Columbia River
After traveling overnight up the Columbia, the fourth largest river in North America, and passing through the first two dams of our expedition, Bonneville and The Dalles, we reached the Granddaddy of locks, the John Day Dam.
This is where our first day began, and the first of many adventures to come. We made an early entrance into John Day Dam, which has the highest single lift lock in the world (105 ft) and is more than a mile across. After passing through the lock, and continuing upriver, we found ourselves taking in the incredibly beautiful sunlit canyons and plateaus as we made our way towards eastern Washington’s wine country, which is becoming more and more notable as an ever expanding wine industry.
We dropped anchor after lunch and lowered our Zodiacs to prepare for our first day of land exploration. We had to get a closer look at Hat Rock, an interesting formation named by William Clark as he descended the river on October 19, 1805. After a couple of hours of exploring, it was time to head back to the Sea Bird.
Back on board we headed back to our cabins to refresh ourselves for the treat that awaited us. Paul, our hotel manager, had prepared an outstanding delight for us to make our taste buds sing. We found ourselves face to face with wines and foods from the Pacific Northwest that truly would have made Lewis and Clark’s journey much more pleasant. As Washington and Oregon increasingly gain popularity with the incredible wines from the region, we must indulge and challenge our taste buds to help us to decide on our favorite. So many to choose from; all so exceptional in their individuality. All of these great wines paired with the great smoked salmon, halibut, fruits and cheeses, and chocolates truly brought our first full day of adventures on the Columbia River to a spectacular finale. It was definitely a day to be remembered and cherished as all of our senses were put to use and pleasantly satisfied. We had sun on our skin, the sounds of the water rushing in the locks, the geology that was discovered by our traveling pioneers, and great wines and foods to put smiles on our faces. You have truly experienced life to the fullest when you can put all five senses to the test and they all are completely satisfied.
After traveling overnight up the Columbia, the fourth largest river in North America, and passing through the first two dams of our expedition, Bonneville and The Dalles, we reached the Granddaddy of locks, the John Day Dam.
This is where our first day began, and the first of many adventures to come. We made an early entrance into John Day Dam, which has the highest single lift lock in the world (105 ft) and is more than a mile across. After passing through the lock, and continuing upriver, we found ourselves taking in the incredibly beautiful sunlit canyons and plateaus as we made our way towards eastern Washington’s wine country, which is becoming more and more notable as an ever expanding wine industry.
We dropped anchor after lunch and lowered our Zodiacs to prepare for our first day of land exploration. We had to get a closer look at Hat Rock, an interesting formation named by William Clark as he descended the river on October 19, 1805. After a couple of hours of exploring, it was time to head back to the Sea Bird.
Back on board we headed back to our cabins to refresh ourselves for the treat that awaited us. Paul, our hotel manager, had prepared an outstanding delight for us to make our taste buds sing. We found ourselves face to face with wines and foods from the Pacific Northwest that truly would have made Lewis and Clark’s journey much more pleasant. As Washington and Oregon increasingly gain popularity with the incredible wines from the region, we must indulge and challenge our taste buds to help us to decide on our favorite. So many to choose from; all so exceptional in their individuality. All of these great wines paired with the great smoked salmon, halibut, fruits and cheeses, and chocolates truly brought our first full day of adventures on the Columbia River to a spectacular finale. It was definitely a day to be remembered and cherished as all of our senses were put to use and pleasantly satisfied. We had sun on our skin, the sounds of the water rushing in the locks, the geology that was discovered by our traveling pioneers, and great wines and foods to put smiles on our faces. You have truly experienced life to the fullest when you can put all five senses to the test and they all are completely satisfied.
