A steamboat cruise through the Columbia River Gorge offers vistas, zip lines and beer.
ASTORIA, OREGON >> At the Wet Dog Cafe and Brewery, the brewmaster guides us through a sampling of four brews while we nibble sausages and pretzels. Astoria’s oldest brewing company is also the first stop along Oregon’s Ale Trail, a walking tour for passengers cruising on the Columbia River aboard the American Empress, a modern-day paddle-wheeler owned by American Queen Steamboat Company. At our next stop, the Buoy Beer Company, we watch sea lions cavorting beneath us through the transparent panels in the taproom floor. We listen to their loud barks echo throughout the revamped cannery building as we discover the tasty joys of pairing oatmeal stout with warmed pistachios.
By Day 2 of the cruise, it’s clear the arduous journey of Lewis and Clark through the Pacific Northwest, though fascinating, is not the week’s primary theme. Instead, what’s hip and happening along the river today takes center stage. Think zip lining through forests near Astoria, sampling trendy food trucks in Portland and tasting pinot noir at quirky Washington wineries. Pick your excursions (some included in the cruise price, some extra) to personalize your trip.
Board one of the floating behemoths of the Caribbean and your cruise ship likely holds 3,000 to 6,000 guests. A Columbia River cruise
is a completely different — and completely varied — experience. The American Empress may be the largest riverboat on the Columbia, but compared with a standard cruise vessel, it’s a throwback to a more intimate, elegant mode of travel. Its 223 guests can expect such amenities as cabins with balconies, bicycles to use in town and two dining venues, where Pacific Northwest cuisine is paired with local wines and craft beer. All along the way, river sights are paired with cultural and scenic excursions.
A day docked in The Dalles, for example, is a day for exploring the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum, known as WAAAM for short. The museum features 100 restored planes, dating back to 1917. A majority of them still take to the skies — and you can go up in one, at an extra cost. Another highlight is a ride around the property in a vintage 1930s Ford or Chevy. Be sure to climb into the Ford’s rumble seat, if you get the chance.
For history buffs, the exploits of Lewis and Clark are not forgotten. On each cruise, the onboard “riverlorian” — a history and culture expert — dedicates at least one of his daily talks to the intrepid explorers. On shore, excellent museums showcase the 18041806 Corps of Discovery Expedition. And at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles, for example, where museum admission is included in your cruise fare, you can learn among other things how the expedition managed to pack and carry 30 tons of cumbersome supplies.
Each port offers handy hop-on, hop-off bus service. You pick your stop to hop off, spend as long (or as little) time as you like, then hop back on the bus bound for the next attraction before eventually returning to the ship for dinner — at the Astoria dining room, perhaps, or the top deck’s casual River Grill and Bar. The menu features lobster, wild salmon, lamb chops and filet mignon. The crab dip appetizer is pretty awesome, too.
During cruising days, the focus is on waterfalls (there are roughly 75 in the Columbia River Gorge alone), wildlife and river traffic. Barges loaded with grain and freight trains rolling along the banks are common sights. For those wishing to socialize, the Paddlewheel Lounge multitasks as Internet cafe, library and game room. At cocktail hour and after dinner, the cozy lounge overlooking the bright red paddle wheel transforms into a lively piano bar. The paddle wheel, by the way, is more than a showpiece. It supplies 25 percent of the boat’s propulsion.
Delicious food, flowing wine, adventures in port — all this and I haven’t even touched on the Fort Dalles floozies dressed in 1850s garb to welcome the ship, the Hells Canyon jet boats and the fascinating series of locks. A week, it seems, is barely enough time to take in the Columbia River’s attractions.