Onboard food and more in Kalama

Breakfast was from the Back Porch Cafe today and I went for their breakfast sandwich option. I'm usually a pop a thawed Jimmy Dean biscuit in the microwave kind of girl so it was nice to see that they assembled one from freshly cooked ingredients. 

The lounge adjacent to the cafe always had pastries, coffee, and fruit. Plus a bar of self serve options like milk, tomato juice, orange juice, apple juice, and V8. Here is where you also could grab little packets of creamer, sugar packs, and condiments. I like the labels and dates method they were using for these carafes but I'd much rather have seen them left in the passenger accessible mini fridge so they stay cold between uses. 

One of the best outside the box ways of using a dip serving tray:

And you know I got the answer for the oft asked "What kind of sugar substitutes do they have on board?" question. The little Smuckers packs on the end are honey and there were several tiny jars of jam available.

One of the things I always notice is the types of cereal offered onboard. As you might expect, any cruise line that focuses on family travel will have those Lucky Charms right next to the Raisin Bran options. The more adult a cruise line, the more likely you'll find an assortment of bran, corn flakes, and any other sugar free fiber rich cereal you can imagine. Happy to see that ACL offered a mix of both:

Tonight's dinner menu:

Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo Soup - got a little bigger bowl this time but it was still mostly broth. Was looking forward to trying gumbo but I could barely find anything in the bowl besides broth and onions.

Braised Short Ribs of Beef with Whipped Potatoes, Broccolini, and Braising Jus. I seem to recall a similar dish on my ACL cruise in 2019 that featured this huge hanging off the bone hunk of meat that just fell apart the second your fork touched it. This version was more rationed with what appeared to be slices off a single short rib to spread among many plates. However, the meat was cooked well and tasted good.

Ended the evening with a portioned out bag of popcorn and the evening entertainment of Cowboys & Curmudgeons, the comedy and musical stylings of Kevin Neil. We found his show the most enjoyable of the guest entertainers and stayed for the entire performance.

The Ride to Mt. St. Helens is nothing to blow your top over!

Our next port stop brings us to the town of Kalama, WA. We were in port from 12:00AM until 10:00PM. Early risers could join Cruise Director Rhiannon for a 7:00AM walk around Kalama. Neither of today's two tour options started until mid morning and later so the morning also featured a presentation onboard at 9:30AM about all the other itineraries American Cruise Lines offers. Usually you'll see this presentation listed in an ocean cruise schedule as the Future Cruise Talk. Those with the afternoon excursion were encouraged to try out one of the board and card games offered for independent play. 

Both of today's excursion options were complimentary options. The first to leave at 10:00AM was to visit the Port of Kalama Interpretive Center. This low activity level excursion is listed as "at your leisure" during a five hour time frame. This was another museum where ACL had taken care of admission and you only needed to wear your lanyard for entry. We did not visit the center ourselves but ACL describes it as a "short walk from the ship" and ADA compliant. 

Port of Kalama Interpretive Center 

Explore this new facility that celebrates Kalama's unique place in Pacific Northwest history as a transportation and commercial hub and is designed to replicate a traditional waterfront warehouse of the 1800s. Exhibits track Kalama's first inhabitants, the Cowlitz Tribe, and the settlers that followed over the next hundred years, including renowned Oregon Trail writer Ezra Meeker. Displays illustrate how Kalama's particular landscape gave birth to a booming transportation system, impacting the area both culturally and economically. 

The second option we did choose was the Mount St. Helens Scenic Drive. This excursion does have a long coach ride but stops at a couple places along the way for a total of 4.5 hours. The excursion is classified as moderate. 

Mount St. Helens Scenic Drive

Enjoy a scenic ride to Mount St. Helens. Mount St. Helens, located in southwestern Washington about 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon, is one of several lofty volcanic peaks that dominate the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. It is the youngest of the major Cascade volcanoes, in the sense that its visible cone was entirely formed during the past 2,200 years. Take in the beautiful views of the landscape and the crater left behind by the eruption. 

Growing up in the 80's I was fascinated with the story of the Mount St. Helens eruption as a kid. This is one of those landmarks you'll find that everyone says to make sure you visit at least once when visiting the area. The bus ride featured some commentary and a video of an educational special was shown on the bus monitors. While our tour buses couldn't go all the way up toward the closer viewing area due to a landslide closing the road, it was still worthwhile to visit the two places we did. Unless you're our bus driver who missed the turn on the way to our first stop and had to go all the way to where the road was closed to turn around and come back. Gave new meaning to scenic drive and got us to the right venue minutes before the informational movie we all were told to go watch first was to start. 

