by Jim Bellomo | Oct 16, 2025 | Uncategorized
When you take an ocean cruise (on a BIG ship) you have sea days. That’s a day when you don’t stop in a port. Usually, the ship has lots of things for you to do on board. Well, yesterday was the river equivalent of a sea day, so I will call it a river day.
We had three locks to pass through on our way up the Columbia, so it meant it would take a little while to go east. I believe if there were no dams and locks on this river, you could go from Astoria to Clarkston (where we disembark) in about two or three days. But there are locks and dams, so why not embrace them the way the ship did yesterday, as we passed through the largest of the locks on the Columbia, the John Day Lock.
I was up early to shoot our first lock passage before dawn (and to work on yesterday’s post) and got a single photograph of that lock. It’s quite a gritty-looking photo, don’t you think?
We creep through our first lock in the dark.
From that point on until the sun rose, it was just a smooth sail upriver. When the sun finally gave me the golden hour, I was out with my camera to get some shots. I really like these, so…if you click the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE… don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…And take a second to blow up the last one because it might be the second-best panoramic shot I have taken…ever.
The sun creeps over the eastern horizon.
Just pretty sunrise shots
So I won’t have any special captions for them.
Just sunrise on the Columbia River
Which yesterday was golden
The landscape changed as the light changed.
Evidence is here.
Traffic on I-84 that runs alongside the river
On the way we passed Marydale Museum…
And Stonehenge.
Barges went by.
And one of my best panoramic ever. I LOVE this shot. Make sure and click on it to enlarge it so you can see what I mean.
After my early morning photo shoot, it was off to breakfast and then back up to take pictures as we passed through the John Day Lock, the largest on the river. It is what is known as a guillotine lock, as the doors don’t open to the side, but lift into the air.
We are entering the massive lock.
Now inside, the door is massive.
Looking back as the door closes. You can see Mt. Hood in the background.
Talk about huge. This door is holding back an entire river.
While we were going through the lock, the crew started a dance party. I love taking photos of people (it dates back to my years in the yearbook industry) so I just stood at the rail above them and shot photos. I took more than 140 but here’s the best.
From line dancing to the Macarena…
The crew was…
Dancing up a storm.
Even our historian/lecturer was getting in the spirit.
Lots of great moves out there.
And lots of great faces.
After the party, it was back to exiting the lock and heading further upriver, where I could get more photos. Here are some of those.
We are now at the level of the upper river after the lock as filled.
Looking across the John Day dam.
Behind us the huge guillotine door.
Next to us a fish ladder.
The dam and lock were built by the Army Corps of Engineers.
And thousands of gulls appreciate the place they created for them to perch.
The dam in better light.
The birds fly off as we come up next to them.
A barge passes to our left.
With a tug pushing it.
The wind turbines dotted the tops of the ridge all along the Washington side.
Mike and I have our annual shoot off.
There goes that barge.
That was about it for the photos. Soon after I took the last set, we left the Columbia Gorge and entered the flat, arid, desert-like landscapes of Eastern Washington. Last night during dinner, in the dark, we transited the last lock leading into Lake Umatilla. It was dark, and I was eating, so no photos of that ?.
Today, we are docked in Richland, part of Washington’s Tri-Cities (along with Kennewick and Pasco). We have a full-day excursion to Pendleton, an Old West town located just south of here in Oregon. Should be fun. More about that tomorrow.
Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters. ? Norman Maclean,
by Jim Bellomo | Oct 15, 2025 | Uncategorized
I just love illiteration. Can you tell? My headlines are sooooo bad. And I know it. ?. But let’s move on to our next day of our Columbia River cruise. Yesterday’s stop was The Dalles, Oregon. That’s pronounced so it rhymes with Cal’s, as in the home run record for a catcher is Cal’s. The Dalles is a charming little city on the Columbia River. When we first saw this itinerary and decided to take the cruise, I was looking forward to this stop because, after 30 years of living in Washington, I was finally going to get to visit the Maryhill Museum and Stonehenge.
