Another delectable day, and the first on the Columbia River, awaited wine aficionados and students of history as they explored the Walla Walla Valley.
Guests woke to a bright and crisp morning several hundred yards from the beach of Sacajawea State Park. After a Zodiac voyage and a bus trip, guests were treated to a morning at Dunham Cellars, Walla Walla’s ninth-oldest winery, or the Whitman Mission National Historic Site.
Both groups met at bucolic Three Rivers Winery for a tour and luncheon led by longtime winemaker Holly Turner. Texas philanthropist William Foley, who earned a law degree at the University of Washington, took control of the winery in 2008.
Following lunch, guests could return to National Geographic Sea Bird, explore Fort Walla Walla, or head directly to downtown Walla Walla. There were several treats, including tastings at Browne Family Vineyards, Mark Ryan Winery, and Mercer Estates, as well as complimentary ice cream at nearby Pine Cone Creamery.
Acclaimed wine educator/author Mark Oldman arrived from New York and hopped aboard in time for chef Michael Stork’s dinner featuring Draper Valley Farms chicken hindquarter paired with Ponzi Vineyards 2021 pinot noir. Next, esteemed historian Robert Heacock talked about Snake River dams and salmon, then the ship navigated McNary Dam, our first lock on the Columbia River.
