We spent our first night on the National Geographic Sea Bird docked in Clarkston, Washington. After breakfast we had a choice of two activities. One was to explore some of the Lewis and Clark sites along the Clearwater River with Clearwater Connections. The second one was to take a scenic jet boat ride up the Snake River into Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, a canyon that is even deeper than the Grand Canyon!
Jet boaters were greeted to a warm day and our geologist on board informed us that the unique rock formations and columns we were seeing were made of basalt. As we continued up the Snake River we navigated through white water rapids and kept our eyes peeled for wildlife. We saw a herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep grazing near the riverbank and watched two bucks gracefully climb over rocks on the steep hillside.
We ate our lunches outside at Cache Creek as wild turkeys roamed by and a pair of mule deer curiously watched us watch them. Our picnic spot was surrounded by apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees, and we had a magnificent view of the Snake River below. Back on the boat we continued on past the confluence of the Salmon River and the scenery was truly amazing.
Heading back we stopped to watch several fishermen anxiously trying to land salmon and steelhead trout.
The shipmates who chose to travel by motor coach followed in the tracks of Lewis and Clark and stopped at several historical interest points. Our local tour guide Miguel, shared fascinating stories and read entries from the captain’s journals, painting a vivid picture of some of the experiences that the Corps of Discovery had in this area. We were even given the opportunity to learn some basic survival skills including starting fires.
Both groups met up at the end of the day at the Nez Perce National Historic Park Museum. A park service interpreter gave a presentation on the history of the Nez Perce people. Then we had a chance to see a collection of Nez Perce artifacts dating from 1844.
Back aboard we gathered for appetizers including delicious cheeses and a Recap of our wonderful day.