Before I tell you about our excursion, I want to show you some photos I got on the river after the sun came up on our trip from Astoria to The Dalles. Hope you enjoy them. It was a very pretty landscape. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…
I took a number of merged panoramas because the landscapes here are just so big.
It was a big day for panoramic as the landscape is so big and almost overpowering.
Unusual rocks.
Looking back down the river.
Same here
Just gorgeous scenery.
Lots of strange formations.
Mt. Hook peaks out.
She really stands out.
I like taking photos of places we have physically been. The building straight ahead is where we had lunch last Wednesday while in Hood River.
One of the many bridges we ducked under.
The river landscapes are…
AMAZING.
All the way up the river.
All the way through it.
I love the fall colors. Not as many reds but certainly lots of yellows.
Thought this shot I took from the deck of American Cruise Line’s Harmony was worthy of shot of the day. We are sailing on the Columbia River between The Dalles and Hood River, Oregon. In the morning light, Mt. Hood poked its top out, and I just liked the amount I got to see. I had a bunch of others where you could see more of the mountain, but this one did it for me.
Every so often, a train would come by.
Women were fishing…
And an old church was spotted.
Now, more about the excursion for the day. When we got the list of excursions the cruise line was offering, we were shocked to see that Maryhill and Stonehenge weren’t on it. Just Maryhill winery. And since we are going wine tasting post-cruise in Walla Walla (a much better wine region), I decided that for less than the cost of the excursion, we could rent another van and drive up to Maryhill. I should add that when docking in The Dalles, we are only a short distance from Hood River, where we visited WAAAM to see its incredible display of automotive and aeronautical specimens. And American Cruise Lines (ACL) doesn’t do an excursion there either. Who would have thought they would skip two such interesting places?
But before we headed out to see Maryhill and Stonehenge, we had to wait until we docked in The Dalles, which was quite a while. As you may recall, we toured in Astoria yesterday, and that’s quite a distance from The Dalles. On the way between the two ports, we had to go back through the Bonneville Lock, and apparently, they are only open after 6:00 am. So we stopped at a park outside Vancouver, WA and waited until 6:00 am to transit the lock. Then it was off to The Dalles, where we arrived around noon. I had arranged for a van rental with Enterprise Rental Car, and it was about 1.3 miles from the port, so I took a nice walk to get there. One thing I can tell you for sure is that The Dalles is not the best place to walk on sidewalks. They will go a couple of hundred yards and then just stop, forcing you to cross a very busy street in the middle of a block or even a freeway off ramp from I-84. Apparently, The Dalles is not a big walking city.
Once I had the van, I headed back to the ship to pick everyone up and then it was off to the Maryhill Museum. I could tell you the entire story about how it was a huge house built by a guy named Sam Hill, but Sam is the Sam of “What in the Sam Hill” fame. People say that when someone has done something crazy. Building this big mansion way out here in the middle of nowhere was a crazy thing to do. He also loved art, so when he passed, they turned the house into an art museum. And I would say that it’s probably the most eclectic art museum ever. They have a huge collection of pieces by Rodin, a beautiful display of Native American beadwork, and more than 900 chess sets, which are amazing in their differences and creativity. They also have traveling exhibits that are not part of the permanent collection. While we were there, a wonderful collection of paintings showcased the different uses of light by American and European artists. And a totally enchanting exhibit called Théâtre de la Mode. Take a look at my photos and visit the website for more information about this interesting exhibit.
The entrance to Maryhill Museum of Art
The backside. Tomorrow I can show you the front, from the river.
This is the aformentioned Théâtre de la Mode
Truly interesting.
Very cool and eclectic.
Studies by Rodin.
And chess sets.
Lots of chess sets.
From Asian sets
Like this one.
To just plain wacky…
Like this one…
To The Simpsons.
Seeing these characters as chess pieces made me say…
Doh! Bart is a pawn.
How about Fred and Barney
With Wilma and Dino
And of course…the Mariners.
Autumn was in full glory outside.
