Chap I: Introduction, Lewis and Clark and a small ship cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers

Chap I: Introduction, Lewis and Clark and a small ship cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark didn't think they would be gone for 2 1/2 years when they started their journey up the Missouri River in May, 1804.  President Thomas Jefferson was hoping to discover a water route to the Pacific, but he was to be disappointed in that hope when Lewis and Clark found themselves on the craggy slopes of the Bitterroot mountains and the freezing cold of the Lolo Pass.  Luckily the "Corps of Discovery", which was the official name of the Lewis and Clark expedition,  pressed on over the Continental Divide, and found the Clearwater River which flowed into the Snake River which flowed into the Columbia River and from there to the Pacific.  They had established the  connection to the West and ultimately provided maps, information about the plant and animal life, and descriptions of the native inhabitants--albeit without delivering to  Jefferson that hoped for all-water route to the great western ocean.   

Our week long cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers followed  the last section of the Lewis and Clark route.  It started with a drive to Chicago where we parked our car, and then flew to Portland, Oregon to board our ship the Wilderness Discoverer.

For those unfamiliar with small ships let me give you a tour to differentiate them from the behemoth vessels that now tend to dominate the cruise market.  Our ship was compact and without the more elegant refinements found in larger and newer vessels.  It had the essentials without the pools, water slides, fancy auditoriums, private cabin patios, multiple dining rooms, and casinos.  We had spent time on a smaller ship on a previous Road Scholar trip through the Panama Canal and had no qualms about joining this one.  It was our 7th Road Scholar trip and older folks may recall that this organization started as Elderhostel  but was renamed a few years ago.  Their tours are generally marketed as more educationally oriented and  more all-inclusive than some.  In particular they include all  meals, tips and gratuities in their price.

Our tour group of about seventy people filled the ship and was served by another twenty or so young cabin attendants, servers, and deckhands. We made a small and companionable group.  Let me now give you a quick rundown of our on temporary water home before we actually get under way. 

Our cabin was compact with the bathroom combining both shower and stool. Luckily you don't spend a lot of time in your quarters. 

There was plenty of room outside for walking and exercise. You could do a mile around the main deck with around 24 loops. The stern even had two hot tubs and some exercise equipment.  The dining area was amidship on the main deck and was simple, clean and pleasantly  appointed without the ostentatious gaudiness so common to the larger ships.   

Meals, as on most cruises,  were excellent and somehow cooked up by our chef in a space that seemed about the size of our kitchen at home.

The crew kept everything spit spot and we caught them one evening polishing up the floor by skating on it with cloths on their shoes. 

The forward part of the main deck had a lounge area with chairs and small tables for general relaxation, conversation, or reading. There were TV screens in there that became available for visuals associated with our scheduled lectures.  No real TV though as we were off the grid for a lot of our journey.

The lounge area also included a fully equipped libation center staffed by a  lively bartender who made up a special drink each evening to start off the cocktail hour with a nice conversation starter.

Our sailing itinerary took us up the Columbia and Snake Rivers to Clarkston,WA/Lewiston, ID where we transferred to a so called jet boat for a speedy day trip further into Hell's Canyon on the Snake River. We returned to our dock to re-board our "small ship"  for a long cruise back  through Portland and all the way on to Astoria, OR where the Columbia empties into the Pacific Ocean.  On our final night we sailed back upriver to Portland where we disembarked and headed for the airport to fly back to Chicago and home.   

With this brief look at our ship, I will turn in the next entries to our stops and how they integrated with the travels of  Lewis and Clark and the men (and lone woman) who made up the "Corps of Discovery."  Look for it in another few days.