We’ve just spent 4 nights in Astoria on the mouth of the Columbia River (the same river we walked by in Revelstoke in Canada!!) and is often called little San Francisco due to the hill in the middle! It has lots of lovely old Victorian style houses, a maritime museum which looked great but didn’t get chance to visit, an old trolly tram that travels the 3.1 mile shorefront, and is home to scenes from various films such as The Goonies, Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy and Short Circuit amongst others.
We took a day out to visit Tillamook Air Museum for Andy to get his aircraft fix! It was a naval air base that housed blimps (K class airships) in world war 2 to escort shipping up the coast and which now has a range of aircraft and interesting information boards housed in the largest wooden hanger remaining.
We attempted to visit Tillamook Creamery but didn’t bother staying as queues were stupid – who knew a creamery could be so popular? On the return journey, we revisited Cannon Beach and managed to get a photo of Haystack rock – you couldn’t see it in the morning as the marine layer (sea mist) had come right inland.
On the 4th of July, we spent exploring Astoria itself. We stopped at the Astoria Brewing Company taproom, where we met Rigel, the bar host and an artist. He’s got a very interesting background, having grown up in Guam with hippy parents.
Then we met a couple from Bristol, Helen & Rob – Helen grew up about 15 miles from me!!! Small world eh?
Then onto Fort George brewery before having a Mexican meal with Rob and Helen. We walked back UP THAT hill before it got dark (no street lights) and saw several deer eating peoples front gardens, including one with 2 young fawns. And then the 4th July fireworks started – what a racket!!!
Next day we hopped over one of the many bridges in Astoria to Werrington to see the rusting hulk of the Peter Iredale, a 4 masted steel barque ailing vessel that ran aground in October 1906.
Then onto Fort Stevens, which was constructed in 1863 and saw service for 84 years. It was also the site of a Japanese submarine attack, June 21st 1942. We watched a bald headed eagle on her nest with a chick for a while – the nest was on the old chimney of the Battery Clark Command Station!!
Then, back to Astoria to visit the 125 foot Astoria column, dedicated in 1926 and which tells the history of Astoria’s pivotal years from before white people arrived up to the arrival of the railroads in 1880s. There are stunning views from the column, and you can see across to the aptly named Saddle Mountain on the Oregan Coast mountain range.