And just in time this guy showed up with November just two weeks away.
A panorama I took from the front of the Museum.
After our visit to Maryhill Museum, we continued to see Sam Hill’s version of Stonehenge, which he built to honor the boys who lost their lives in World War I. Since construction began before the war ended, it is the world’s first World War I memorial. It is a replica of how the British landmark of Stonehenge would have appeared when originally built by the Druids centuries ago. Here are the photos from that visit.
My first look at Stonehenge.
The grass needs mowing but it is very unusual to see along the Columbia River.
My wonderful bride having fun with her loving husband
More Stonehenge
A panoramic shot of the river from in front of the monument.
After our stop at Stonehenge, we took a little extension to drive up and see Goldendale, a small community just north of the river. On the way, we all gasped as we pulled around a corner and were shocked by a vast prairie leading to a magnificent mountain. We all debated as to which of the Cascade it was but everyone wanted a photo, so I swung into the turnout and we got out to find out it was Mt. Adams in all it’s glory. Far in the distance, you could also see Mt. St. Helens with its top gone and just a little glimpse of Mt. Rainier’s top. Here are the photos from that quick stop.
Mt. Adams in all it’s glory
A very cool old house right near the turnout
Just my kind of subject
And Mt. St. Helens in the distance.
That about covers yesterday. Another day of beautiful weather, for beautiful photos. The landscape and the museum provided the perfect subjects. Tomorrow we have a
“River Day” which is like a sea day except you spend it on a river and don’t stop. We will go through some locks and some more interesting country before landing in the flat plains of Washington’s Tri-Cities.
Maryhill Museum is the world’s most isolated art museum. —Time Magazine
by Jim Bellomo | Oct 13, 2025 | Photography
For those following along on our Columbia River cruise, I hate to interrupt, but as you can see if you click the 365 in the menu bar, I am in the middle of a 365 project. That means I take one photo and post it per day. And then, on Sunday night, I usually create a post that compiles all the photos from that week in one place. A note gets sent out about that post, and those interested in my photography get to see it.
These are my photos, numbers 280-286. Enjoy, and let me know in the comments which is your favorite this week.
We are in Portland tonight at the start of our two-week Columbia River trip with the October Bunch. Only four of us are here so far; the other two are on a plane and won’t arrive until 11:45. So, the four of us went out for pizza at a place our son-in-law says is “the best pizza in the world.” It’s called APizzaScholls, and I might just have to agree with him. We got two, which was way too much, but WOW! Incredible pizza.
Taking a food tour around Portland today, and as I sat in the middle of a really cool food cart pod, I happened to look up and saw this contrail crossing the sky. I took a shot that turned out to be lucky because I truly love the symmetry of it. It just looks cool.
My favorite shot. The sun peaked through and turned the water almost blue.
Today, we left Portland to explore the Oregon Coast. We spent some time touring the Tillamook Creamery, watching them make cheese, and then headed up to Cannon Beach, where I got this shot of Haystack Rock. I tried dehazing it, but there was just too much haze, and I kept getting artifacts. It drove me nuts. I also tried removing the people, but I think they added character.
Not much of a photo-taking day. In fact, this is the worst day for photography I have ever had while on a trip. We were around a lot of Portland today, but I didn’t shoot anything new. While the rest of the October Bunch (minus Kathleen and me) went to see the Pittock Mansion, I, their faithful chauffeur, parked and read my book. Directly in front of me was this beautiful forest. So I went into the back of our rental van, grabbed my camera, and there you have it—The Forest Primeval.
We are sailing on the Columbia River and were headed out of the locks at the Bonneville Dam when I spotted this river boat coming towards us.
We’re currently on a cruise on this ship. Today, we stopped in Kalama, Washington, on the Columbia River. I really like how they get us on and off the boat. When they arrive somewhere, they navigate the bow of the ship into the shore, open the front of the ship, extend a gangplank, and we can walk off through the front. Photographically, it was very rainy, so I had to sneak in shots between rain showers to get this one.
