The rains have returned to the Northwest Coast! We awoke to wind and rain in Astoria, Oregon—at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River. Lewis and Clark experienced similarly wet conditions when they arrived at this same time of year in 1805. After breakfast, we boarded our coaches and headed to Fort Clatsop. This National Historic Park is at the site of the winter campsite for the Corps of Discovery, where they stayed for several months in 1805-06. The ecosystem surrounding the reconstruction of the fort is a temperate rainforest. We explored the museum, fort replica, and the forest and had a great time. Yes, it was a bit wet, but that didn’t slow us down or dampen our spirits.
We stopped by the Astoria Column on our way back to the ship. This 125’ column is a monument to the storied history of Astoria. We dried out back on board the National Geographic Sea Lion and enjoyed a hot lunch. Then we ventured out again. This time, we went to the amazing Columbia River Maritime Museum. The exhibits focus on the dangers of the Columbia River Bar, also known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific” because so many ships have been lost in this area.
In the evening, we said our heartfelt farewells and listened to some lovely music performed by our naturalist Emily on her violin. The National Geographic Sea Lion then cast off and headed back up the Columbia towards Portland.
