Last day onboard and airport transfer

Since we did not arrive in port until 10AM today, Cruise Director Rhiannon filled the early half of the morning with the conclusion of the cruise long Step-a-thon, a morning stretch session, and a presentation on Jean Baptiste "Pomp" Charbonneau given by our onboard guest speaker Doug. Following the presentation, Rhiannon added to the previous concept of a "book your next cruise with us" cocktail hour by advertising today's session as "cocktails and small bites featured from each region that we sail." For those curious about whether there's any benefit to booking your next cruise while onboard, our sailing offered a "15% exclusive onboard discount."

As this was our last full day onboard and we didn't have a tour until the afternoon, we decided to try breakfast in the Restaurant. On my last ACL cruise, the Restaurant had a table set up with various items you could serve yourself such as fruit, yogurt, and pastries. Here, if it weren't for joining a table already in the middle of their meal, we wouldn't have known that you can ask your server for cups of fruit etc.

I rarely get to eat things like homemade waffles, pancakes, or french toast when I'm at home so I was really interested in trying the French Toast on today's menu. From what I understand from my tablemates, this was a fairly standard breakfast menu and didn't change daily like the lunch and dinner menus. 

The French Toast was a plentiful portion that I wasn't able to finish. I paired it with sausage. I liked how the syrup was brought in a little dish for me to add myself. 

The fruit cup brought by our server when I requested one. The bite size pieces were appreciated since I didn't have to try and cut them up on a syrup covered plate but unfortunately the honeydew melon was a little tough. 

Today's lunch options that we were not onboard to partake:

Today's dinner menu:

The Lobster Bisque appetizer - Good portion size though I was a little surprised at the mustardy yellow color. This wasn't very thick as you might expect in a bisque and did not have any pieces of lobster.

Caesar Style Salad Appetizer - Asiago Crisp, Croutons, Anchovies, Romaine Heart, and Caesar Dressing. This picture is sans anchovies because this was Dad's appetizer choice. 

Surf and Turf Crab Stuffed Lobster Tail - Beef Tenderloin, Drawn Butter, Asparagus, Lemon Zest, Idaho Baked Potato. This plentiful presentation was a welcome surprise. You'd typically find that lobster tails that are included once or twice a voyage on ocean cruises are quite small with the bigger offerings reserved for an upcharge or specialty dining. Especially now with several cruise lines adding an extra charge if you order more than one of those included entrees. My only critique of this entree would be the lack of any baked potato toppings to use. I used more drawn butter trying to flavor that baked potato than I did the lobster. 

I thought it was very smart and clever the way the chef and culinary team arranged tonight's menu to feature a lot of similar ingredients. If you didn't want seafood, you could choose the middle option that is everything in the above except for the crab stuffed lobster tail and the drawn butter. A peppercorn sauce is listed only with the second dish but it was also added to the Surf and Turf entree. Or if you wished to avoid red meat, you could choose the third lighter option of a Maine Lobster Tail with Ravioli Florentine. 

Our evening schedule featured a Q&A session with the Hotel Officers panel, a briefing on debarkation procedures, and a performance by the Nez Perce featuring storytelling, song, and dance titled "The People."

No cruise is complete without that sad last morning where they kick you off. ACL offered two airport options to fly out of after the cruise, Spokane, WA and Lewiston, ID. The crew, especially Lindsay who coordinated the airport transfers, are very vocal throughout the cruise about the difference between these two airports but make sure to check all your options when booking flights home post cruise.

With the cruise ending in Clarkston, WA, Lewiston, ID's airport is the closest airport. However, it is also such a small regional airport that it's one runway and one central building for checking in and waiting at your gate. Due to this, there were no nonstop flights and the flight times were very limited. There isn't even any concession areas at this airport so ACL was providing coffee, snacks, and box lunches for the passengers who chose this airport. Transfer bus service to Lewiston, ID's airport was complimentary and ran at 4:15AM, 6:00AM, and 8:30AM. 