The earth is art, the photographer is only a witness. –Yann Arthus-Bertrand
by Jim Bellomo | Oct 12, 2025 | Uncategorized
We have never sailed on American Cruise Lines (ACL) before. When speaking with people who have experienced it or reading reviews online, the results are typically mixed. Some love it, others not so much. One member of our Trilogy Travel Club really dislikes them, while another has taken three cruises with them and loved two of them and is going again. So, expectations were not high, but I came into this with an open mind.
As I write this, we are moored in Kalama, Washington, where 99% of the passengers will disembark to see Mt. St. Helens. Kathleen and I have decided to skip the three- to four-hour ride on the “luxury motor coach” and stay on board. We have been to the Mount St. Helens visitor center several times, and the weather is VERY rainy and cloudy (typical Pacific Northwest weather), so photos would look pretty dull. This led us to stay on the ship.
By the way, since I have been on board for almost a full day, I have decided this is a ship. It’s much too big to be a boat. We are on board the American Harmony. That’s her photo above that I stole from their website because I don’t feel like getting off and getting too soaked to take one myself. Hope that’s OK. I promise to get one myself later on the cruise, maybe when the weather improves in Eastern Washington.
Now, back to the trip. When you sail with ACL, you get an extra night at the hotel included before your cruise. At the hotel, everyone was informed of the departure time on Saturday morning and that their luggage should be ready to go by 7:00 am. Strangely enough, we were told to leave our luggage in the room, and they would come to pick it up—not outside in the hallway like on other cruises we’ve been on. There were then two options for departure. Some of the people taking the cruise would do a free pre-boarding excursion to Multnomah Falls. Since the six of us had visited the falls earlier in the week, we left the hotel at 11:00 am. We’re very glad we did because the ship carried more than 135 people; when we visited earlier, there was hardly anyone there. My photos from that day clearly show how great we had it. I think that other than the six of us, there were fewer than 20 people there.
Since most people were taking the falls tour, when it was time for the rest of us to head to the ship, there were only six of us and one other couple left. So, we got a really nice Mercedes Sprinter van for our 45-minute drive to where the ship was moored in Stevenson, Washington. We had originally been told we would board much further downriver, in the northern part of Vancouver, Washington, but the river levels at the edges were low, which meant we had to go further upriver, where dams controlled the water levels.
Once we arrived at the dock, it was a quick (but wet) walk to the gangplank, and we were on board. Since they had picked up our luggage at 7:00 am, it was already in our room (which was nice), so we could unpack and head to lunch. Here’s a quick look at our stateroom. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Feel free to look at them on your phone. These aren’t meant to be art, just informational photos.
Our Stateroom—414. Midships on deck 4.
Inside…the bed. Very comfortable. Had a great night’s sleep.
The bed again. This time so you can see the small verandah.
The bathroom. Plenty of room, hot water and water pressure. There things I absolutely need in a cruise ship bathroom.
One of the benefits of being on Deck 4 is that both the River Lounge at the front of the ship and the Sky Lounge at the back of the ship are on our floor. The River Lounge is where performances, lectures, and other fun activities take place. Last night, our entertainment was a very funny guy named Kevin Neil. His performance was called “Cowboys and Curmudgeons” and, as I said, was hilarious in a dad-joke kind of way.
Here’s a merged panoramic photo of the River Lounge. Unlike the ship photo at the top of the page, you can click on the panoramas, and they will enlarge to fill your screen, allowing you to see the details if you want.
The River Lounge
The Sky Lounge is a really nice space that combines a mini buffet, living room, game room, and snack bar all in one. It offers chairs, couches, and snacks available around the clock, along with complimentary drinks, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. I am currently sitting on a very comfortable couch, enjoying a large glass of lemonade while writing this post. Here’s another panoramic shot of the Sky Lounge. On the far right in the back, you can see a bar that serves drinks throughout the day and evening, and it also serves as an alternative breakfast spot if you prefer to skip the dining room for that meal. We dined there this morning, and I had some really good lox and bagels with all the toppings, plus an excellent blueberry scone. By the way, the coffee on this ship is excellent, which is saying a lot because I am very picky about my coffee ?.
