SNAKE AND COLUMBIA RIVERS CRUISE
4-13 SEPTEMBER, 2021
SEPTEMBER 4, 2021 SATURDAY
JJ and I arrived at the historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, WA following an uneventful flight from San Diego. We soon connected with fellow travelers Don, Kathy, Paul and Nita for the first of many to come dinners and happy hours.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 SUNDAY
We completed our do it yourselF COVID19 test (negative!) and with our proof of vaccination and earlier negative genetic test we were approved for the cruise! We all departed Spokane at 1000 via two buses from American Cruise Lines. The buses would follow our cruise and meet us at each port stop for shore excursions. At 1200 we arrived at Clarkston WA after a ride through mostly open country with lots of golden fields resulting from the Fall wheat harvests.
Our river cruise started at Clarkson where the Clearwater and Snake rivers come together and here we first met our ship, the American Song. We were soon underway down the Snake River and went through our first of many locks (the Lower Granite) as our ship descended the rivers towards the Pacific Ocean.
The passengers were introduced to the ship's company and, especially, to the very energetic cruise and entertainment directors. Apparently, mellow, low energy people need not apply for these jobs.
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SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 MONDAY
The American Song arrived at Richland WA at around 0645 having passed through 3 locks during the night. We learned the hard way to keep our curtains closed at night because the very bright lights at the docks are quite startling.
On this day some of us did an optional tour to the town of Pendleton where we were guided through the undergound tunnels which were dug in olden days to avoid harsh outside streets? I thought it interesting that the tour folks were very proud of all the brothels that were once a major industry. This tour included a stop at the Tomaslikt Cultural Center and then shopping near the scene of the famous Pendleton rodeo.
We wrapped up the day with a lecture about the locks and dams on these rivers and then happy hour and dinner. Our other fellow traveler, Lowry, joined us at Clarkston where he had complete another optional tour of the Snake River Hells Canyon area.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 TUESDAY
This morning the boat was docked at The Dalles OR and we did the complimentary bus tour and an optional visit to the Maryhill Winery. We did a tour of the Columbia River Gorge Museum and the Fort Dalles Museum. At the River Museum there was an interesting display of some data from the Lewis and Clark mission. The explorers had maintained a careful record of all the animals they ate during the journey. the fourth most popular dish was dog meat provided by local Native American settlements. That is a bit surprising given that Lewis had his pet dog, Seaman, along for the whole trip!
SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 WEDNESDAY
our boat left The Dalles at about 0430 and arrived at Stevenson OR four hours later. At this point of the journey we have entered the Cascade Mountains areas and now the country is tree covered and green. we have departed the desert regions. The highlight of the morning was a visit to the Multnomah Falls and four of us did the walk up to the top -about 500 feet of elevation gain in 1.25 miles one way.
For the afternoon amusement we toured the Bonneville Dam which is the last dam and lock on the river before reaching the ocean. These dams have "fish ladders" which permit the salmon to make their journey upstream to spawn and die. A window allowed us to see the fish making their way and there are lots of them!
SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 THURSDAY
Our boat departed Stevenson about 0900 and we cruised all day with no shore excursions. We passed through the Bonneville lock and at about 1300 we passed Portland OR and Vancover WA and passed the point at which the Willamette River enters the Columbia from the south.
In the morning we were treated to the third lecture on the Lewis and Clark expedition presented by Bill Wiemuth. Bill and his wife, Laura Sable, also provided musical entertainment during the trip. The history of Lewis and Clark was an important part of our cruise and Bill's lectures were excellent!
SEPTEMBER 10,2021 FRIDAY
On this morning the American Song tied up at Astoria, OR under overcast and cool skies. We now could see large ships since we are below the last dam. Upstream of Bonneville Dam the shipping is restricted to barge and river cruise traffic due to the limited size of the locks. At 0900 our buses departed for an optional tour of the Fort Clatsop museum. The fort is a recreation of the fort of the same name that Lewis and Clark built for shelter during their long, miserable, wet winter at the completion of their amazing journey to the Pacific.
In the afternoon we toured the Cape Disappointment area with spectacular views looking out across the mouth of the Columbia River, across the infamous "bar" and to the Pacific. We learned that William Clark (no relation to this web developer) took a band of explorers to this north side of the river to scout for a potential winter camp site. The Clatsop Indians convinced him the south side of the river was better suited for their needs
To wrap up this day we enjoyed champagne to celebrate the Paul and Nita anniversary!
SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 SATURDAY
During the evening our ship moved back upstream to Kalama on the north side of the Columbia. This "docking" was a good example of how these river cruise ships are very flexible regarding places to dock. At Kalama the ship's bow pushed ashore and a ramp extended from the bow to the land!
The main event for this day was a bus trip to the Mount St Helens park. Here we visited the scene of the May 1980 volcanic eruption and some of the devastation was still evident.
That evening we celebrated JJ's birthday and enjoyed our final meal with our friends on this trip.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2021 SUNDAY
Everyone departed the ship at 0830 and most folks headed to the airport from our final docking in Portland.
This was the end of our river cruise but just the beginning of a long road trip for Bill and JJ.