Our first stop was to the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center. The $5 per person admission for adults was included for our group. The Visitor Center's website lists a charge of $200 per tour bus. This small center featured a movie viewing room with a couple options, a series of displays to peruse, and an interactive network of paths and a tunnel between the exhibits so you can experience what it was like inside the volcano space wise. The only downside was that the place was packed on the day we visited. Several of our senior aged tour group were left to stand at the back and along the side of the theater since the 15-20 rows of seats were filled with families. Thankfully some of the parents were kind enough to offer their seats to our more differently abled group members. My suggestion to ACL for the future would be to arrange a reserved time for the movie as our tour group would have filled all the seats ourselves. The interactive displays were mobbed since everyone went from the movie to the displays so we chose not to stay inside too long. 

As my Dad always says "Never pass up a bathroom opportunity!" so we left the crowds to use the restrooms located toward the back of the building. I got a good chuckle out of this sign on a few of the stalls:

We ended up having great luck with the weather on this day and spent the bulk of our time outside in front of the building where they have a viewing platform for Mount St. Helens.

Our second stop was to another viewpoint closer to the volcano at the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. This observation deck was a great spot for clear views and photos.

I asked Dad to help create a photo to look like he was putting his finger on the top of the mountain. He could have a future as the stand in for "I'm a little teapot."

Snacks were provided and handed out at this second stop by our Excursions Director Lindsay. American Cruise Lines is definitely consistent as our provided snacks was bins full of chip packs and individually wrapped almost melted cookies. The same arrangement of chip packs is always available in the lounge onboard:

These also make great options to carry in your excursion tote/backpack as there are no rules about taking food ashore when you've never left the USA. 

The even smaller gift shop at this second location had a couple handcrafted wooden magnets so I added another souvenir to my collection:

The buses dropped us off at the end of the road leading up to the pier so it was a bit of a walk along the waterfront. The crew always had a golf cart available to pick up anyone who needed assistance walking back down the dock. 

Back on board in Astoria

What's fun about returning onboard after a physically demanding tour in town? Finding out that there's still plenty of fresh baked cookies left on the tray from the 10AM offering! Plus the nice thing about cruising as an adult is there is no one to say no when you start your lunch with dessert.

I wasn't finding much appealing on the menu for lunch in the dining room today. Unlike ocean cruises, the dining room does open on port days for lunch so you can partake whether you stay onboard or return from a morning excursion. I also like how they put out the menus from lunch and dinner at breakfast so you can plan ahead whether you want to come back for lunch or eat in town.

Opting for more casual fare, I chose to have my lunch today from the Back Porch Cafe. Normally, the procedure is to grab a table outside by the cafe (or inside at the few tables if you'd rather) and a crew member will come by to take your order. This rarely worked well due to limited available crew so many times we ended up just ordering at the counter and getting a numbered sign to take to a table. The one to two crew members doing the cooking at this small griddle space were also overwhelmed. It gave one a lot of time to enjoy the view waiting up to an hour for even part of your order to arrive. Many times I saw crew members wandering around with plates yelling out "Who had the burger?" "Who had the pizza?" looking like lost souls because the passengers had long since given up and left. 

I wish every cruise line that offered a cafe or poolside grill eatery would stay open past 5 or 6 in the evening. There is always going to be a day where a passenger has been on an all day tour and wants something quick, light, and casual. Or they are having so much fun onboard that they only have time to grab a quick burger or hot dog.

My order of Nachos - I was a little surprised by how some of the multicolored tortilla chips had their own flavor or slight spiciness to them. For the love of all that is cheesy...why is it always one huge glob of cheese in the center soaking three chips and leaving the others to hear "Nope, Nacho Day Today!" Would rather see a small cup to hold the cheese for dipping into if you're going to use the ladling melted Velveeta method.

My pepperoni pizza order - But wait? Is this the new invisible kind of pepperoni? They really tasted lighter than air and in this case, the calories really didn't count. I'm sure it was simply a matter of them bringing me the first pizza that was ready without checking the order slip. I'm all for flame kissed but this crust was char-broiled! The taste of the middle part of the pizza was good with plenty of cheese pull and flavor balance. 

Dinner time in the dining room:

Wedge Salad appetizer - Bacon, bleu cheese, shaved red onions, cherry tomatoes, and bleu cheese dressing. This is the kind of "just lettuce and tomato" type of salad Dad enjoys. This dish tasted very fresh and was a great start to our meal.

We both ordered the Bleu Cheese Crusted Beef Tenderloin - Herd (I sure hope that's a typo on the menu) Roasted Red Skinned Potato, Carrots, Asparagus, and Brown Butter Béarnaise. Must have been a sale on bleu cheese at the store.

Here is the dish as it was first presented to both of us despite our different requests at level of doneness:

You can see how it was so medium rare that the bleu cheese crumbles sliding off have turned pink. Dad insisted on sending his back to be cooked to the medium well he wanted. The entire table, us included, got a good laugh out of how much the piece of meat had shrunk to reveal the vegetables underneath.

