Taking 25 students on a three-day tour of the Gorge-from Stevenson, Washington, to Walla Walla and then across the river to Pendleton and back down the river through The Dalles-posed some special logistical problems. We had to find places to eat (mostly fast food or grocery-store picnics) and to sleep (high school gym floors), and we had to make sure that we had time to stop and look at the landscape.
Because of our school's sports schedule, we were restricted to a weekend in February, which meant it would be cold and probably rainy. And it was. But we all bundled up, and our on-site speakers were dynamic enough to make us forget the wind and rain for a while.
It was important for us to keep our three-day field trip through the Gorge on schedule. We had arranged for many guest speakers along the way, and we didnšt want to keep them waiting. Also, parents needed to know where we were at any given time in case they needed to reach their children in an emergency. So, we meticulously put together this itinerary.
Itinerary for Columbia River Field Trip
Spring 1999February 26
6:30 a.m. Leave SHS
8:00 a.m. Condit Dam, PacifiCorps
9:00 a.m. Northwest Lake, landowner
Lunch Maryhill State Park (students need to bring a sack lunch)
2:00 p.m. Hanford tour
5:30 p.m. Dinner at Pizza Hut in Richland (students need to bring $5)
7:00 p.m. High School (overnight in gym)February 27
7:30 a.m. Leave High School
9:00 a.m. Whitman Mission, Western historian
11:00 a.m. Fort Walla Walla Museum
Lunch At park near museum
1:00 p.m. Tamastlikt Museum
2:30 p.m. Tour of salmon restoration sites with Salmon Corps
Dinner Fast food ($5.00)
7:00 p.m. Attend play at Blue Mountain Community College
9:30 p.m. High School (overnight in gym)February 28
9:00 a.m. Leave High School
10:00 a.m. Umatilla Army Depot tour
11:30 a.m. Umatilla resident
Lunch On bus with Western historian
1:30 p.m. Celilo Park
2:30 p.m. Discovery Center, The Dalles
5:15 p.m. Arrive SHS