Lewis And Clark Riverboat Cruises
Riverboat cruises are fast becoming the most popular types of cruises for visitors to exotic destinations and historic destinations alike. A riverboat cruise is a form of travel that typically takes place aboard a small vessel that navigates the inland waterways of the world. Unlike large cruise ships, riverboats allow the passenger to get up close and personal with the countryside, and historic sites.
While riverboats tend to be smaller than bigger ships, many have some of the same amenities as a larger ship and they can be just as elegant as some of the larger, high-end vessels. Some riverboat cruise ships may even look like a luxurious hotel with accommodations as well as passenger sun decks, dining rooms, lounges, fitness facilities, swimming pools, casinos, and other entertainment facilities. In addition, many riverboats offer both onboard and off board tours of everything from museums and galleries to dozens of other historical and exotic points of interest.
Lewis and Clark Riverboat cruises typically run from Memorial Day through Labor Day Weekend. Prices for Saturday evening cruises range from $31-$41 per person. Other cruises range from $11-$31 per person. Charter and group cruises are also available during the spring, summer, and fall months. Lewis and Clark will host everything from meetings and customer appreciations to weddings, anniversaries, proms and reunions for groups ranging from two to 150 people.
Clarkston / Hells Canyon
After your final upriver locking at the Lower Granite Dam, youll dock in Clarkston to delve into the history and culture of the Nez Perce people. Historical sites connected to the Lewis and Clark Expedition abound in this area, including Clarks first encounter with the Nez Perce in 1805. Join a covered jet boat for an invigorating ride into Hells Canyon, a world of fascinating natural and cultural elements. This free-flowing river, hemmed in by vertical cliffs, cuts its way through North Americas deepest river gorge at 7,993 feet. Keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep, hawks, and 7,000-year-old Indian petroglyphs. This evening marks your return downriver for a vibrant combination of Lewis and Clark history, river lore, and wine.
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The Footsteps Of Lewis And Clark
The Pacific Northwest is one of Americas hidden gems. The natural beauty, coupled with the regions history of exploration makes it a unique place to take a cruise without going too far from home. The Columbia River, where famed explorers Lewis and Clark, completed the final leg of their great journey, is one of the most picturesque in the region and is the focal point of American Queen Steamboat Company Pacific Northwest cruises.
Ted Sykes, President and COO of American Queen Steamboat Company explained why a river cruise makes so much sense for those with a lot going on.
Liberty Theatre in Astoria, Oregon | Photo: American Queen Steamboat Company
Fall is a special time in the Pacific Northwest, and were happy to offer more sailings this year aboard the American Empress, he said. These five-day voyagers are perfect for travelers with busy schedules who may be looking to sample river cruising for the very first time, and they also offer excellent value.
The new cruises offer unique activities and events like an evening with the Columbia River Symphony at the famed Liberty Theatre in Astoria, Oregon during the November 24th voyage. Another event garnering interest is an old-fashioned sock hop at the National Neon Museum in The Dalles, Oregon, during the November 28th and December 2nd voyages an unforgettable evening of music, dancing, and fun with one of the biggest collections of neon signs in the world.
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Best Columbia River Cruises
It might not be quite as long as the Missouri River or the Mississippi River, but the Columbia is still one of North America’s most iconic and exceptional rivers. Starting in British Columbia, Canada and flowing for 1,243 miles in total before reaching the Pacific Ocean along the border between Oregon and Washington State, the Columbia is the biggest river in the Pacific Northwest. We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.
Columbia And Snake River Cruise Tips
The duo of the Snake and Columbia rivers is one of the most in-demand river itineraries in the United States — and no wonder. There’s an abundance of history, including the storied Lewis and Clark expedition, which in the early 1800s introduced America to lands and peoples previously unknown. There’s wine. The Pacific Northwest is getting a lot of buzz — rightly — for its superb winemaking and the handsome locales that make it possible. And there are natural landmarks like Multnomah Falls, the Columbia River Gorge and Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge.
But it’s the story of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery, an expedition of “wilderness diplomats” that began in 1804 and lasted 28 months that supplies the narrative of most itineraries. A Columbia and Snake rivers cruise provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in that history lesson through nature walks, lectures and stellar museums and parks that relay one of early America’s most dramatic tales. The cruise lines also pay homage to the region’s wines with tastings onboard as well as excursions to a winery. Despite all the possible activities, the pace of the itineraries is overall slow and relaxed.
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Exploring The Palouse River
The still water of the Palouse River is the perfect mirror for the surrounding basalt cliffs as we set off cruising on our Zodiac and kayak adventures . Visit Palouse Falls, where cascading waters plunge 198 feet into the pool below. These falls and the canyon are an important feature of the channeled scablands created by the great Missoula Floods that swept periodically across the region. Afterward, sail up the Snake River, enjoying a taste of local specialties.
