The brisk, windy morning added tears to our already smiling faces as we headed into the Palouse River. The forty degree temperature and the steady 12 mile an hour winds let us know that fall was here. As breakfast was served, we were all happy to see the sun welcome us from over the cliffs, for this was a day to spend in the elements. Soon we departed the Sea Bird, aboard our Zodiacs; some with kayaking on their minds, and others with the simple joy of touring the Palouse with our Naturalists.

We passed one of the oldest sites known in the Americas for inhabitation of humans, the Marmes Rock shelter, roughly 10,000 years old, and passed the summer homes to thousands of modern day cliff swallows. Making their daily routine, great blue herons, double crested cormorants, and northern harriers seemed to accept us as locals as we enjoyed the morning. While those touring with the naturalists soaked in information about the area, the kayakers enjoyed the undisturbed solitude while storing questions to be answered later at lunch.

As the Chefs prepared a family style barbecue from the sun deck, guests were busy discussing their morning spent in an environment that was probably a lot friendlier today than to Lewis and Clark this time of year. However, winds prevailed and the barbecue was served inside.

The afternoon was spent attending lectures and traveling through Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor Locks as we headed west down the Snake River. During this time we got a glimpse of the Columbia Queen, a throw back to the steamers that used to travel the river.