Double odyssey on the Northwest: Dorothy and Lowell Wenzel combine river cruising and the quest for works. On the Columbia Rivers and Snake, they sail between locks, rain shadow, and dams, seeking bridges born of cofferdams. Two journeys in one masterful itinerary. Their itinerary encapsulates Multnomah Falls, Fort Clatsop, and Cape Disappointment, then the impact of Mount St. Helens and the canyon. Onboard American Cruise Lines, they pass through Bonneville Dam and its locks, observe the fish ladder, then follow along the Columbia River Gorge. Off the cruise, their road trip intensifies around the Umatilla and Richland–Pasco bridges, trekked, soared, and analyzed at river level. Between Pendleton Underground, Tamástslikt, Whitman Mission, and the submerged memory of Celilo Falls, history intertwines indigenous heritage and hydraulic modernity. Engineering and memory shape the road and the river. The narrative scrutinizes the friction between human engineering and natural forces, from the Graveyard of the Pacific to volcanic scars. Metamorphic landscapes dictate the rhythm of the tale.
| Quick Focus |
|---|
| Duration: 12 days, starting July 2025. |
| Format: river cruise + autonomous road trip. |
| Goals: American Cruise Lines and scouting two highway bridges on the Columbia. |
| Expertise: design of cofferdams by Lowell for the construction of piles. |
| Starting Point: Portland (OR) and its International Rose Test Garden. |
| Multnomah Falls: iconic waterfall of the Columbia River Gorge. |
| Fort Clatsop: winter 1805-06 of Lewis and Clark, making salt and objects from moose. |
| Cape Disappointment: difficult mouth, “Graveyard of the Pacific“. |
| Mount St. Helens: eruption of 1980, loss of life and reshaped landscapes. |
| Locks: passage through 8 locks including Bonneville, spectacular maneuvers. |
| Landscapes: effect of rain shadow from the Cascade, forests towards high desert near The Dalles. |
| Bonneville Dam: hatchery, Herman the sturgeon, fish ladder. |
| July 4th: crusing under the Umatilla Bridge and fireworks along the river. |
| Pendleton: historic undergrounds and Tamástslikt Cultural Institute (Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla). |
| Snake River: jet boat in a deep canyon, passage through “The Narrows“. |
| Clarkston: end of the cruise, taking over the journey in autonomy. |
| Highway 12: “Forgotten Trail” of Lewis and Clark, stop at Whitman Mission. |
| Targeted Bridges: Richland–Pasco and Umatilla, observed at water level, crossed and navigated below. |
| The Dalles Dam: submersion of the Celilo Falls, ancestral fishing site. |
| Cape Horn: panorama over the Columbia River Gorge before returning to Portland. |
Portland, prologue to the cruise
Portland welcomes Dorothy and Lowell Wenzel the night before boarding, offering a floral respite at the International Rose Test Garden. More than 10,000 roses and 600 varieties create a botanical theater, ideal before their navigation on the Columbia and the Snake.
Towards the estuary and the traces of Lewis and Clark
The bus glides towards Multnomah Falls, a 189-meter cataract that streaks the Columbia River Gorge. The couple then joins the boat just in time for departure towards Astoria, heading for the maritime estuary.
Fort Clatsop projects the harsh life of winter 1805-1806 of Lewis and Clark. The men tan elk hides, pour candles, and boil seawater to obtain salt, lifesaving resources for a whole season.
Graveyard of the Pacific
Cape Disappointment reveals the fault line where the ocean invites itself into the estuary. The shifting sandbanks and treacherous currents have earned the area the nickname graveyard of the Pacific, a salty memory of series of shipwrecks.
Under the Washington volcano
Mount St. Helens imposes its amphitheater of ash and shaped lava. The eruption of May 18, 1980 killed 57 people, felled enough trees for 300,000 homes, blasted ash up to 1,500 kilometers away, and caused a 400-meter loss in elevation at the summit.
Silence before the subdued tectonic force.
Locks, geography, and river spectacle
The rumble of machines announces entry into the first lock of the Bonneville Dam, a prelude to eight successive basins, four on the Columbia and four on the Snake. Dorothy and Lowell have lunch on the upper deck, observing the methodical ascent of the waters and the granite walls that pass by.
The topography suddenly shifts, the curtain of spruces yielding to the steppe. The rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains compresses the rainfall, dropping from about 1,900 mm near Bonneville to 360 mm towards The Dalles, over a distance of about forty miles.
The afternoon lingers at the Bonneville dam and its hatchery. Herman, a 3.3-meter long and placid sturgeon, glides near the fish ladder, while upstream the river pulses against the cyclopean concrete.
Independence on the water
On July 4th, the day aligns two additional locks, in-depth lectures on the Lewis and Clark expedition, and a sail under the Umatilla Bridge. In the evening, the fireworks burst along the banks, a continuous kaleidoscope until 11:30 p.m., while a party improvises on the deck.
Fireworks erupt on all shores.
Pendleton undergrounds and tribal memory
The road leads to Pendleton and its underground passages dug by Chinese workers in the 19th century. The tunnels secure deliveries beneath Main Street, a clever response to robbers in a rebellious town.
The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute sheds light on the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla cultures. An elder recalls the kinship of these tribes, their living continuum, and their linguistic and spiritual sovereignty.
Hells Canyon and ultimate docking
A jet boat ascends the Snake River in a canyon rivaling the Grand Canyon. “The Narrows” confronts narrow cliffs, nervous currents, slanted light, and steel water; Clarkston awaits the final docking, the end of the river interlude.
Autonomous route and quest for structures
Disembarkation at 8:30 a.m. opens three days of autonomy. A rental car in Lewiston allows for following Highway 12, nicknamed “The Forgotten Trail,” taken by the Nez Perce with Lewis and Clark on their return. The Whitman Mission National Historic Site adds a stop to the founding narratives of the Oregon Trail.
The targeted bridges become a concrete obsession. At Richland–Pasco, then at Umatilla, Lowell scrutinizes the supports near the water, dissects the joints, and mentally retraces the construction chain. He designed the cofferdams, steel caissons draining the site to erect the piles, and measures on-site the efficiency of these watertight volumes.
Return downstream
The south bank of the Columbia guides the return to The Dalles. The dam has submerged Celilo Falls, a millennia-old fishing hotspot of indigenous nations, where foam once lashed against the basalt rock.
The crossing at Cascade Locks leads to the viewpoint of Cape Horn. The panorama unfolds meanders, ridges, and cliffs, with dappled light over the gorge and a continuous flow of barges under the catabatic wind.
Practical tips and inspirations
An onboard snack can gain character with homemade British scotch eggs. Families preparing a nature trip will find ideas in these activities in Aspen, while teens seeking structured experience will appreciate an adventure for young people at the Court of Miracles. Maritime route enthusiasts may compare with an adventure in Croatia, or nurture a broader project with this around-the-world adventure.
