At dawn an orange glow over the horizon gave way to a soft pink that illuminated wispy clouds and reflected as lavender in the calm water near Crow Butte Island. Our plan for the day was to hike on Crow Butte Island and to launch all our kayaks—and this we did. The landscape was arid sagebrush steppe, a big change from the temperate rainforests we experienced only yesterday morning. We were eager to experience this new environment and set off with great enthusiasm for our adventures.
4/27/2024
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Astoria, Oregon
We reached the penultimate day of our journey in Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia River collides with the open ocean. We were met with a typical Pacific Northwest day of gentle rains punctuated by moments of sunshine. The guests were divided to conquer this gem of a city, nestled under bridges; half headed across the river to Washington to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment, while the other half visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum and Astoria Column. The museum and the interpretive center are both excellent examples of what the west coast can offer with regard to history and culture. Each has thoughtful exhibits that cover broad swaths of topics, and are staffed with informative and helpful faculty. After a hearty lunch on board, the groups swapped in order to have the best of both worlds. Finally, all met back aboard for the week’s final recap and guest slideshow.