For dessert we chose the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding - A little overbaked but I liked the balance of the creme sauce instead of more caramel sauce. 

After dinner we headed up to the River Lounge to hear our historian Doug's introduction to our next port of Kalama, WA and learn the plan for tomorrow's activities from Rhiannon and Lindsay. We stayed for a good portion of tonight's entertainment - Songs and Stories from the Silver Screen with Mel and Leah before heading back to the cabin.

I stepped outside on the small deck behind our cabin to watch the sunset over the wake:

Time for a little story about our visit to Astoria, OR

River cruises are often very port intensive as you don't have long distances to travel between ports. Our first full day onboard and second official day of the cruise had us docking in Astoria, Oregon arriving at 12:00AM and departing at 6:00PM. This port had the most excursion options of the cruise but our Cruise Director Rhiannon also arranged a cruise long "Step-a-thon", a Sunrise River Walk, a Puzzle Palooza, and an organized game of Scattergories for those choosing to stay onboard.

American Cruise Lines offered three price points for excursions on this itinerary:

• Complimentary (or sometimes referred to as Featured) are included in the price of your cruise. 
• Premium excursions typically cost between $10 and $99 per person. These are the ones that are also considered included if you as a member of the Eagle Society loyalty program are sailing on your 4th or above cruise.
• Signature excursions are for small groups of guests and can cost $100 or more. They can include activities like fishing charters, kayaking, flight-seeing tours, or farm-to-table dining. (a.k.a. needs more than a tour bus to a location to operate) Signature excursions are reserved and billed in advance. These excursions are non refundable and will often sell out quickly.

All shore excursions with American Cruise Lines are classified by physical activity level. I will list which each excursion was classified as in my descriptions.

Here is what ACL defines as a Low, Moderate, and High physical activity level excursion:

• Low - Very little standing, walking, or physical activity required.
• Moderate - Requires a moderate amount of walking, standing, or other physical activity. Some walking surfaces may be uneven.
• High - A very active excursion, requiring a lot of walking, standing, or other physical activity.

A rundown of today's excursion choices: (all excursion descriptions are copied (or paraphrased) from the list you receive on day one in your information folder)

Fort Clatsop Experience - Two Hour Duration/Premium ($45 per person)/Low Physical Activity Level

On this excursion, you will learn the history of the area while visiting Fort Clatsop, the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery winter encampment site of December 1805 to March 1806. The park includes a 2006 replica of Fort Clatsop like the one built by the explorers and a visitor center featuring an exhibit hall and one of the best bookstores for Lewis and Clark literature. A ranger will greet you on arrival and give a brief orientation. The walk to the fort is about 250 yards. The guided portion of this excursion is about 45 minutes with an hour and 15 minutes of self-guided time.

The Astoria Walking Exploration - One and a Half Hours Duration/Premium Excursion ($25 per person)/Moderate Physical Activity Level

Your local guide will greet you at the dock to begin your exploration along Astoria's Riverwalk. Enjoy views of the majestic Columbia River with cargo ships at anchor and constant river traffic. Continue along the main downtown street which has been completely rebuilt after two fires. View early 20th-centry commercial architecture including the Astor Hotel and the Liberty Theater. Continue along city sidewalks to the Garden of the Surging Waves. Enjoy the Clatsop County Courthouse and former Clatsop County Jail where The Goonies was filmed. Your excursion will end at the Flavel House after a 12 block walk. From here, you can enjoy a self guided experience of the house, take the loop back to the dock, or walk back to the ship. 

Astoria Local Loop - Continuous Loop Duration (aka Hop On/Hop Off bus)/Complimentary/Moderate Physical Activity Level

This equivalent to what you may see described as a Hop On/Hop Off Bus (HOHO Bus) on ocean cruise line excursions was a couple motorcoaches that would pick up/drop off at the dock but also make three stops in the town of Astoria. A schedule of what times a bus would be returning to each of the stops was available near the office onboard. Those wishing to head out in the morning could start using the bus at 10:15AM. Those choosing to wait for the afternoon could start using the bus at 1:30PM. This is a good option for those wishing to see the landmarks at a slower self guided pace. This is the bus loop referred to in the walking exploration excursion description. The local loop stops at the Flavel and Carriage House, the Heritage Museum, and Downtown Astoria.

Columbia River Maritime Museum - At Your Leisure Duration/Complimentary/Moderate Physical Activity Level

This museum is located at the end of the dock. ACL has arranged free (included) admission to the museum for its passengers so all you need to do is show your lanyard. Otherwise the cost is $16 per person for ages 18-64 and drops to $13 for those aged 65+. This museum opened at 9:30AM and was open for most of the day so you could easily visit before and/or after doing another excursion option. Showing the lanyard also gives you admission to the Lightship located across the dock. There is about .5 to 1 mile worth of walking inside the museum but plenty of places to stop and rest including during viewings of educational movies every 30 minutes. 

