Fall Cruise October-November 2025
Oregon Coast and Columbia Rover Gorge
25 October to 3 November 2025 Cruise 29 October to
3 November
ACL American Song
Type: Riverboat GRT: 2,900
Length: 269 FT Beam: 56 FT Speed: 12 knots
Registry: USA Passengers: 182 Crew: 60
Shipyard: Chesapeake Shipbuilding
The information on the website said the
beginning and ending port would be Camas-Washougal, WA but due to low
water it was switched to Stevenson.
The cruise was on the American Song of
American Cruise line. We
used Brenda Campos of Cruise Planners (https://www.worldwidetravelbybrenda.com/)
to book the cruise. The driving part we organized ourselves.
Started with
a three day drive up the coast.
Then a day in Portland and then six days aboard the ship, with one long
day driving home. As of
2025 American Cruise Lines has a fleet of five ships on the Columbia
river, three Riverboat class, and two Paddle wheel ships. American Cruise
Lines includes one night before the cruise in a hotel where you pick up
your lanyards, room cards, and luggage tags. This was the Embassy Suites
at the Portland Airport. By showing up an extra night before we could
live our car at the hotel for up to 7 days.
American Cruise Lines would pick us up at the hotel, take us to
the ship and return us to the hotel.
Very convenient.
A fleet of busses with American Cruise
Line logos picked us up at the hotel and took us to the American Song in
Stevenson Washington. Our luggage had been picked up the night before
and was waiting in our cabin. We had the same busses and drivers for the
entire trip. Also, most of the excursions had local guides who talked
about the places we visited and about the country side we were passing
through. When it was only
the drivers, they also talked about the country side.
Trip Day 1 – 25 October
First day was from Concord to Eureka
California, along the redwood highway.
Also gave Donna a chance to check out Chapman's Gem & Mineral
Shop for her lapidary work (http://www.lapidarywhisperer.com/).
Trip Day 2 – 26 October
Day two was up the coast to Newport Oregon.
With a stop to see the ocean. The weather was on and off rain and
the surf was up.
Stopped for lunch at the Redfish in
Orford. Very good food and
a nice view of the ocean.
Spent the night in Newport and got to
another beach.
Trip Day 3 – 27 October
The third day continued to Portland,
with a lunch stop in Seaside at Finn’s Fish House. Stopped in
Tillamook, OR at the Tillamook factory visitor center.
Trip Day 4 (Cruise Day 1) – 28 October
The day in Portland gave us a chance
for Donna to visit another rock shop. Handley Rock & Jewelry Supply in
Vancouver, Washington, just across the river.
Trip Day 5 (Cruise Day 2) – 29 October
The busses with American Cruise Line
Logos picked us up at the hotel about 10:30 am and took us to the American
Song in Stevenson, Washington.
Our luggage had been picked up the night before and was waiting
in our cabin 335.
We had the same busses and drivers for the entire trip.
That evening we cruised up river to
Hood River, OR.
Trip Day 6 (Cruise Day 3) – 30 October
In the morning we took the excursion to
Multnoma Falls. Fall colors were great, and some of maple trees had huge
leaves.
In the afternoon we took the Hood River
Loop excursion, and got off downtown and walked around for a while.
In the evening we cruised up to the
Dalles, OR.
Trip Day 7 (Cruise Day 4) – 31 October
We took The Dalles loop excursion and
stopped at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and downtown.
A family friend had lived up here and her husband and been a
carpenter on the building some of the Burgerville restaurants. So we
stopped for lunch there.
Trip Day 8 (Cruise Day 5) –1 November
Cruise down the river to Kalama, WA.
Went through the Bonneville Locks at the dam.
Approaching the lock.
Getting ready to exit lock.
Trip Day 9 (Cruise Day 6) –2 November
While the excursion list showed some
places close to the dock, the 2nd being a Sunday they were
not open till late and we had a 12:30 excursion to Mt Saint Helens.
We took a short walk to them but not much was open. The trip was
to the mountain included three stops, two at interpretive centers, and
one at an overlook with great views of the mountain.
Mt Saint Helens
In the evening, we cruised back to
Stevenson. Went through the
Bonneville locks about 1 am ( 3 Nov), very noisy.
Trip Day 10 (Cruise Day 7) –3 November
Busses loaded early and went to either
the Portland airport or back to the Embassy Suites.
We took the Embassy Suites bus.
Then drove home. It
was a long drive leaving Portland about 9:00 am and getting home at 7:15
pm. If we had stopped for
the night it would have been around Redding, CA about 3 hours from home,
and down in the Central valley and out of the mountains.
Felt good to be home.