A Cruise on the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler: A Working Paddle Wheeler Out of Cascade Locks, Oregon

There is an intense beauty seen from the bow of a slow-moving ship traveling on the Columbia River. This view is how Lewis and Clark saw the river that cuts through the Cascade Mountains between Oregon and Washington.

In April 2008, we took a cruise on the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler. This working paddle wheeler, owned by the Portland Spirit cruise lines, operates out of Marine Park in Cascade Locks, Oregon.

Even before you board the ship, on your drive to Cascade Locks OR, you have to be impressed with the surrounding countryside. Mountains, lush with evergreens in the lower regions, spires of rocks and often snow in the upper regions, loom over the roadway. Into the distance they spread with glimpses of occasional towering waterfalls releasing water from the snow packs and sneak peeks at the Columbia River. The river, stretching on for eighty miles makes spotting bald eagles, hawks and cormorants a fairly common occurrence.

The Marine Park where you board has a diner and gift shop. During the off-season, which is when we went on this cruise, neither were open, though had access to the rest rooms. There are also places to sit while you're waiting to board. And don't worry about the off-season having nothing to show. Changing seasons on the river make even multiple trips worthwhile. In April we could watch snow storms hitting the top of some mountains in the range, new spring growth at the river's edge and local natives fishing the river the way they have done for centuries. The eagles were coming home from Canada to nest and water fowl were busy on the small rocks and islands found in the river.

Then we boarded the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler. Sporting three stories, two of them enclosed, there was plenty of room and views to see from. The cruise we took boarded at 12:30 and ran from 1:00 to 3:00. Drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, were available on the cruise and there was a smoking section available outside on the starboard side of the ship. We were also invited to visit the captain in the wheelhouse, as long as it was only a few people at a time. From there we were able to see his much wider view of the river being navigated.