We both stopped into the museum after our separate excursions and enjoyed walking through the exhibits. You could buy your weight in huckleberry jam products in the gift shop. Unfortunately, the Lightship was closed when we tried to visit it. 

A replica of the bridge controls you could enter and act out a list of scenarios guided by a TV screen.

A comparison between an American gun (left) and a British gun (right):

This lighthouse topper rotated and cast patterns of light around the room.

A look back at the American Harmony and the edge of the Lightship from in front of the museum:

Cape Disappointment State Park Three and One Half Hours Duration/Premium Excursion ($55 per person)/Low Activity Level

Take a scenic motorcoach ride to Cape Disappointment State Park and visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center across state lines in Washington. The cost for visiting the center on your own is $5 per person for ages 18+. The center also features a short film presentation, gift shop, and a glassed in observation deck. There is an option to hike to the lighthouse but it is not an easy or accessible hike and will take most of your time. The coach ride is 30 minutes each way. If you choose to walk to the photo op on Waikiki Beach, there is uneven ground.

This is the excursion Dad chose to do. He found the museum's displays very informative and interesting. He opted to walk down to Waikiki Beach where the guide was kind enough to take everyone's picture for them. If you have any interest in Lewis and Clark, Dad recommends booking this excursion and felt it was worth the price. Disclaimer: This was Dad's fourth cruise with ACL so this excursion was included for him due to his loyalty status.

Dad was kind enough to pick me up a magnet from the gift shop:

Astoria Column Exploration - One Hour Duration/Complimentary Excursion/Low Activity Level/Partial Wheelchair or Scooter Accessible

The Astoria Column, a unique work of Northwest art, serves as a monument to the native people of the region. This excursion has a local guide on the coach. There are 164 steps to the top of the column. As this is a self-guided experience once you arrive at the site, you can choose not to climb the column. If you do choose to climb to the top, you will receive a glider to throw once up there. 

This excursion is classified as low activity level and wheelchair/scooter accessible only if you choose not to climb. Please know your own body's limitations before choosing whether to climb.

If you choose to visit on your own, the park and climbing the column is free. However, parking costs $5. Gliders can also then be purchased in the on site gift shop if you wish to join the tradition of tossing one from the top.

Now if you've read any of my past excursion reports, you know I wasn't about to pass up the chance to climb this tower. There were a decent amount of our tour group that opted not to climb and simply explore the grounds. You will get some great views including the chance to admire the artwork on the outside of the column without having to climb. My only critique, aside from the fact that my legs turned to lead 2/3rds of the way up and I made the decision to save what little strength I had left for the walk back down, is that there is only 45 minutes on site. It became a climb or explore the grounds decision. While there were wider areas to step off and take a breather inside the spiral metal stairwell, my legs felt like jelly once back outside. Take those first steps on solid ground very gingerly after you climb as my knees buckled a time or two trying to walk over to the small gift shop building.

We were each handed a glider by our guide to be put together and thrown from the top as we departed the bus on arrival at the tower. Great little souvenir to take home for a kid in your family if you choose not to climb. It is encouraged to write your name/hometown on the assembled glider so that when the local schoolchildren are brought to the park to collect the gliders, they often enjoy seeing where all the visitors are from. 

View from the accessible grounds with a circular paved area for you to view the tower from all sides.

The view looking back at the water:

Our motorcoach and the tree line compared to the height of the column:

The view as you start to climb inside. Hope you're not claustrophobic!

Each of the steps is dedicated and listed by number on these plagues lining the inside walls. Not sure if knowing you were now on step #70 of #160 to be viewing this plaque in person was encouraging or tiring.

Stopping on one of the wider ledges

I made it up close enough to see the blue sky and sunlight shining down from the viewing platform.

Once back on solid ground and browsing the gift shop, I was surprised to find a wooden magnet that featured the lighthouse and a message proudly proclaiming that the purchaser had climbed to the top. While I had wished to find a magnet like that after climbing the lighthouses in Michigan last summer, I couldn't bring myself to purchase this one since I didn't make it to the top. I settled for this alternative that featured both the bridge in my earlier photo and the column.

Would I recommend this excursion? Yes. Even if you choose not to climb, the artwork on the column and the views from the top of the hill where the bus parks are wonderful. Our guide was charismatic and informative during the bus ride and was happy to chat and answer questions on site. If you're looking for a simple quick excursion for your time in Astoria then this is a great choice. Plus you can't beat the price!