Astoria, OR

Day 8 - July 3, 2010

Leaving Lincoln City, headed to Astoria.

Zach and I woke up bright and early to go walk the beach one last time before heading to the mouth of the Columbia River. What a beautiful sight!
The next stop after Lincoln City was Tillamook where we explored the Tillamook Cheese Factory! http://www.tillamookcheese.com You're able to go sample their cheese, take a tour, and check out the visitors center that includes the store and ice cream shop. First walked through the gift shop then we headed back out to the main area and decided to go get some samples. I didn't each any because we took a tour like this last year in Utah and I do not like cheese curds lol They squeak in your mouth and I can't do it lol However, I do like the mozzarella cheese.
Workers cutting and packaging the cheese... Sorry bad coloring I know, but I tried... Camera phone isn't as easy to color balance lol

I made Zach pose with me... He wasn't too thrilled, but I love these things! lol Thank you Scott for taking the photo :) After the tour and samples, we ate some very delicious ice cream and headed back to the car.
Just outside of Tillamook is the Cape Meares Lighthouse.
We walked down a pathway that seemed to take forever, but it was lined with trees which made it beautiful.

This is on the way back up, just off the path. Love how peaceful it all is.
Snapshot out our hotel window in Astoria... taken on my blackberry Our hotel was right on the river and was very nice. We had a fireplace and all :) http://www.astoriahie.com/ They call Astoria 'Little San Francisco' and that is exactly what it is... I recommend touring this little town.
Shortly after, I had to get a photo with my camera ...
While we were unpacking and hanging out, Scott pointed out a ship was at the mouth of the Columbia River. It's a tiny tiny spec on the horizon.
After getting unpacked and getting dinner, Zach, Scott and I headed up to the Astoria Column. http://www.astoriacolumn.org/ This was just as I was stepping out of the car.
I walked down the grassy hill and stood by a picnic bench to get this pano of Astoria. Across the river you can see Washington! (On this trip, we managed to visit 3 states; California, Oregon, and Washington).
Here is the Astoria Column. Isn't it beautiful. Click the link above if you wish to learn more history on the column.
Here's the staircase leading up to the overlook... I took on this challenge with everything I had and was the first one up :)
Scott and Zach on top of the Astoria Column overlooking Astoria.
Still on top watching a little tug boat pull a vessel of sand into the harbor.

Watching the sunset from onto of the column.
On the way down, I decided to count the number of stairs... 164! I got so dizzy coming back down. Round, and round, and round, and round!
After the column we drove across the bridge that is out our window and into Washington!

Driving over the bridge into Washington.

It was then back across the bridge and back to the hotel for the night.

Day 9 - July 4, 2010

What a day... very busy and exciting yet there's that lingering sadness knowing that we had to leave the next morning aka my birthday. To start the day we went to Fort Stevens State Park. This fort is from WWII. We didn't pay for the tour or drive through the entire park, but what we did see was amazing. We looked in the museum of uniforms and small model of the site. It reminded me of the little town in the movie Beetlejuice.

This was just outside the museum. I loved this jeep. Zach and I have a picture of us in it (me driving of course), but just now realized... I have no idea who's camera it's on lol apparently not mine!
The war games museum, I think... these guys were part of the site. We didn't talk to them, but the did give a performance to another tour group that we observed from back here lol
I was messing around here... pretty neat.
Steam Plant. It smelt really funny in there...
Scott...locked up
The West Battery.

Walking through the West Battery. Love this location.




LOVE THIS!






Over look into the river from behind the West Battery.

Inside an armory building we saw this board... I think Zach could use this for his tools lol
Shooting range lol

Up the sand hill. West Battery Command Station.
Looking down onto the West Battery from the Command Station.
Zach in the Command Station.
Zach doing a captain morgan impression.
just outside the command station... heading back down to the West Battery. I love these purple flowers and Zach laughed at me because I took so many images with these. He said on this shot that the rest I was taking it was only because of the flower lol But it's not entirely true...
Standing in the middle of the West Battery... Pano of it :)
We then went to this amazing shipwreck! The tides were out low giving us the chance to move in and out of the ship. This is the shipwreck of The Peter Iredale which is one of the most notable shipwrecks on the Oregon coast. It ran aground in 1906 and is just outside the Fort Stevens State Park. More info and images of the Peter Iredale below...

love.
love love.







love love love.

After returning to Astoria, we headed to the Columbia River Maritime Museum. See... Pano of the building. I love the wavy roof.
This talks about all of the ships that have been lost to the bar (the crossing from the ocean to river or river to ocean). Really hit home after visiting the shipwreck hours before this.

Check out how tall those buoys are!
Here's the history of Peter Iredale.
Contents of Peter Iredale.
Photo of what it looked like just after wrecking.
Zach playing with big guns...
Me playing on a ships wheel... so big!
Just outside of the museum, the keep this guy docked and for a small fortune you can go aboard.

A bedroom.
Dining Hall.
Kitchen. Zach loved the window because...
it connects to the living area. He says it's like a drive through and he'd order a burger from the living room and wait for (probably me) to say order up lol It is a brilliant idea. We went into the back to more bunks and the showers. I can't believe that guys would live on here for 2-3 weeks. It's so tiny.

Up on deck we checked out the captains quarters.
Just off the boat... Zach and Susan pose for a quick portrait.
Columbia River.

Coast guard boat. Crazy crazy brave men. Made us all think of the movie The Guardian with Ashton Kutcher.
Scott and Susan talked about how last year SO many ships would come through and how cool it was to watch from their window. We didn't see any until this night... Here's the sequence of it going under the bridge and out to sea.





It's the 4th of July ... we found out where the festivities would be held and headed that way. We were here by this restaurant and waited. We heard them start going off, but couldn't see them :(
So we headed over a block or two and had another issue. Still couldn't seem them too well. Here we stood next to these two girls and a guy. I figured they were all together, but after eavesdropping on their conversation (kind of hard not too, when they were basically yelling). The girls talked about their night so far and how they were out of towners, they guy told them he could be their tour guide and I thought girls, this is like those scary movies...don't do it lol but then he turns to me and says hey, that's a fancy camera haha I'm like thanks and scooted towards Zach.
So we jumped a few more blocks and we finally able to see them.
















Finale. 4th of July.

After the show ended, a crazy guy was like it's the cloud cover... that's why they couldn't shoot them high. Makes sense, but we all were like uhhh ok lets go and then we laughed it off lol

Day 10 - July 5, 2010
We woke up early so that Zach and I could pack and get ready to eat one last breakfast with Scott and Susan before we had to head to the Portland Airport. We took another bridge into Washington.
Welcome to Washington.
To Portland. Portland.
Portland Airport is in site. We were way too early and found a shopping center across from the airport. We headed into Target first and then out to lunch at Red Robin before heading to the airport. Then we were off and back home in Denver.

It was such a great trip and I miss the coast and company. Thank you Scott and Susan for a wonderful time and for inviting me on this trip and to Zachary for a wonderful birthday present and trip. I love you guys! As for the rest of you, I hope you have enjoyed the imagery. Have an amazing Labor Day!

XoXo,
Jessi

P.s. This is from a few posts again, but I'll leave you with it now.
Newport Seals.