Astoria, Oregon (July 10)

Astoria, established in 1811, is the oldest US settlement west of the Rockies. Strategically located at the mouth of the Columbia River, it has been an important Pacific port ever since Lewis and Clark arrived in 1805 and John Jacob Astor made it a point of departure for his fur trade. Often compared to San Francisco because of its Victorian houses dotting the hills, Astoria has been a Mecca for film makers, with over 300 filmed nearby.

We found Astoria to be both funky and charming, filled with brew pubs, vintage clothing stores, and art galleries. Town was about 1.5 miles from the port, past the old BumbleBee Tuna cannery (now a brewery). Fishing and tourism are the major industries. And we supplemented our river walk with a $1 ride on the trolley!  










Comments

  1. OK, now THIS would have been quite a coincidence. We were in Astoria for an overnight - TWO WEEKS AGO. We added it to a Portland visit and really enjoyed it. We hit a brilliantly clear day, quite rare there, and climbed up to the top of "the Column" for a fantastic view of the mouth of the Columbia. We had both just read "Astoria" about Astor's ill-fated endeavor. Sorry we missed you in Astoria, but looking forward to seeing you on Saturday !!

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  2. Looks like a fun funky town. Will have to put it on my list of places to visit.

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