Astoria, OR - Astoria OR Weekend Getaway

Preview: Astoria is America’s oldest West Coast city. In fact, it’s the oldest continuously occupied settlement west of the Mississippi River, situated on a river that is second in size only to the Mississippi. The Columbia River heads in British Columbia and flows south and west in a ragged route toward Oregon. The Snake River joins it near Pasco, Washington, just before the Columbia bends westerly. As it approaches Astoria, the great river broadens into an estuary more than 5 miles wide in places. At the mouth of the Columbia, 1,243 miles from its headwaters, the river’s average discharge is 262,000 cubic feet of water per second. Naturally, Astoria and the nearby environs are steeped in history. Here’s where Captain Robert Gray discovered the Columbia River in 1792 and claimed it for the Americans. Here’s where Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 1805–6. Here’s where John Jacob Astor founded a fur-trading post in 1811. Here’s where the first pioneer families arrived in the 1840s and the first post office west of the Mississippi was established in 1847. Here’s where coastal fortifications were built toward the end of the Civil War as protection against possible British invasion, via Canada, should the British side with the Confederacy. Many of Astoria’s fine old homes were built in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Some are still private residences; others, beautifully preserved or restored, are bed-and-breakfast inns. One of the most famous, the Flavel House, is a museum. The Maritime Museum, located on the south bank of the Columbia River in downtown Astoria, stands as a monument to the area’s maritime history. The maze of pleasingly displayed, beautifully restored or preserved, and expertly lighted treasures from the sea and river includes artifacts from shipwrecks, a great collection of ship models, whaling and commercial fishing exhibits, and much more—so much, in fact, that this is considered one of the finest museums of its kind. Moored nearby is Lightship No. 604, Columbia, a 128-foot, 617-ton vessel built in East Boothbay, Maine, and launched in 1950. After serving for thirty years off the mouth of the Columbia, she was decommissioned, acquired by the Maritime Museum, and is now open for public tours. The most prominent modern landmark in the area is the graceful Astoria Bridge, also known as the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Built by Oregon and Washington states in the early 1960s to span the Columbia and join the two states, it was opened to traffic in 1966. It’s the world’s largest continuous-truss bridge, with a main span of 1,232 feet, overall length of 4.1 miles, and main-span height of 198 feet above the low-water mark, sufficient to allow passage of the Navy’s largest ships at high tide. Astoria is a city for explorers, so get off the highways and get into the residential areas. Check out downtown sights. Walk the waterfront. This chapter includes information on lodging, campgrounds, RV parks, restaurants, entertainment, shopping, and outdoor activities near this coastal city.
© Copyright Kathy Strong (Editor) published by Insiders' Guide all rights reserved.


Best Time to Go: Year-round
This travel guide comes from:
Driving the Pacific Coast: Oregon & Washington Guide Book