From Portland to Lewiston: River Cruising in the Northwest

The rivers of the Pacific Northwest are almost always in view from the major highways that take us from one city to another. But if you're tired of seeing the river from the "mainland" why not experience things the other way around? A Columbia/Snake River Cruise usually begins in Portland Oregon, near the downtown docks on the Willamette River. Cruises take passengers up the Willamette to its junction with the Columbia River, then east up the Columbia to the Snake River, in eastern Washington. From there, some cruises take you on up the Snake as far as Lewiston.

River cruising gives passengers an entirely new perspective of both the river itself and the land on either side of them. When you're smack in the middle of the Columbia River looking at Multnomah Falls, for example, it gives you a completely different view of the 600-foot fall. It also puts the popular scenic attraction in greater context with the tall basalt cliffs around it.

The same is true of the popular sport of wind surfing, seen at various places along the Columbia, but especially near Hood River and The Dalles, Oregon. No longer do you catch mere glimpses of the colorful sails and sleek boards from the highway or shoreline; instead, you find yourself in the midst of the careening boards and their adventurous riders.

I had a chance this summer to take a week-long trip along the route of the Columbia and Snake Rivers with Cruise West, the leading provider of Pacific Northwest cruises. The experience was not only relaxing and scenic--as are all cruises--but historically and geologically educational.

The Columbia and Snake Rivers cut through the Columbia Plateau, a unique feature of the inland Northwest consisting of deep layers of basalt rock, a dark-brown to black volcanic rock which oozed out from the earth in layers millions of years ago, then cooled in vertical columns with five to seven sides. Later, catastrophic floods washed through the area, tearing off these columns, exposing the basalt in many places where it had been covered with soil, and changing the Columbia Gorge from a V-shaped river valley to the U-shaped channel it is today.

As you cruise along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, signs of the earth's phenomenal powers can be seen everywhere around you--from the basalt columns lining much of the river's banks, to the gravel bars left by the Ice Age fllods, to the scabland topography in flood-ravaged areas such as near The Dalles and at ports such as Umatilla.

Future articles will explore specific points to see along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. If you're looking to do something different for a vacation next spring, summer or fall, consider a cruise of the major rivers that pass through the beautiful Pacific Northwest.