Crossing from east to west by way of the Columbia River, through the Cascade Range of mountains that runs north and south, the Sea Lion arrives at Astoria, Oregon at the mouth of the Columbia River and the final destination of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Our guests spend the morning at the Maritime Museum located in Astoria, the oldest port on the west coast of North America, established in 1811.
After a long visit to this remarkable seafarer's museum, the guests of the Sea Lion board traveled to Fort Clatsop, the winter campsite of the Corps of Discovery in 1805. After a tour of the fort (which was re-created), we made our way back across Youngs Bay and up on a hill overlooking the port city of Astoria, to the Astoria Column. From there a small group of us took a long hike down through the temperate rain forest, enjoying the quiet, the large trees, the good fortune of a fine sunny day in a small corner of the world.....where nearly 200 years ago, Lewis and Clark spent a long rainy winter, wondering if they would ever make it home to St. Louis.
