My first article written for Cruise Critic is up, on line at the free website that has millions of readers who cruise, comment and offer their own reviews of ships.

The story is a review of the Spirit of '98, a 96-passenger Cruise West vessel that does one-week trips out of Portland, Ore., on the turbulent Columbia and Snake Rivers.

The Spirit of '98 travels through eight locks — four on the Columbia and four on the Snake — to Hell's Canyon, for a 160-mile jetboat ride, then back down the rivers to the mouth of the Columbia.  Explorers Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1805-1806 near Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia rushes into the Pacific Ocean.

Cruising the Columbia and Snake is rewarding — with mountains and rushing rivers, dramatic climate changes, lessons on the workings of locks, and a continuous history lesson. As I wrote for Cruise Critic, I have traveled all over the world on ships, and have stayed in more lavish accommodations. But I've never felt more at home than on Spirit of '98, relaxing and watching the natural world pass by.

There's more to come from my travel assignment by Cruise Critic. Stay tuned.

If you've got a comment about your trip on the Columbia and Snake, please weigh in.

The focus of Cruise Critic is interactive journalism — the back and forth of opinion and personal observations from experiences. They are particularly pertinent in the world of travel. Travel Mavens seldom are shy about their opinions and analysis.