The geologic history of the Columbia Basin and the human history of the Columbia Plateau were our subjects of study today. During the morning, Stanford's Travel Study lecturer Dr. Scott Burns regaled us with stories of the phenomenal geologic events that shaped this area, as we traveled through the remains of those events. We learned about the vast flows of lava that poured from giant fissures in the earth's surface between 12 and 17 million years ago and then cooled to form outcroppings of basalt columns like Hat Rock, pictured here.
For our afternoon's adventure we left the Sea Lion and traveled by coach to the Tamastlikt Cultural Institute near Pendleton, Oregon. Beautifully arranged exhibits and extensive narrative by a local guide told the story, past and present, of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes. While we toured the museum and the surrounding countryside, the Sea Lion continued upstream. We rendezvoused at Hat Rock State Park, and were ferried back to the ship via Zodiac.