The exit where you cross the state line to enter into the town of Lewiston is literally about two blocks up from the port. We chose to take the transfer to Spokane, WA's airport instead so we could book a direct flight. This just over two hour drive cost us $120 per person and had the one time of 7:00AM. As we drove past the "This way to Lewiston, ID" sign, I heard several passengers start to panic that they'd boarded the wrong transfer bus convinced that it meant we were heading to Lewiston even though we'd turned in the opposite direction.

Two bus fulls of passengers chose this option and we ended up with the driver who'd never done this run. He got us there safely and within the expected time following bus #1 the whole way but there was a good bit of confusion with where he should stop for each airline and whose bags needed to come off. First the driver would say he'd be moving up to stop at each airline and stay on the bus until he got to ours, then the next minute he would say this first one was the only stop he was making. He started unloading everyone's luggage onto the curb and we chose to hop off and wheel our luggage down to our correct airline ourselves. So thankful we weren't trying to fly Qantas! With such an early arrival and a quick jaunt through security (TSA Pre-Check is worth every penny), it didn't take us long to reach our gate for a late morning flight home.

Thank you for following along on my American Cruise Lines redo on American Harmony as we explored the Columbia and Snake Rivers region of the Pacific Northwest! Coming soon will be the tale of our second river cruise of the year - an eleven day itinerary hotel and river cruise package on the Viking Mississippi. 

Clarkston, WA - where you can be in three states at once

Our final port of this cruise had us visiting Clarkston, WA from 10AM until we all had to disembark the next morning by 8AM. There were three options for tours today and one extra session scheduled for early on debark day in conjunction with a transfer to the Lewiston, ID airport.

Hells Canyon Flight Seeing Adventure (Duration of 1.5 hours/Signature Excursion at a cost of $475 per person/Low Activity Level/Not Wheelchair or Scooter Accessible)

Enjoy a flightseeing experience over, through, and around the Nez Perce's "land of the winding rivers" as you set off on a helicopter exploration through Hells Canyon. With guided narration by an experienced pilot, soar over rugged canyons, rolling hills, clear rivers, and timbered wilderness, as you learn about the region's amazing ecology, geology, and history. View where Chief Joseph led the Nez Perce tribe across the Snake River, hear about the history of the 1800's gold rush mining areas, and pass over the Camus Prairie, as well as the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers - a major tributary of the Snake River. Note: Time of excursion subject to change based on availability. 

I would presume that the final statement of the ACL provided description would also be a disclaimer about weather conditions. Our schedule offered excursion times of 11AM, 1PM, 2:30PM, and 5:30PM on the first day. On debark day, this tour was offered at 7AM but you must have planned to fly out of Lewiston, ID's airport later that day.

Rivaura Winery Tasting (Duration of 3 hours/Premium Excursion at a cost of $40 per person/Low Activity Level)

There is no disclaimer on this excursion about prohibiting wheelchairs and scooters. However, perhaps "Don't Drink and Scoot" should be a new warning and/or rule on cruises.

Enjoy a tasting and exploration of the family owned Rivaura Winery. Perched gently on a vineyard covered hillside with breathtaking views of the Clearwater River Valley, the Rivaura tasting room provides an idyllic setting for savoring their delicious wines while soaking in the surrounding natural beauty of the Lewis-Clark Valley AVA. This is a winery that is new to the market. They grow and produce Bordeaux blends as well as produce and bottle in single varietals. Included is a tasting of wines, an exploration of the winery and the vineyard, and a presentation of the history of grapes in the LC Valley. You may purchase wine at the vineyard and have it shipped to your house. The coach ride is 30 minutes each way. 

Hells Canyon Boat Adventure (Duration of 4.5 hours/Signature Excursion at a cost of $160 per person/Low Activity Level/Not Wheelchair or Scooter Accessible)

Enjoy a smooth sail up the Snake River as you head into North America's Deepest River Gorge in a fully covered boat guided by local, licensed river captains and crew. This once in a lifetime four-and-a-half-hour exploration will take you into Hells Canyon, stopping at the historic Garden Creek Ranch where you will enjoy fresh cookies and refreshments as you walk around the beautiful orchard. Along the river, you will discover abundant wildlife, ancient rock formations, and hear the history of the Native Americans, steamboats, pioneers, missionaries, miners, and much more!

