took the opportunity to pick up a few things including a sweatshirt.

(Friday, October 5) Boarding day! We checked out of the motel and stored our luggage in a room that was set aside for that purpose. The Quest, our home for the next week, was anchored nearby and the passengers whose cruise just ended had already disembarked and the ship was being cleaned and prepped. Our group walked around town and had lunch at Hazel's in Clarkston. I'd been there a couple of times while on motorcycle trips and it is always good. At four in the afternoon we retrieved our luggage, walked the short distance to the ship, found our cabins, and settled in.




There were about 100 passengers on the cruise and we all gathered in the lounge for a presentation on safety procedures, an introduction to the crew, and general shipboard protocol. In addition to the ship's crew there were a naturalist, a geologist, a photographer, and an historian to provide instruction and entertainment. Breakfast and lunch on the ship were buffet, but dinners were sit down and our group snagged a table for eight, which we would keep for the rest of the trip.

(Saturday, October 6) After breakfast we disembarked and boarded a jet boat that would take us down the Snake River and into Hell's Canyon. Butch, our boat's captain, kept us informed about the route and entertained with his stories. The jet boat has two 460 cubic inch Ford marine engines, so there was plenty of power. This part of the Snake is very shallow, but OK for the small draft of the jet boat, which doesn't have a prop. The day was cool and overcast, with an occasional sprinkle.



We stopped for barbecue lunch at a private landing/farm on the river, where we saw deer and wild turkeys wandering about.


Back on board the Quest we cleaned up, had dinner, and retired.

(Sunday, October 7) After breakfast we gathered in the mud room to don life jackets and board 10 passenger Zodiac boats, which took us to a landing where we could kayak around a small backwater of the Palouse River.



Carol and I paddled around for an hour and then went back to the dock where we got back on the Zodiac for a nature tour in the area. James, our captain and guide, pointed out various places of interest, including these mud cliff swallow nests.




The cliffs are mostly basalt. Back at the dock we boarded a bus which took us on WA 261 and then a dirt road to Palouse Falls State Park.






The bus took us back to the dock and the Zodiacs transported us to the ship for dinner.

This long, trestle railroad bridge over the Palouse River is a favorite among train buffs.


The first lock we went through was at the Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River east of Pasco. The whole process took about an hour before the gate lifted to let the ship through. There was quite a crowd on the bow to observe the event.







(Monday, October 8) The ship continued down river overnight and docked at The Dalles, Oregon. A bus took us up a winding road to an overlook - I'll have to return on a motorcycle.


We proceeded to the Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center, where we wandered around for a couple of hours and also saw raptors that are permanent residents, one of which was this handsome fellow, and also two eagles.




From the Discovery Center Carol and I rode bicycles the three miles (mostly downhill) back to the ship. Along the way we passed a campsite where Lewis and Clark spent several cold and wet days.

Back on the ship I found Spitz and we walked into town and wandered around a bit. It's mostly a summer tourist town, and not very lively on a chilly and damp October late afternoon. However the Clock Tower Ales brew pub enticed us inside to look around.


(Tuesday, October 9) We proceeded down the Columbia River to Hood River, Oregon where we docked and took a bus the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum. The museum is primarily the creation of Terry Brandt who accumulated the planes, cars, and motorcycles over a period of 50 years. Unfortunately, we only had a little over an hour at the museum, which is in three buildings.




This Hudson Terraplane poses in all its Art Deco glory in front of a radial-engine monoplane which has its own Art Deco appeal.


A little research shows that orange (Indian Ceramic, aka Salmon) was a stock color for the 1949 Kaiser Virginian.


There were also random displays of period artifacts, like these radios.


Radial engines have a great mechanical look.



The next stop was at an organic farm/fruit stand. The goats were cute and the flowers were pretty (and I bought a few apples) but I would rather have spent another couple of hours at the museum.






The cruise down the Columbia was scenic and gentle under an overcast sky. There was even a waterfall on the Washington side.




Every afternoon after the day's activities the passengers gathered in the lounge for a lecture. That evening Lauren (a naturalist/photographer) talked about how the dams on the Columbia have almost completely destroyed the salmon runs on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The dams provide power, navigation, recreation, and flood control, but they have also changed the entire ecology and topography of the region.

(Wednesday, October 10) The Quest went through more locks on the way to Astoria, Oregon, including this one that opens like a swinging door.



In Astoria we disembarked and boarded a bus which took us to Fort Clatsop, a re-creation of the fort where the Lewis and Clark expedition spend a cold, unhealthy, and wet winter in 1804/1805. We went for a pleasant walk in the woods and in the (inevitable) gift shop I spied this valuable tome:


From Fort Clatsop we went back to Astoria and the Columbia River Maritime Museum. The museum was interesting and featured everything from lifeboats to naval weapons. Carol and I walked back to the ship along the river and we spotted this interesting solution to the lack of storage space in a Smart Car. Once again I was in Astoria and failed to stop at Mary Todd's Workers Tavern.


That afternoon the bus took us across the bridge into Washington and Cape Disappointment State Park where we spent a couple of hours at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center(much more interesting than I expected) and then walked through the woods to the beach.



The bus took us back to the Quest, which departed for Portland.

(Thursday, October 11, Friday the 12th) One last breakfast on the Quest.


We disembarked and stored our luggage at the nearby Mariott (where we would spend the next two nights) until we could check in. We all walked through the riverfront park to downtown Portland and the Voodoo Doughnut store, which has a certain cult following.


We spent a couple of hours in Powell's Books, had lunch, and walked back to the hotel. Dinner that evening was in downtown Portland. As Carol and I walked to the restaurant we saw the Quest heading towards Astoria for the start of another cruise.


The next morning we said our goodbyes after breakfast, took a shuttle to the airport, and flew back to San Francisco, picked up the car at long term parking and drove home, where Walter greeted us with great enthusiasm. Dee was very conscientious in keeping us informed of how Walter was doing in our absence (just fine, apparently). She included pictures of him on his walks, and  here he is with Maya, who likes to howl - it looks like Walter decided to join in.


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