Cruise Travel, Educational Adventures, Featured, Going Solo, Photo Essay

No Words: Seven Days on the Columbia and Snake Rivers

DSC_0840_2

Have you ever been somewhere so amazing that you are unable to put the experience into words?  Until recently, I had not–after all, words are kind of my thing.  But this past trip–a river boat cruise down the Columbia and Snake Rivers with UnCruise Adventures–has left me speechless.  It was just that beautiful. 

When I travel to a new place, the first thing I do is Google image search that destination (even if that destination is less of a destination and more of ‘a place where I have to go for work’).  But when I Google image searched ‘Columbia and Snake River Cruise’, I did not find anything as epic as what I found while out on the actual water.  Thus, I bring you this: a brief glimpse of what seven days on (and along) the river(s) looks like.

And honestly–these photos (like my vain attempts to image search) do not do it justice.

I’ve selected one photo from each day–each one featuring either the Columbia or Snake Rivers.  Selecting only one photo per day was an almost-impossible task.  I felt that by restricting myself to river-only shots (and not images captured while on the many, many stunning shore excursions) I’d have fewer to choose from.  I was wrong.

Saturday: Sailing east from Portland, Oregon.

DSC_0669

Sunday:  Near Hood River, the wind- and kite surfing capitol of the US (supposedly).

DSC_0986

Monday: Arriving on the Snake River.  This is my favorite photo from the entire trip.

DSC_0162

Tuesday: Lunch stop on the Snake in Hell’s Canyon.

DSC_0272

Wednesday: Sailing towards The Dalles after leaving Walla Walla.

DSC_0535

Thursday: The lookout from the Stonehenge Monument near The Dalles.

DSC_0561

Friday: Astoria, Oregon.

DSC_0865_2

If these photo pique your interest (as I hope they have) there’s more to come.  I actually do have many, many words written about the trip itself (and, uh, maybe over fourteen hundred other photos).  You see, every night while on the river, I would sit at my little desk in my cabin and record my thoughts and experiences of the day–I kept a traditional travel journal, something I’ve not done in years.  It is this journal I will be sharing over the next many weeks.  I have one entry per day of the seven-day cruise that feature the people and places I met and visited over the course of one incredible week.

Stay Tuned!

A huge thank you to Sarah at UnCruise Adventures, who helped me set up this trip–and to every crew member on board the S.S. Legacy.  You’ve all got a pretty great thing going at UnCruise, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been a part of it for one short week.  I wish I could have made the trek north with you–I’d have happily stowed away!  Enjoy your season in Alaska!