This is the excursion we chose to do. There was only the one session at 1PM. While the helicopter is limited to small groups, we had a full boat with each row filled with 2-3 people. They probably would have fit up to 4 if our tour group had been bigger. The boat does have plastic windows and a topper so we had no concerns about getting wet. I've seen a lot of upcoming passengers asking for recommendations on waterproof clothing for this excursion and after having been on it, I say to save your money. You won't get wet from any splashing and you won't have to step in any water to get in or out of the boat. The only time you might get wet if it is currently raining during your excursion since there is an extended steep walk up from the dock to the Ranch property. Our jet boat ride was run by the relatives of the owners of the Garden Creek Ranch while the rest of their family ran the gift shop. One of the family members offered golf cart rides from the dock to the top of the steep hill to those with limited mobility. I would suggest, based on the time of year, that you plan to wear or bring along a jacket. Our cruise was in mid April and it gets even chillier on the water, especially when the wind whips through the open roof and back sections where they didn't bother to close up the plastic partitions. 

Boat crew were happy to help anyone maneuver the steps in and out of the boat. Our guide was gregarious and funny cracking jokes while pointing out local landmarks. During the ride to the ranch, we passed sections of rock painted to look like "Welcome to Oregon," "Welcome to Washington," and "Welcome to Idaho" style road signs drawn into the cliffside. Did you ever think in one excursion you would visit three different states? Well, maybe if you also went on a Viking Mississippi excursion but more on that later. 

The plastic windows worked perfectly for keeping us dry from the spray and did not obstruct our views or photos.

Drawings carved into the cliffside:

The floating dock as we arrived at Garden Creek Ranch:

The steep hill to walk up from the dock. It was super windy this day and we were all super chilly. At the top of the dirt and gravel road was the orchard and restrooms (with an outdoor sink trough for hand washing). 

After we used the facilities and refroze our hands in the cold sink water, we headed into a trailer style building. The building featured a few displays of local artifacts and animal bones. Carafes for coffee and lemonade were set up along with chocolate chip cookies (didn't think you'd get through an ACL excursion without cookies did you?) but several fellow passengers lamented about how fast the coffee ran out. After refueling with a cookie and bottled water, we browsed the gift shop full of merchandise referencing having "been to Hell and back." So just in case being warm and sunny in Grand Cayman isn't your thing, check out this excursion instead for all of your punny needs. 

The gift shop lets out onto an expansive deck where you can look out over the water and enjoy the views.

The orchard:

On the ride back to the American Harmony, our boat driver and his deckhands helped point out and spot all of the wildlife along the rocks. Stay tuned for the final installment of this cruise featuring our last day's dining choices and our transfer experience to the airport. 

Richland, WA - where Mother Nature puts on a show

With our full day excursion, we were up early this morning to get ready. I took a peek outside our cabin window just before sunrise and was greeted with the most beautiful display of water smooth as glass creating the perfect reflection of the trees against the early morning twilight.

Sad to say our excursion kept us from another session of morning trivia onboard. We didn't eat lunch on board but here's the menu from today:

Back on board in the early evening, twelve hours after those morning twilight photos were taken, I was just as much in awe at how the view looked from our cabin balcony.

Those who wanted to enjoy a more subdued cocktail hour could take part in the Coloring and Cabernet session for some adult coloring and wine sipping set up by our Cruise Director Rhiannon. 

Tonight's full dinner menu:

Spinach Salad - Bacon, Hard Cooked Eggs, Swiss Cheese, and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette. Could have used more dressing as it was a little dry but otherwise fresh and tasty.

The grilled cheese Ayden called in to the chef to be made for Dad. Dad's only critique - "I would have liked to have two grilled cheese sandwiches."

My Northwest Crab Cakes entree - Roasted Red Pepper Chive Remoulade, Herbed Risotto, and Sauteed Spinach. You know you can take the girl out of Maryland but you can't take the love for crab cakes out of the girl. While this portion looks small, I found it quite filling. The crabcake had a bit of spice to it but the flavors were balanced well with the creamy risotto.