The Sky Lounge
Behind the Sky Lounge is an open deck area with a few places to hang out when it’s not raining, as well as an alternative food option if you are not feeling like what’s being served in the dining room for breakfast or lunch that day. It does burgers, hot dogs, wraps for lunch and oatmeal or a breakfast sandwich in the morning. There is also a large deck for outdoor seating when the weather is better. Much of it is covered, but so far it has been empty due to the cold. Here’s a shot of the Sun Deck and the Back Porch Cafe.
The Back Porch Cafe
The Sun Deck
That’s about it for Deck 4. Deck five above us only has staterooms and a little-used sun deck. But it is a great place to go and take photos when it’s not raining. For instance, I took this merged panoramic from up there as we headed west. It’s the “Bridge of the Gods.” We had seen it near Hood River last Wednesday when we drove out this way.
Deck three consists solely of staterooms and the pilot house/bridge, although decks 2, 3, and 4 feature a special alcove that we will discuss in a minute. On deck two aft is the gym. It’s a somewhat unusual gym/exercise area because, while one side features a variety of workout equipment, the other is equipped with tables and chairs that can be used for playing cards or enjoying drinks. Not sure I want to do that while I smell the sweaty folks working out, but you do your thing, I’ll do mine ?. Here’s a pano of that interesting room.
This is the exercise room/gym as well as having a place you can sit and enjoy the view?
Deck two also has the laundry. Essentially, this consists of three stacked washers below three dryers in a small room, roughly the size of our closet at home. It is nice to be able to do some laundry, especially when we have already been on the road for six days and are trying to limit our luggage so it fits in the fan. It has been really busy until this afternoon. Strangely enough, the washer/dryer units are exactly the same ones Viking Ocean ships have. And since there is one laundry room on every deck on Viking Ocean ships with 950 guests and just one room on this ship with fewer than 200 guests, it’s really not that bad.
Another thing I really appreciate about this ship is the elevator that stops at every floor. Not for me, since I usually take the stairs on a cruise, but for Kathleen, who has knee and hip issues. I also like that around the elevator on decks 2, 3, and 4, there is a small, cozy room with couches, chairs, and tables. These are great spots to play games (with many options available), assemble a jigsaw puzzle (many are provided), or simply read a book (they have a small library). Here are pictures of each one.
On deck two
On deck three
On deck three
On deck four
On deck four
I think that about does it for today. I just wanted to give you an idea of what the ship looks like. YIKES! I just realized I don’t have a shot of the dining room. A room that truly exceeded our expectations. It’s big, there is a very large amount of space between tables, and our waiter (and others) only have two tables to deal with each, so the service is amazing. More about that and the food tomorrow. Here’s a photo I took with my iPhone from just before lunch yesterday.
The Dining Room
To sum up and conclude the headline…so far, American Cruise Line is far exceeding what I thought I would get. Except for a few small glitches (to be detailed later), I am totally impressed.
Exceeding expectations is where satisfaction ends and loyalty begins. —Ron Kaufman
by Jim Bellomo | Oct 10, 2025 | Uncategorized
What can I say about yesterday? We had an amazing breakfast, followed by a very long drive to a creamery to witness cheese being made, then a short drive to see a large rock, followed by a long drive to get back and finally an incredible dinner.
That was it. I feel like I let my fellow October Gang buddies down with a rather long and boring trip to the Oregon Coast. We have always loved the Oregon Coast, but other than a tour of the Tillamook Creamery, it was pretty much a snooze. I think our memories of Cannon Beach were too old. We remember being able to walk out on the beach much more easily. And we remember that we used to like shopping. Now it does nothing for us. Twenty-five years ago, when we first visited, we spent hours in all the shops. Now we couldn’t care less. We are done collecting items from places we have already visited.
