On this trip, we stepped back into history. We learned all about the expedition that Lewis and Clark took through the Pacific Northwest. We cruised through gorges and dams, went wine tasting through the wine vineyards of Oregon, kayaked on the calm and rafted in the rough rapids. It was a well-rounded trip with everything!
Perhaps you’ve heard of a duo named Meriwether Lewis and William Clark?
Maybe not.
Growing up in Montana, my teachers probably spent more time than normal discussing the Corps of Discovery - the famed Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806) which saw a band of 33 men cross the newly acquired western United States to the Pacific Ocean (largely by river but occasionally on foot). I see references to Lewis and Clark everywhere - the Clark Fork River which runs straight through my hometown of Missoula, Montana, the Lewis and Clark Caverns… Pompey’s Pillar near Billings.... everywhere.
That being said, Lewis and Clark more or less skipped my area of Montana (despite all of their namesakes) and made their way into Idaho through Hells Canyon on the Snake River before making their way along the Columbia River towards modern day Portland and the Pacific Ocean. As they traveled, they acquired the help of another famous individual: Sacajawea.
The route we followed on the S.S. Legacy was the route of Lewis and Clark - complete with a jet-boat ride up Hells Canyon. While the landscape of the Snake and Columbia Rivers has been forever and drastically altered by the building of several dams, one can feel the sense of wonderment the Corps of Discovery must have felt while traveling west. Though the river is calm where it used to be turbulent and a series of waterfalls and petroglyphs have unfortunately been submerged beneath 60 feet of water, the cliffs and mountains remain the same and a sense of adventure can still be felt throughout the hills.
Petroglyphs (Haley Rowell)
Hearing our guides talk about the Lewis and Clark expedition while we sailed the same rivers was magic. Their tale is remarkable - the Corp traveled nearly 8000 miles through uncharted territory, unfavorable weather and treacherous terrain but only lost one man (Charles Floyd, who succumbed to appendicitis three months into the expedition). Sailing the Columbia brought this piece of history to life for me. Despite having heard about the expedition my entire life, it didn’t make sense until I saw it myself.
Adventure Life has done a great job helping us plan both an Arctic and an Antarctic expedition cruise. We trust them completely!
Kbear
1 day ago
Very efficient and friendly service.
Kris Ganase
3 days ago
I spent 2 entire days trying to find my Alaska small boat trip, with no success. Then Erin from Adventure Life gave me 4 choices on the same day I contacted her. She was caring and very efficient. I'm very excited about the cruise she found for me.
Janet Houts
4 days ago
Everything about our Galapagos experience was top-notch. I highly recommend this trip if you like be active. Everyone from the planners to the guides to the crew set us up to experience and soak in everything the Galapagos has to offer. They took care of every detail so we could learn and enjoy.
Luanne
5 days ago
We had an amazing trip. The accommodations of our hotel first 3 nights and the accommodations of the ship were perfect. Our guides were amazing. They went snorkeling with us everyday and took amazing pictures and pointed out various species of fish. On the land adventures, they explained everything about the islands and animals that we were looking for and seeing. They also took amazing photos and videos that they shared with us in a whats app group with the entire ship. This gave us the ability to upload our own video and pictures along with other shipmates so we all got these great photos from everyone. It was a once in a lifetime trip that left us with many amazing memories and very possible we would consider going back.