Flourless Chocolate Torte for dessert:

After listening to our next day's briefing and port preview, we listened to the guest entertainers - Legends of the Pioneers described as songs of the West-Cowboy and a musical portrait of the pioneers.

Before heading to bed, I stepped out on the open back deck to catch one final reflection photo for the day.

Time to go underground in Pendleton, Oregon

Our next port stop on this itinerary was Richland, WA. We were in port from 12AM until 6PM. There were four different options for tours today.

The REACH Museum (Two and a half hour duration/Complimentary Excursion/Low Activity Level)

This excursion had a choice of a 9:45AM morning session or an afternoon session starting at 1:45PM. Visit the REACH Museum and discover Eastern Washington's rich landscape and history from the Ice Age to the Atomic Age. Explore the featured galleries and rotating exhibits inside, as well as the amazing outdoor area with breathtaking views of the majestic Columbia River and surrounding scenery. Discover the geological impact of the Ice Age floods and basalt lava flows to the area. Learn about the Manhattan Project at Hanford and its continuous influence on the region. This is a self-guided experience. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a docent and given a brief introduction.

Vintner's Village and Chukar Cherries (Four and a half hour duration/Premium Excursion at $80 per person/Low Activity Level)

Board your motorcoach for a delicious journey to some of the tastiest destinations in the region, including:

Chukar Cherries - For three decades, family owned Chukar Cherries has been transforming local sweet and tart cherries into award-winning chocolate cherries. Enjoy a visit to their flagship store where it all began.

Smasne Cellars - Visit this family-owned, fourth generation winery that has been operating for 120 years. This private exploration of the winery includes the production, bottling, and barrel room. Experience a tasting directly from a barrel and conclude with a tasting of eight wines from Smasne Cellars.

Coyote Canyon - Located in the heart of the Horse Heaven Hills, this unique terroir and climate has nurtured Coyote Canyon Vineyard's award-winning premium grapes since 1994.

Martinez & Martinez - In 1981, Sergio Martinez and his wife Kristy planted a small vineyard in a distinct area called Phinny Hill, known to have unique geological and geographical characteristics that have contributed to some of the best wines in Washington. Come take a taste for yourself and learn about the rich history of the Martinez family.

WIT Cellars - With a large selection of varietals, WIT Cellars crafts wines that capture the essence of Washington-grown grapes. Enjoy a tasting at this unique winery founded by friendship and passion.

Sacajawea State Park and Interpretive Center (Two and a half hour duration/Complimentary Excursion/Low Activity Level)

Experience the beauty of the Columbia and Snake River confluence at Sacajawea State Park. Explore the park grounds where the Corps of Discovery camped in October 1805. Learn about their epic journey and the rich cultural history of the Columbia Plateau from park staff. Stroll through the Story Circles art installation. Upon arrival, a docent will give you a brief introduction to the center and the grounds. From there, it is a self-guided experience. The coach ride does not have a guide and is 25 minutes each way.

The Pendleton Experience (Seven hours and forty five minutes duration/Signature excursion at $115 per person/Low Activity Level)

This all day excursion begins with a journey through the countryside as you make your way to Pendleton, where you will explore the infamous underground city and the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. Between sites, you will enjoy a complimentary lunch at the Sister's Cafe. A night or two before this port day, we had lunch order forms slipped under our cabin door to be turned in. There was options for vegetarian and gluten free. The Pendleton Underground portion of this tour is not wheelchair or scooter accessible. It requires walking down and up a set of stairs to access and also walking on uneven ground with occasional steps up, low ceilings, and narrow doorways. Travel time between Richland and Pendleton is approximately 1.5 hours.

This is the excursion Dad and I chose and we had a nearly full bus. Our excursion was accompanied by our onboard historian Doug and Guest Services Coordinator Ayden. The longer bus ride into the town of Pendleton, Oregon was supplemented by Doug's commentary and a video covering the history of the Manhattan Project. 