On the other hand, this trip is rapidly morphing into a five-day food tour. Kathleen’s daughter, Michelle, and her husband, Brian, visit Portland on a regular basis, and they have recommended several places to eat. Yesterday morning, we tried one of their breakfast options, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve never had a breakfast I liked more. The food and service were amazing. The place is called Petite Provence. How good was it? We are going back again in about 30 minutes from when I am writing this. Here are some pics.
Here’s the sign so you don’t miss it. It’s on Alberta Street.
Their croissants are HUGE!
This dish is Bourguignon Brunch. It has…tender beef braised in red wine ancho chili sauce, served over a piquant hash of butternut squash, bacon, leek, Provence potato, green pepper, harissa, and jalapeño. Topped with an egg and Horseradish Crème.
After breakfast, we headed to the coast. Our first stop, after a 90-minute drive, was the Tillamook Creamery. If you’re in the USA, you’ve probably heard of Tillamook cheese and ice cream. This is where they make it. If you’re on the Oregon Coast, I highly recommend a quick visit. It’s a self-guided tour that offers a view over the cheesemaking and packaging process. Then, enjoy a sample of cheese and, of course, some of their famous ice cream. Here are a few photos from that experience.
The front of the building is really cool with the biggest cow painting I have ever seen.
The stairs leading to the tour are haloed by cheese blocks.
Cheese is packaged here in giant blocks to age.
This woman is making sure that there is no air in the bag.
The workers do the final packaging. I have always wanted a “Robotic Debagger.”
These folks make sure all the cut blocks weigh the same. If not, they slice some off. I have no clue what they do if the blocks are under weight.
After our cheese adventure, we headed north to Cannon Beach… or so we hoped. None of our cell phones had coverage (thanks, T-Mobile), and there were no signs indicating Cannon Beach ahead. I stopped for gas and asked a man, who said it’s about 15 miles up the road. We finally arrived, and the place was crowded. You can no longer easily get out to the beach to see Haystack Rock. The guys went out to take a photo while the ladies stayed behind. The stairs were too steep. There are numerous shops selling things we don’t need, and everyone just wanted to return to the hotel. So off we went. I should mention that neither the road we took to Tillamook nor the road we returned on to Portland had many restrooms. It made for a lousy trip back to the hotel.
We had a 7:00 pm reservation at Andina, a Peruvian restaurant downtown. This was the place we canceled after the food tour on Tuesday because we were so full, and moved it to last night.
Speaking of downtown, as the driver, I find it funny that everyone keeps asking if I am okay driving back downtown or if we should eat somewhere near the hotel. I keep telling them that the only places to eat near the hotel are the hotel itself or the airport. Of course, I don’t mind driving downtown for the kind of food I get there.
Andina was incredible. Just when I thought the food here in Portland couldn’t improve, we had two utterly fantastic appetizers. One was a scallop ceviche, and the other was a barbecued rib. We shared them, but honestly, I could go back tonight, order just those two appetizers, and that would be it. I also had an amazing entrée. They called it “lomo saltado,” and it was like a hybrid of stir-fry and poutine. It featured beef and onions stir-fried in a savory sauce and then poured over French fries. Strangely enough, they served it with garlic rice. Not sure why two starches were included, but they were both delicious. Overall, Andina was a winner. Kathleen and I visited there about ten years ago, and to be honest, they have improved even more since then… and we loved them then. I also had a cocktail (notice I said A cocktail…as the designated driver, I get one ?) but it was a winner. It was called a Carmen St. Revue. I asked the bartender for the recipe, but it contains so many special ingredients that it would be nearly impossible to recreate at home.
My cocktail…it was amazing.
The remains of our appetizers. I wish I had remembered to take a before photo.
My entrée
Kathleen’s chicken entrée…almost half a bird.
That was our day. Tomorrow is our last day in Portland, and I am not sure what we are doing. I had planned for us to visit the Oregon wine region, but after today’s long drive, I’m not sure if anyone is up for doing that.
This activist loves Oregon more than he loves life. —Tom McCall
