Jabbed with every Covid vaccine available we took our first post pandemic extended vacation out among the great unwashed.
After staying overnight in Portland before boarding ship, photo right, the
American
Pride, we sailed the next morning, map left, on a Columbia and Snake Rivers
Northwest
Pioneers Cruise.
Eighteen months after leaving the mouth of the Missouri the Corp first saw the Pacific on December 1805. At only 50' on a side my first thought on seeing the (reproduction) fort was 'where's the rest of it'? Thirty-three people occupied five rooms, three for the twenty seven enlisted men, two for Captain Meriwether
Lewis and Captain William Clark and a fifth for the Shoshone Woman Sacajawea, her husband and son and Clark's slave York.
In the photo collage above left, redactors greet us at the fort entrance. Above center, a demonstration of loading a black power musket. Above right, A sculpture of the teenage Sacajawea. Bottom left, raising the flag at Fort Caslop. Food being a prerequisite for survival Fort Caslop was almost never built until a 'last chance' search for game found extensive elk, bottom right, in the vicinity providing both food and skins for clothing.
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Sailing east from Astoria the first of 4 U.S. built dams on the Columbia River Gorge is the
Bonneville. Authorized by congress in 1933
during the Roosevelt administration, and dedicated by the president" in 1937 the dam was completed in 1938. In the photo collage above, top right, the entrance to the Bradford Island Visitor Center. above, top left, a view of the original turbine hall, a cathedral of industrial engineering. Bottom right, the spillway at full flow. Bottom left, Water flows through a duct to the impeller which converts the kinetic energy of the water to mechanical energy spinning the electrical generator.
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A pressure differential between moist pacific air to the west and dry dessert-like air on the land to the east drives the wind blowing off of the Pacific Ocean. The Venturi affect, the canyon walls narrow, increases the wind velocity through the Columbia River George. The average wind speed is 10 MPH but gusts exceeding 100 MPH have been measured.
At times we were staggered by wind gusts exceeding 35 MPH. In the photo collage above, lower left, windsurfers race down the Columbia. Lower right, experienced Kiteboarders ply their trade. Photo collage top, easy access to the sandbars at Underwood, Oregon, make it popular with wind sport enthusiasts .
In the photo collage above, top left, the water of Multnomah Falls Oregon's largest, falls 620'. In spite of the Pacific NW's reputation for rain none fell for duration of our cruise skies were sunny and blue. Upper right, gorge walls reflected by the glass smooth river. Lower left, as we entered a set of locks the screeching of birds of prey grew increasingly louder drowning out that of the rush of water through the dam. Close inspection showed the calls came from loudspeakers mounted next to the fish ladder in the lower left of shot. Center bottom, There are eight dams and navigation locks on the Columbia-Snake River System; four on the Columbia and four on the Snake. The locks permit vessels to bypass hydroelectric dams. Lower right, Approaching Underwood, WA, a large pillar of smoke appeared in the sky. A fire in Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. tunnel number 5 had been burning since July 2 and despite efforts of arial tankers was still growing. In spite of the fire, it being 4th of July, town leaders didn't let the fireworks on hand be waste. The show was extravagant with the added attraction of fire engines shuttling to put out fires started by malfunctionin grocketss igniting tinder dry grass.
Upper left, On day seven we reached the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum - WAAAM in Hood River, Oregon. In the photo collage above left, Joyce suggests a suitable present, a 1932 Willys Overland Model 90 , (thank you WAAAM staff for the ID) for the upcoming Christmas holidays. Blue's always been her favorite color. Each automobile and aircraft in the museum, courtesy of many, many volunteers, is functional.
Unimpressive from the outside, as an aircraft enthusiast I was in 7th heaven indoors. Upper right, a complete WWII vintage ANT-18 Link flight trainer and operator console designed and perfected by Edwin Link. Over 500,000 allied airmen were trained in instrument flying in the "Blue Box".
Lower left, a portion of the Theater de la Mode (Fashion Theater) exhibition at The Maryhill Museum of Art. Post WW II the French fashion industry was in dire straits. Over 50 design houses joined in dressing 27″ wire frame models in the latest fashions made the most of limited fabrics. No details were spared in creating exact copies of haute couture, even underwear.
Lower right, Joyce raises a glass in the tasting room of the Maryhill winery. Wines on offer included Fat Bastard & Menage A Trois Chardonnays
Joyce and I have traveled together for 18 years seeing wonderful things. In the photo collage above, top left, Joyce at Multnomah Falls, we recommend the hot chocolate. Upper right, Joyce welcomes y'all aboard. Lower right, at the National Neon Museum the collection returned memories of long lost companies and products. Lower left, Joyce and I at Multnomah Falls.
Section updated: May 10, 2024