We had a short walk a couple blocks up from where the bus parked in order to reach the Pendleton Underground Tours building. Admission was included but it would have cost $20 per person/$15 for ages 6-12, no one under 6 allowed) if we visited on our own. We first entered on the street level that is mostly devoted to a gift shop. When we entered, the tour guides handed everyone either a ticket for group 1 or group 2. Pretty much everyone's next stop was the small public bathrooms at the back of the shop. The group designations were due to space, both in the back room for watching a video introduction, and for moving through the underground rooms. Group one was called back to watch the video while most of us ladies were still in line for the restroom. I had about five minutes after finishing in the restroom to browse the shop before group 2 was called into the back room. 

Our tour guide led us out the store and around the corner to concrete steps leading down into the underground experience area. It was easy to see why they split up into smaller groups as some passageways where we stopped to look at architectural details had you getting to know your fellow passengers and whether or not they showered recently. Our guide was very charismatic, knowledgeable, and funny. A couple members of our group made some sarcastic remarks and she matched them wit for wit. 

The underground area was set up with props and mannequins to recreate what you would see if you were there at that time. We visited the Shamrock Card Room, Hop Sing's (Chinese Laundry), the Empire Ice Cream Parlor, and through tunnels under the sidewalks to the Empire Meat Market. At the end of the tunnels was a Duck Pin Bowling Alley and pool tables.

Our guide explaining how the term shot glass came from bar patrons coming in to pay for their drinks with bullets if they didn't have any gold. When patrons did pay with gold, the bartenders would wipe down the bar top intentionally sending the gold dust to the floor behind the bar. Then they'd stomp around excessively to collect the dust on their boots before heading out back to knock the dust off their boots into these pans to collect the gold dust for themselves. 

Group #1 had since finished their escorted tour of the underground and were led by Doug and Ayden to our lunch restaurant, Sisters Cafe a few blocks away. Thank goodness Doug had randomly pointed it out as we drove by in the bus or our Group #2 would have been completely lost. Our underground experience tour guide directed us back up those concrete steps "where someone from your group is up there waiting for you" before she headed back in the other direction. Thankfully someone in our group recognized some buildings nearby and was able to deduce where the restaurant was. By the time we reached the restaurant, Group #1 was already halfway through their meal. 

Doug hopped up when he saw us and couldn't understand why we weren't already there. Like we had somehow snuck away when he wasn't looking and were being shamed for going on a joyride through town. Not sure how you missed the fact that 15 of your passengers were not sitting there at the restaurant with you. He must have figured we were as invisible as that first pepperoni pizza. 

The frustrations continued when the restaurant servers started rushing out food to feed their new arrivals only to find that what we'd ordered wasn't available. Several members of Group #1 had either forgotten what they pre-ordered or decided on the spot that our turkey club sandwiches sounded a whole lot better. A few of our group chose to simply take what the first group chose not to take in order to get their food quicker. The restaurant owners worked so hard to make it right preparing the rest of us what we ordered all over again, especially when they ran out of the options group #1 didn't take. However this added an extra delay to getting my lunch. This gets to be more than a simple chalk it up and move on when you have health issues that can make one feel very ill if they wait too long to eat. So yes, by the time mine and the other last few dishes arrived, I had moved on to hangry. The restaurant owner felt so bad that she gave me this huge chicken topped salad in addition to my turkey club sandwich. Then to add to the stress of the moment, just after my food arrives, Doug announces to everyone that we'd be leaving to get back on the bus in 15 minutes. 

Thank you to the kind gentleman in our group seated next to me who passed the wait for our orders trading joke for sarcastic joke with me. On the positive side, that was one of the best turkey club sandwiches I've had. I also ate a few bites from the chicken topped salad out of appreciation for that kind owner. 

Even the restaurant gave everyone a cookie with their meal. It was a pretty large chocolate chip cookie, about as big as the sandwich.