Day 7
Follow In The Footsteps Of The Lewis And Clark Expedition
There are several ways to take a vacation. You can book it and go. Or you can do what many American Queen Steamboat Company guests do: book it and then dive into the history of the places youâll be visiting. For those who travel with us on the grand American Queen for the first time, we always suggest that they pick up a copy of the immortal Mark Twainâs fascinating Life on the Mississippi. While many of his other books such as the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn give a brief peek into small town life and what it was like grow up along the banks of the Mississippi River, his Life on the Mississippi takes a broader view. Though the book is about his experiences as a riverboat cub pilot, it encapsulates the details of sailing the river in the 1800s both is beauty and its perils. Because of its detail, the book has become much more than just the amusing tales of a humorist on the river and is now a historical reference to how certain riverboat procedures were performed.
Transferring, interpreting and translating the handwritten journals into online text and readable documents were no easy tasks. The University of Nebraska in Lincoln has undertaken a monumental project that is best described by the projectâs co-director, Katherine Walter.
Consider this entry from March 20, 1806 and you can see why a review of the journals makes for interesting reading and puts a voyage on the American Empress into perspective :
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Richland Washington / Snake River Cruising
After an early morning transit of the McNary Dam, youll arrive in Richland, at the confluence of the Yakima, Columbia, and Snake Rivers. Orchards of over 160 wineries cover the slopes sporting names redolent of the West such as Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain. You will hear about the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and its role in World War IIs Manhattan Project. You will be back on the boat in time for lunch whilst you watch the surrounding wheat fields and massive wind farm turbines slip by. You will hear colourful stores about the pioneers as you traverse the Ice Harbour and Lower Momunental Dams.
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Smithsonian Journeys And National Geographic Expeditions
Smithsonian Journeys and National Geographic Expeditions each have seven-day Lewis and Clark Expedition cruises. National Geographic schedules about a dozen expeditions per year Smithsonian Journeys are more sporadic. Both cruise journeys depart from Portland, Oregon, then travel to the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria on the second day. While following Lewis and Clark’s well-documented path, you’ll have opportunities to kayak or jet boat to various points of interest including Hell’s Canyon, Cape Disappointment, Bonneville Lock and Dam and Beacon Rock. On-board experts, including historians, photographers, expedition leaders, naturalists and geologists, share their vast knowledge and entertaining stories of Lewis and Clark’s famous journey. Each cruise package includes meals of local cuisine, as well as sampling of regional microbrews and wines.
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Gates Of The Mountains Boat Tour
The evening of July 19, 1805, was a hot one in the wilderness that would later become Montana. On the Missouri River, not far from present-day Helena, the hardy members of the Lewis and Clark expedition toiled to move upstream. Rock embankments made towing from shore impossible, and the deep channel forced the men to row rather than pole their boats forward.
Suddenly, there loomed before them towering rock formations unlike any they had ever seen. From both sides of the river, limestone cliffs rose to a spectacular height of 1200 feet. In many places, wrote Meriwether Lewis, the rocks seem ready to tumble on us. At each bend in the waterway, great stone walls seemed to block passage, only to open like gentle giant gates as the expedition drew near. In his journal, Meriwether wrote: I shall call this place: GATES OF THE MOUNTAINS.
The name stuck, and for nearly two centuries travelers have ventured down this stretch of Missouri to marvel at its natural wonders. Today, most visitors enjoy the beauty of the Gates of the Mountains from aboard a tour boat the Canyon Voyager or the Sacajawea . Aboard a comfortable open-air boat , youll glide through magnificent country Meriwether Lewis would still recognize if he could return.
Near Mann Gulch the pilot will hug the shoreline to give you a look at Indian pictographs painted on the rock wall. Proof that indigenous people lived here long before Meriwether named it the Gates of the Mountains.
Columbia River Gorge / Hood River
Spend your morning visiting the stunning Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center in Stevenson, Washington, featuring 15,000 years of cultural and natural history of the Columbia Gorge with displays both inside and outside. Or trek up the iconic Beacon Rock, the 848-foot basalt column that once formed the core of an ancient volcano. Lewis and Clark camped here on their way west, and it was at Beacon Rock that they first noticed the tides affecting the water levels in the Columbia River, more than 120 miles from its mouth.
Continue through the Gorge to Hood River, located in the shadows of majestic Mount Hood, where you will enjoy a farm-to-table orchard lunch overlooking the golden Hood River Valley. The valley is known for its fruit-growing orchardsincluding one of the worlds largest pear-growing areas. After lunch youll have the option to visit the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum and explore one of the largest collections of still-functioning antique cars and planes in the country, or trek through the Twin Mosier Tunnels on the old historic Columbia River Highway.
Day 5
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Best Time For Columbia And Snake River Cruises
Cruises operate from April to November, with no month a particularly bad time to sail the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Spring months can be rainy, particularly on the western part of the Columbia, but it’s that precipitation that lights the hillsides a verdant green. July and August trend hot in the early fall, the vineyards are pretty with grapes on the vines. Wine lovers should look to travel in early October, when the harvest and crush occur.
