Entering Oregon: Astoria and Seaside [2/18]

After a moody morning in Washington State, the clouds started to slowly clear as we drove further south into Oregon. The first sight you see when you enter into Oregon is the Megler Bridge on the edge of the town Astoria. It crosses the wast Columbia river that flows into the Pacific Ocean a couple of miles west. Just as the ocean was following us on our way south, so would the mighty Columbia river follow us east during the later portion of our road trip. In this post I want to show you Astoria as well as Seaside, where we spent the night.

This is only a part of our travel series to the Pacific Northwest

Click here to view the other parts

Astoria

Astoria is situated near the mouth of the Columbia River where it meets the Pacific Ocean. In fact, the Megler Bridge swirls right into the historic district. Astoria is  known as a movie town as well. "The Goonies" was shot here, and locations throughout town have been used in many other moviews.It holds the distinction of being the first permanent United States settlement on the Pacific coast and for having the first U.S. post office west of the Rocky Mountains. In the next image you can see that we even found a piece of home there. The Drina Daisy is a Bosnian restaurant located right in the town center. We didn't have lunch there though.

The town itself is nothing too special. It lacks somewhat it touristic appeal, but it is very authentic in the way it looks. Lots of the stores are locally owned, only a few chain stores are found outside of town. Astoria has a boardwalk along the river, but it's rather short and very close to the main street, so you won't really feel relaxed there. The sights into the harbor are great for photographers.

The Wreck of the Peter Iredale

As we moved away from Astoria and back towards the ocean, a new and interesting sight waited for us. A shipwreck! The Peter Iredale was a four-masted steel bark built in Maryport, England, in 1890. On September 26, 1906, the Iredale left Salina Cruz, Mexico, bound for Portland, where it was to pick up a cargo of wheat for the United Kingdom.

Despite encountering heavy fog, they managed to safely reach the mouth of the Columbia River early in the morning of October 25. But then heavy winds started to blow. The Iredale ran aground at Clatsop Beach, hitting so hard that three of her masts snapped from the impact. Fortunately, none of the crew were seriously injured. Captain Lawrence ordered that the ship be abandoned, and rockets were launched to signal for help. Although the ship has been broken up by wave, wind, and sand over the years, the wreck of the Peter Iredale continues to be a popular tourist attraction.

A Sunset in Seaside

As the end of our first day on the road came to a close, we arrived in the small fishing town called Seaside. The 50s and 60s somehow never left this place, which becomes noticeable immediately as you walk through town. Though there are many new buildings, like banks, apartments along the promenade and the city hall, most of the restaurants, shops and malls in town are very old fashioned. And there is nothing wrong with that. I loved taking pictures here.

It was also really welcoming to see the sunset on the beach. There were lots of people there enjoying the day. On the center of the promenade you can find a great Lewis and Clark sculpture. Surrounding it are long stretches of white sand beach. This is truly a perfect getaway and a lovely summer destination.

We booked this little motel called "Coast River Inn" a bit away from the beach. Nothing too special, but it is newly renovated and the rooms are clean and spacious.

We ate lunch at Norma's Seafood and Steak restaurant, they served a really delicious clam chowder. After that we had crab patties and fish and chips. Really delicious seafood dinner.

Next time we are starting a new day in the Pacific Northwest, where sunny sights at the ocean would greet us. Stay tuned for more nature parks, small towns and wondrous sights from the road.

End of Part Two

To be continued...

Where I'm Linking To