Sunny Astoria
Early risers this morning started their day with a view of Orion and one of his hunting dogs sparkling over the slumbering town of Astoria, Oregon. The stars were soon absorbed into the peach tinted swirls and eddy of an unbelievable sunrise. With the now clear blue skies of dawn, we were able to see more of the features of our new landscape. A headland, coastal mountains, red and green buoys, breakers in the surf ahead and sandbars. We wanted to name these features and add them to our memory’s vocabulary, and so we did.
Columbia, the name of the river we navigate today. The Columbia River was named for the Columbia Rediviva. Captain Robert Gray, an American, sailed on Friday, May 11, 1792 along the north bank after several unsuccessful attempts to thread his way into the mouth of the river.
Cape Disappointment, which we could see from the bow of our ship, was first named San Roque by Bruno Heceta on August 17, 1775. It was later named Cape Disappointment by Lieutenant John Meares in 1788, a title that expressed his annoyance at being unable to find an entrance to the river.
Astoria became a settlement resulting from efforts by John Jacob Astor of the Pacific Fur Company in New York to establish a fur trading post on the west coast.
Fort Clatsop, the first military establishment to be built in Oregon. This was the 1805-06 winter home of the Corps of Discovery, named after the local Indians with whom they traded goods and entertained as guests.
Saddle Mountain, one of the highest peaks in the Coast Range in Oregon at 3,283 feet. We saw her silhouette in the pre-dawn light from the Sea Bird, from Canoe Landing at Fort Clatsop, and from the top of Cockscomb Hill at the Astoria Column.
After a full day of terrestrial exploring we returned to the Sea Bird and enjoyed a gastronomic navigation through a variety of Pacific Northwest specialties selected and served by our Hotel Manager, Paul Ghisoi and assisted by our Purser, Sesyle Moorhead and our Bartender, Steve Cochran.
Tomorrow holds new places, new names and more explorations… in the wake of Lewis and Clark.
Early risers this morning started their day with a view of Orion and one of his hunting dogs sparkling over the slumbering town of Astoria, Oregon. The stars were soon absorbed into the peach tinted swirls and eddy of an unbelievable sunrise. With the now clear blue skies of dawn, we were able to see more of the features of our new landscape. A headland, coastal mountains, red and green buoys, breakers in the surf ahead and sandbars. We wanted to name these features and add them to our memory’s vocabulary, and so we did.
Columbia, the name of the river we navigate today. The Columbia River was named for the Columbia Rediviva. Captain Robert Gray, an American, sailed on Friday, May 11, 1792 along the north bank after several unsuccessful attempts to thread his way into the mouth of the river.
Cape Disappointment, which we could see from the bow of our ship, was first named San Roque by Bruno Heceta on August 17, 1775. It was later named Cape Disappointment by Lieutenant John Meares in 1788, a title that expressed his annoyance at being unable to find an entrance to the river.
Astoria became a settlement resulting from efforts by John Jacob Astor of the Pacific Fur Company in New York to establish a fur trading post on the west coast.
Fort Clatsop, the first military establishment to be built in Oregon. This was the 1805-06 winter home of the Corps of Discovery, named after the local Indians with whom they traded goods and entertained as guests.
Saddle Mountain, one of the highest peaks in the Coast Range in Oregon at 3,283 feet. We saw her silhouette in the pre-dawn light from the Sea Bird, from Canoe Landing at Fort Clatsop, and from the top of Cockscomb Hill at the Astoria Column.
After a full day of terrestrial exploring we returned to the Sea Bird and enjoyed a gastronomic navigation through a variety of Pacific Northwest specialties selected and served by our Hotel Manager, Paul Ghisoi and assisted by our Purser, Sesyle Moorhead and our Bartender, Steve Cochran.
Tomorrow holds new places, new names and more explorations… in the wake of Lewis and Clark.
