COLUMBIA RIVER book on cruise ships

Small cruise ships ply the Columbia River each year, leaving from Portland, Oregon. The cruises are usually six days seven nights. While passengers sleep the first night, the captain takes the ship to the mouth of the Columbia. After seeing Lewis & Clark's camp (replica) and going near but not into the maelstrom usually present at the meeting of river and Pacific Ocean, the ship goes upstream. It veers off the Columbia River at the Snake River and continues to Lewiston, Idaho. The small ships (50 people or so) stop at small docks or even at an occasional river beach to enable passengers to get off and see special or historical sites such as Marymoor Castle or the remains of the Cascade Locks that once helped boats to navigate the often turbulent Columbia Gorge area.  Food and entertainment on the ships are first class. By day the river shores create a moving panorama. I have served as guest historian on several ships. The guests come from all over the world. Usually the ships operate in the autumn months, after they are used on Seattle or Vancouver to Alaska routes. It is a great way to experience the nuances of the Columbia River, and the book explains its history in armchair fashion.