The Pacific Northwest is known for its delicious seafood and delectable wines. On this amazing American Cruise Line’s Food & Wine Cruise along the Columbia River, savor exquisite regionally inspired cuisine and work one-on-one with our onboard expert to find the perfect complementary local wine. Visit amazing natural landmarks to better understand the unique topography of the region and how its diversity contributes to the wine varietals.

ONBOARD EXPERT PROGRAMS

WINE 101 – Learn the FUNdamentals of wine – Learn about Washington – Oregon wine regions, grapes, and wine production – Enjoy a tasting, of course!

Wake Up to Bubbles – Start the day with a sparkling wine presentation including salty snacks.

Food & Wine Pairing – Wine expert, Reggie Daigneault, will work with team of chefs to pair wines with every evening’s menu – Her assistants will serve the wine during dinner.

Aromas in the Wine Exercise and Presentation – Join Reggie and guests for this fun blind smelling of aromas – She infuses a specific aroma into 6 (or more) wines, guest will get to smell and guess what the aromas are.

Cocktail Hours – Every cocktain hour will feature a special drink or wine, some examples: Mount St. Helens Cocktail Eruption; Spirited Away Coctail from Skunk Bros; Goodbye Columbia & Snake Rivers Sangria

ONSHORE HIGHLIGHTS

Below is a sample of the excursions offered on this theme cruise.

Offered, on average, 4 theme-related excursions which vary depending on cruise date.

Skunk Brothers Distillery – High quality moonshine, whiskey, and brandy – tour and tasting.

Oyster Farm in Bay Center – WA and OR coastline oyster farm – oyster tasting and tour.

Cascade Cliffs Winery Tour & Tasting – Winery & vineyard tour, tasting of Italian – inspired wines.

Col Solare Winery – Exclusive tasting at world-class winery.

Hamilton Cellars – Guided tasting of wines and a tour through their Estate Vineyard.

Basalt Cellars – Features highly awarded wines from the finest vineyards in Washington state.

Upsidedown Wine Tasting – An intimate tasting in brand new tasting room in Hood River.

Burnt Bridges Cellar – Every bottle is hand-filled, hand corked, and hand-labeled

Day 1:  Friday, July 17, 2020 Fly into Spokane, WA   Historic Davenport Hotel

Pre-Cruise Complimentary Package

Each Columbia and Snake Rivers itinerary comes complete with a Complimentary Pre-Cruise Package, providing you with a seamless way to board the ship and explore the local area. Arrive the day before your scheduled cruise date and American Cruise Lines will handle the rest. The package includes a premium hotel stay, where you can enjoy the city at your leisure. On the morning of the cruise, meet in the hotel lobby after breakfast and we will transport you to the ship to begin your cruise. All luggage will be brought directly from the hotel and placed in your stateroom aboard the ship.

Pre-Cruise Packages must be reserved at least 30 days before your cruise date.

Day 2: Saturday, July 18, 2020  Clarkston, WA      

Nestled at the convergence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers in southeast Washington, Clarkston is the gateway to North America’s deepest gorge, Hells Canyon. Named for William Clark of the historic Lewis and Clark Expedition, the town features beautiful scenic vistas, year-round recreation, an inland seaport rich in history. Follow the footsteps of the pioneers before us as you explore Clarkston’s natural bounty and small town charm.

Complimentary Featured Shore Tour – Sightsee via motorcoach on our way to Clarkston

Day 3: Sunday, July 19, 2020  Pendelton, OR / Richland, WA

Pendleton is known for its beautiful countryside, indigenous Native American tribes, and the network of underground tunnels created a century ago for illicit activities. The area is also famous for its lucrative wool trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Visit The REACH Museum in Richland which illustrates the culture and history of the region through engaging exhibits, artifacts, and tours.

Included Exccursion: The REACH Museum

Looking through the lens of The Hanford Reach National Monument and the Columbia River, the REACH Museum illustrates the rich culture and history of Eastern Washington through engaging exhibits, artifacts, and tours. Featuring over 14,000 square feet of exhibits, the museum claims the only complete baby woolly mammoth skeleton on display.

Optional Excursion: The Pendelton Experience

Enjoy a scenic ride through the countryside and witness the striking contrast in landscape as you make your way to Pendleton for the day’s excursions. Upon arrival, be greeted by our private tour guide who will take you to explore Pendleton’s infamous underground city, followed by a complimentary BBQ lunch at the famous Hamley’s Restaurant. In the afternoon, travel to the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, for a look into the storied past of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes. Finally, visit the famous Pendleton Woolen Mill for a tour and the chance to purchase authentic woven goods.

Day 4: Monday, July 20, 2020 The Dalles, OR

Located between Mount Hood and Mount Adams, The Dalles is famous for being the last stop on the historic Oregon Trail. To the pioneers, the terrain was treacherous; to today’s visitors, it is simply stunning. Overlooking the Columbia River Gorge is Cascade Cliffs Winery, the ideal place to spend an afternoon with expert sommeliers enjoying the bounty of the fertile Columbia Valley.