After eating as quickly as I could, we headed outside but the bus wasn't here yet. Several of the first group came sauntering back to the restaurant having had time to walk around and enjoy the nearby shops. I chatted with some of the other passengers while we waited and several of us wondered when this visit to the chocolate shop was going to happen. One of the other passengers said they had passed the previously mentioned chocolate shop on the walk to the restaurant only to discover it was closed today. From the other side of the group of tables outside the restaurant, I heard another passenger ask Doug something and he replied "Yeah, we're not doing that" and walked away. As it turns out, the bus took another 15-20 minutes to return to the restaurant beyond the time Doug told everyone to be ready to board. 

Once back on the bus, Doug announced that we would be heading to our "final stop" of the tour, the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. No information or explanation in regards to Lindsay's prior hype about visiting a chocolate shop at the rundown the night before. Once we'd been underway for a few minutes, Doug walked through the bus carrying a plastic shopping bag. For a brief moment, I thought ACL had remedied the issue by arranging for everyone to get chocolate shop samples even if the shop was unavailable to visit. Nope, turns out he was just handing everyone individually wrapped chocolate chip cookies brought from the ship. Everyone raves about how the daily fresh baked cookies are a highlight but seeing this offering after all the frustrations left a proverbial sour taste in my mouth.

When we arrived at the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, I think a lot of us in the tour group were ready to be done with the tour. Admission was included but otherwise would have cost $12 per adult and $10 for any adult aged 55+. We were all gathered by one of the Institute's guides in a center space once we walked in the door. He gave a brief introduction of the Institute's goals in preserving the local tribe's culture. Then he apologized and explained that due to remodeling and construction, only a small amount of the museum's exhibits would be available for us to visit. 

This moment made me flash back to our first ACL cruise when we started a tour in Norfolk, VA with plans to visit a specific landmark. Then the local people working to gather everyone into their tour groups encouraged everyone to take time after the tour to visit the Nautilus Museum and tour the battleship docked right next to where our ship was docked. Once on the tour, our guide announces that we'd be going to a church instead of the landmark because it is closed on Monday. Then he pressured a reluctant church official into making a speech for the group instead of letting everyone walk around and admire the beautiful architecture. Once back on the bus, someone asked our guide a question about the Nautilus Museum and he revealed that the Nautilus Museum is also closed because it was Monday. I know it's tough when we're probably only one of two or three itineraries that have such an issue but mistakes like promising a visit to a shop that's closed could have been avoided.

Our tour group dispersed to check out the few exhibits that were accessible including their featured Red Handprint exhibit. The Red Handprint exhibit featured portraits of Indigenous women who had been victims of hate crimes. Each portrait featured a red handprint painted over their mouths. It was a very moving exhibit to walk through seeing these portraits and reading their names and stories. 

Note the content advisory warning at the start of the exhibit:

Waiting throughout the exhibits were local tribe members who you could chat with and ask questions. We checked out the museum gift shop after the exhibits and found it full of handmade items from blankets and moccasins to shirts and jewelry. Everything was quite expensively priced in the few hundred dollar range for the smallest and/or cheapest items. Previous reviews of this tour mentioned having time to go shop at the Pendleton official store but that was not part of our tour.

We were hanging out in the lobby waiting for our time to meet at the bus when we ran into Ayden. We took the opportunity to share our thoughts on how the cruise was going so far and appreciated how receptive she was to our comments. On the way to the buses, we asked Ayden about our previous ACL cruise where they encouraged you to write in any dining requests within reason if you couldn't/didn't want to eat what was on the menu. Last cruise we had requests for sandwiches, burgers, pizza, and fruit plates offered and granted by writing it in on the bottom of the menu cards at breakfast. This was on a ship that didn't have the Back Porch Cafe option. Ayden was surprised to hear that the cards don't still offer that and I showed her my picture of the menu card. Instead it asks about dietary restrictions or allergies versus requests/suggestions. She told us to go ahead and use that blank for requests anyway. Ayden then pulled out her phone to text the chef on our behalf requesting a grilled cheese sandwich for Dad's dinner. It was really nice to chat respectfully and feel heard. Kudos to Ayden for going the extra mile to text the chef only a short while before dinner service started and make Dad's request so he wouldn't have to wait until he could fill out the card tomorrow morning.