Astoria

Gunderson’s Cannery Cafe is a great place to watch the ship channel and eat good food. Dad and I both enjoyed it tremendously.

We visited Fort Stevens and I (surprise) enjoyed it. “How come the barracks were so small?” pointing at these miniscule concrete pads. I must have asked 10 times. Dad’s face lit up and he told me they were the bathrooms. The rest of the barracks were on a platform. “When I was at Fort Something in Goergia, we’d go under the barracks for shade. I was there in spring and it was hot.”

Astoria is a sleepy town at the mouth of the Columbia. Stay at one of the many B&Bs for some R&R, climb the Astor Tower on a clear day for stunning views of the ocean and surrounding countryside. Just a short drive to many ocean beaches and even more camping sites, Astoria is a vacation destination well-suited to those who are looking for something laid back.

The weather can be quite bleak, so come prepared for foul weather if rain is predicted.

We stopped in Astoria between Portland and Seattle and stayed the night. It’s not a very hopping town, but there are some small shops that might have been interesting had it not been so late, including a couple of bakeries. The hotel we stayed in was right on the water and we got a huge discount by staying in a smoking room. We drove up a big hill and saw this giant tower that you can climb up to the top of that’s painted with historical pictures. We had dinner at a nice Italian place with delicious squash ravioli. It was a pretty town, and nice for a one night stopover, but I think we would have been bored if we’d stayed longer.

I don’t like bridges and they have a very long one that takes you into Washington. The Ship Inn is a place we ate. It was nice. If you like the Goonies, definitely explore the town.

Yes, where Kindergarten Cop was filmed!

to Washington. It’s a magnificent view!