Included Excursion: Columbia Gorge Discovery Center

As you step off the ship, you will be greeted by members of the local visitor’s center who are dressed in period clothing from the pinnacle days of riverboating. Our guide will meet us at the ship for a short narrated tour of the town before arriving at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.

Explore the various exhibits that describe the volcanic upheaval and raging floods that helped to create the gorge. The highlight of the center visit includes a unique raptor exhibition where we watch birds of prey put on an aerobatic display and learn about the protected eagles that call the gorge home.

Day 5: Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Cruising the Columbia River Gorge / Stevenson, WA

The Columbia River Gorge is a spectacular river canyon cutting through the Cascade Mountain Range with amazing natural contrasts of rain forest and desert, sea-level passage and alpine meadows. As a the largest federally protected National Scenic Area in the United States, the Gorge boasts stunning waterfalls, basalt cliffs, lakes, streams, rivers, and fields of wildflowers.

In the 1800’s, Lewis & Clark traveled down the scenic Columbia River Gorge on their journey westward, with the Oregon Trail pioneers following soon after. Today, the area offers a variety history museums and art centers, fine dining, theaters, wineries, many recreational opportunities, as well as some of the most impressive landscapes in the world.

Included Excursion: Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center

Enjoy a self-guided tour of the Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center, which showcases the area’s unique history and cultural diversity. From the Native American tribes that inhabited the gorge to the expedition of Lewis and Clark and 19th-century loggers, learn of the bountiful life on the gorge as you explore this amazing museum.

Onboard Entertainment – Kevin Neil
Kevin Neil is a solo guitar player who brings our ship’s voyage to life. His “Songs of the Sailor” performance is a collection of maritime songs and sea shanties inspired by sailors from bygone days, while his Cowboy Kevin show features a country-style twang, reminiscent of the heroic cowboys of the Old West.

Entertainment times, days, and performers are subject to change.

Day 6: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 Mount St. Helens, WA

Perhaps the most impactful of all landmarks in the region is Mount St. Helens. From high on an overlook, bear witness to the awesome power of the volcano whose eruption in 1980 scorched 230 square miles of forest land and forever changed the landscape. Expert guides will show you the pumice plain and lava dome as they explain the effect the volcano had on the lives of those in the surrounding towns.

Included Excursion: Mount St. Helens Experience 

May 18, 1980 is a day etched into the history of the United States, as the powerful eruption of Mount St. Helens drastically changed the landscape of what is now referred to as the National Volcanic Monument. On your scenic journey to the Mount St. Helens Johnston Ridge Observatory, your tour guide will provide engaging commentary regarding the eruption, how it affected the landscape and surrounding communities, and how the environment has responded naturally to the disturbance. The Observatory itself sits on a bluff near the crater, offering spectacular views of the pumice plain and blast site.

Day 7: Thursday, July 23 Astoria, OR

A nationally significant historic region at the western end of the Lewis & Clark Trail, Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. In the winter of 1805-06, the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discover Expedition was headquartered at Fort Clatsop. In 1955, a replica of the fort was built near the original site and was eventually named a National Monument. With its steep hills and beautiful Victorian homes, Astoria has been called the “Little San Francisco of the Pacific Northwest” and has a revitalized downtown ideal for shopping and dinner.

Included Excursion:  Columbia River Maritime Museum

In the morning, take a trolley or a leisurely 5-minute walk to the Columbia River Maritime Museum and meet with our guide for a personalized tour of the facilities. Learn about the history of crossing the bar, known as one of the toughest and most treacherous routes in maritime history. Witness remnants of some of the actual ships that were destroyed during the river crossing, discover artifacts, and learn what makes this specific area so dangerous and feared by even the most experienced sailors.

The duo of David Duthie and Bo Ayers will entertain guests with a set of songs from the “Great American Songbook,” a collection of the most important and influential American popular songs of the 20th century. These familiar melodies are principally from Broadway theatre, musical theatre, and Hollywood musical film from the 1920s through the 1950s.

Entertainment times, days, and performers are subject to change.

Day 8: Friday, July 24 Portland, OR

Situated between the waters of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, Portland’s history is forever entwined with the fortunes of these great rivers. In the golden age of riverboats, sternwheelers crossed Portland’s waterfront while steam whistles and calliopes rang out across the water. Today, highlights include the Portland Art Museum, the International Rose Test Garden, and the famous Powell’s Bookstore, filling an entire city block.

Included Excursion: Views from the Vista House

Explore Portland on this city tour which will highlight downtown, local bridges, and the Vista House. Built in 1917, the Vista House serves as a rest stop observatory for travelers on the old Columbia River Gorge Highway and as a memorial honoring Oregon’s pioneers—particularly those who made their way down the Columbia River. Enjoy the incredible scenic views at this historic site.

Please Note: This excursion is only available on cruises ending in Portland.

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Pacific Harbor Travel, Inc.
519 Seabright Avenue, Ste 201
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

831-427-5000
1-800-435-9463

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