Rediscover the American West; Follow the route of Lewis and Clark on the Columbia and Snake River.
Experience the rich and colorful history of the American West on a fascinating weeklong voyage. Sailing on one of four intimate cruise vessels, explore the entire navigable length of the Columbia and Snake rivers, from the crashing waves of the Columbia River Bar on the Pacific Ocean all the way to the jagged cliffs of Hells Canyon on the borders of Oregon and Idaho. Along the way you’ll discover traces of earlier inhabitants; centuries-old petroglyphs carved on canyon walls and cavalry forts built in the frontier day of the 1800′s.
This 1,000-mile adventure begins and ends in Portland, Oregon. On the first evening, you’ll cruise up the Willamette River toward Oregon City, the original end of the Oregon Trail. You’ll also get your first taste of the outstanding cuisine, which takes full advantage of the Pacific Northwest’s best fresh specialties.
The next morning you’ll awake to the splendor of the Columbia River Gorge, a national scenic area that slices through the Cascade Mountains. You’ll transit the locks of eight different dams, stopping to tour the Bonneville Dam.
After a leisurely day of river cruising under the bluffs of the Snake River and the rolling Palouse, you’ll board a large jet boat for an exhilarating excursion into Hells Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America. This is the real Wild West— complete with spectacular whitewater rapids, Nez Perce Indian trails and historic ranch sites.
Other tour highlights include the historic Whitman Mission, site of an 1847 massacre on the Oregon Trail, a rail excursion through the lush apple and pear orchards below snowcapped Mt. Hood, a stop in cannon Beach, a winery tour and a visit to the maritime community of Astoria.
Give the experts at James TravelPOINTS a call 1-800-274-0436, www.travelpoints.com
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