What Is There To Do
When you think of the mighty Missouri River in the 1930s, you think of the proud tradition that is the riverboat!
The Lewis & Clark Riverboat is located in that historic port of Bismarck, and keeps up this tradition that has been an iconic of the American river system for so many years. Did you know they used to come all the way from St. Louis to the trading ports in the great northwest, nearly a century ago?
Now you can follow in their footsteps and travel along this amazing stretch of water!
There are a number of tours with the Lewis & Clark Riverboat that you can pick from. This makes sure you can find something perfect for your family! With a first come, first serve seating plan, it pays to be keen!
The week starts with the Monday Madness Cruise. Why is it madness? Because you get a super discount! This 90 minute cruise takes you along the water in an evening where kids can check out the sites that pass them â maybe some wildlife!
Tuesday brings youâ¦waitâ¦whatâs that delicious smell? Itâs the pizza cruise! Yum! A favorite for kids! Wednesday there are two options, with the evening cruise and that beautiful sunset cruise. Itâs nice to have a chance and experience something a little more magical!
Thursdays offer you what we know the kids will love â the Smokinâ BBQ Dinner Cruise! Yum! 90 minutes of delicious flavors and amazing views!
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Hooked Up Guide Service Devils Lake Nd
Hooked Up Guide Service is another of Devils Lakes amazingly talented guides that take guests out onto their boats and show them the ropes of North Dakota fishing. These guided trips mostly focus on walleye, northern pike, and perch, but who knows what youll catch! Both full day and half day tours are available.
Columbia River Eco Tours
Travel by boat from the Astoria Riverwalk on a history-filled Lewis and Clark tour with Columbia River Eco Tours. Choose from a two-, three- or four-hour narrated tour aboard the 40-foot Christina Cousteau, a yacht equipped with restroom facilities and heated cabins. During your journey, you’ll explore several Columbia River Estuary routes used by Lewis and Clark during their 1805 expedition. Points of interest include the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Refuge and Twilight Creek Eagle Sanctuary, where passengers can view and take pictures of bald eagles, Canadian geese, blue herons and osprey in their native habitat. You’ll also pass by the Tongue Point Coast Guard Station and Astoria’s Pier 39, where it’s common to encounter the resident singing sea lions.
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Ss Ruby Boat Tours Fargo Nd
The S.S. Ruby is a pontoon boat that offers tours for groups of two to eighteen people. The boat departs from Convent Landing in scenic Iwen Park in Fargo and can go as far north as River Oaks Point or as far south as Wild Rice. Tours are available from May through October, and is also available for custom special events. The rates are very reasonable, starting at only $150, a great deal for up to 18 people!
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A Lewis & Clark River Cruise You Have To Take
While most planning a cruise vacation are checking out itineraries involving the ocean, river cruising is growing in popularity as evident by new expanded cruisings from the American Queen Steamboat Company. In order to meet demand from cruisers, the cruise line has added three new fall cruises on the American Empress to the vessels 2018 schedule with five-day sailings leaving from Portland, Oregon.
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Columbia And Snake River Cruise Itineraries
Ships on the Columbia and Snake rivers typically cruise between Clarkston, Washington, and Astoria, Oregon, on the Pacific coast with embarkation or disembarkation in Portland, depending on which way the ship is headed. It’s a 500-mile journey that stretches from the arid, golden hillsides of eastern Washington to the moisture-rich, western slopes of Oregon. Along the way, the ships traverse eight locks.
Most of the cruises are seven nights with the option of a pre- or post-stay in Portland. The itineraries generally focus on the Lewis and Clark expedition. The occasional wine-themed cruise is also becoming a staple. All in all, the various ships call on many of the same ports — among them the Oregon communities of Hood River, Pendleton and The Dalles. American Queen Steamboat Company offers the most comprehensive itinerary choice with three different routes: Clarkston, Washington, to Portland, Oregon, or Vancouver, Washington, and vice versa, which travels on both the Snake and Columbia rivers and a Portland to Vancouver route, which is a Columbia River-only itinerary.
Lewis And Clark River Paddle Tours
NPS Photo / Jim Wilson
Hop in a watercraft and paddle along the lush riverbanks of the Lewis and Clark River. See bald eagles soar while you calmly float through history and hear a unique perspective of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. The themes of these three hour ranger-led paddles will include various natural and cultural topics geared for all interests. Park-maintained kayaks, paddles, and life jackets come with your reservation.Tours last up to three hours and will run daily Thursdays through Sundays from late June through early September. For the 2022 season, tours will begin on June 25th and run through September 4th. As the Lewis and Clark River is tidal-influenced, tour times vary to match high tide times.Lewis and Clark National Historical Park is modifying its kayak tour operations in accordance with the latest guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and state and local public health authorities. Gear will be sanitized in between programs. The Park reserves the right to cancel and/or limit the size and length of the tours. Thank you for your patience and understanding.The tour is free with park admission. Park entrance fees must be paid before tour time at the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center. See Fees & Passes – Lewis and Clark National Historical Park for additional information.
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