| The Empress of the North is a sparkling
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| | them their lives when they were blamed
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| vessel operated by American West
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| | for the deaths that resulted. The
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| Streamboat Cruises, just a little over
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| | passengers may also enjoy a visit to the
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| her first birthday. She is a red and
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| | Three Rivers winery (Washington and
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| white paddlewheeler with bunting and
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| | Oregon produce wonderful wines, though
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| high, flared stacks (that conveniently
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| | not nearly as well-known as their
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| fold down for the low bridges) and is
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| | neighbors in California) and a
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| four decks high. The huge paddle wheel
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| | magnificent lunch at the beautifully
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| at the stern is also painted red, while
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| | restored Whitman Hotel before returning
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| the hull is gleaming black. The art in
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| | to their waiting river home.Overnight, as
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| each of the corridors, neatly listed and
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| | the passengers are sleeping, the ship
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| described in an in-room guide, is nothing
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| | leaves the Columbia to enter the Snake
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| short of spectacular. It is themed for
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| | River. She continues upriver and through
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| Russian nobility (she spends her summers
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| | the last remaining locks to Lewiston,
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| in Alaska, sailing the Inside Passage).
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| | Idaho, the easternmost point on the
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| There is a collection of Faberge eggs,
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| | voyage. This is a much anticipated
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| matrushka (nesting family) dolls, lacquer
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| | adventure as the entire ship's complement
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| boxes and other Russian artifacts
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| | of passengers are moved to a fleet of jet
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| opposite the Purser's Office and gift
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| | boats, the only commercial craft that can
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| shop. The Romanov Dining Room is
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| | navigate this rugged river and its
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| similarly decorated from Imperial Russia.
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| | terrain. They proceed up about thirty
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| Her rooms are spacious and nicely
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| | miles to where the Snake meets the Salmon
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| decorated and most have verandahs to
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| | River. This is beyond any roads and
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| watch the scenery and passing ships drift
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| | accessible only to intrepid rafters and
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| by during the day. The rooms all have TV
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| | canoeists and a few float fishermen plus
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| sets with DVD players, with a lending
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| | hikers and backpackers. One can also
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| library of discs in the gift shop
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| | find some petroglyphs made hundreds of
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| available at no cost and clock radios
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| | years ago by area natives and view some
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| with CD players. There is also satellite
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| | mountain sheep. At that point, one meets
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| TV from most of the networks, CNN and
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| | the confluence of three states, Oregon,
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| others always available as well as a
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| | Washington and Idaho and it's where the
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| camera mounted on the pilot house to
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| | jet boats reverse to a takeout point from
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| share the Captain's view with the
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| | which the passengers are returned by bus
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| passengers.In addition to the dining
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| | to the ship.The next day the river tour
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| room, there is a show lounge (which is
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| | stops near Klickitat, Washington, to make
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| also the lecture hall during the day),
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| | a trip to the Maryhill Museum, the
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| the Paddlewheel Bar, serving evening
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| | creation of an eccentric millionaire
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| drinks and appetizers before dinners (two
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| | which houses an impressive array of art.
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| seatings, but no assigned tables) with
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| | It has the largest collection of Rodin
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| dancing before and after the evening meal
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| | work on the West Coast, native art,
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| and the Calliope Lounge which serves
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| | beautiful chess sets of exquisite
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| light breakfasts and lunches each day.The
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| | artistry, a sculpture and a floral garden
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| first night, always a little awkward,
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| | overlooking the river below. This is
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| features a "Welcome Aboard Dinner" and
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| | where the Empress of the North closes in
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| usually indicates that the standards of
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| | on the final stop of the voyage. It was
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| the kitchen are high indeed. Each
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| | the destination and goal of Lewis and
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| night's menu had a choice of hot or cold
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| | Clark at Astoria, Oregon, at the mouth of
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| appetizer, two soups, two salads and four
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| | the Columbia River basin and adjoining
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| entrees, one of which was vegetarian.
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| | the Pacific Ocean.Here the steamboat
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| Two or more desserts plus fruit or ice
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| | overnights and spends a second day.
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| cream ended each meal. Overall, most
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| | Buses take the passengers into the
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| have only wonderful experiences with all
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| | beautiful town of Astoria, Oregon. The
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| of the cuisine. Staff is young and
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| | town is full of wonderful restaurants and
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| enthusiastic, cordial and eager and very
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| | shops and it has the Astoria Monument.
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| personable. Whether they did or not,
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| | The monument is a column full of art and
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| they certainly seemed to be thoroughly
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| | chronicles of the town's history. It
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| enjoying themselves, from the deckhands
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| | also features a spiraling stairs with a
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| to the cabin stewards and stewardesses to
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| | climb of one hundred sixty-two steps and
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| the waiters.The first full day on the
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| | a viewing platform with three hundred
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| Empress provides a stop at Stevenson,
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| | sixty degrees of vista of Washington
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| Washington and a visit to the Columbia
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| | State and the ocean. Cape
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| Gorge Interpretive Center, an excellent
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| | Disappointment is where the Lewis and
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| museum of the history of the Gorge, its
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| | Clark Expedition finally found their goal
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| settlement, growth and progress including
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| | of the Pacific Ocean, but spent three
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| a commercial salmon fishing wheel,
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| | weeks here in continuous rain. Fort
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| lumbering machine and railroad
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| | Clatsop, on the Oregon side, is where
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| memorabilia. At the fish hatchery by the
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| | they built a shelter and prepared to
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| Bonneville Dam, perhaps the best-known
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| | leave for the east and their homes. The
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| dam and power plant on the river,
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| | tour buses provided by American West stop
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| passengers have a view of the sturgeon
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| | at some excellent National Park Service
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| pond and Herman, the sturgeon, who was
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| | centers in the immediate area, each
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| more than 200 years old and still growing
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| | dedicated to explaining still more of the
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| as sturgeons do, a living link with the
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| | incredible journey made by Lewis and
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| area's past. Finally, passengers are
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| | Clark and their Corps of Discovery two
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| able to view the spectacular Multnomah
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| | hundred years before. It was an amazing
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| Falls, a trademark beauty of this part of
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| | journey in which their estimate of
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| the river.The next day brings the Empress
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| | distance was only twenty-six miles off,
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| to Umatilla Landing, again in Washington,
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| | without any instruments of measurement.
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| with visits to Fort Walla Walla. The
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| | The nation is indebted to these men for
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| Whitman Mission at Fort Walla Walla is
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| | exploring and mapping the entire passage,
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| where the Whitman family of missionaries
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| | together with the flora and fauna found
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| were the first of the non-Native
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| | along the way.The buses return the
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| Americans to settle. They might have
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| | passengers to the Empress and it sails
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| remained had not a measles epidemic - to
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| | back to the starting point to disembark
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| which the natives had no immunity - cost
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| | the passengers.
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