SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO

June 8, 2013

We woke up to a gloriously beautiful day.  The picture below was taken looking south toward Cannon Beach.  There was a shipwreck of an American schooner in this area years ago and canons from the ship washed ashore there.  That's where the name came from.  The area has been been in many commercials and movies.  We were also able to see the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse much better this morning.  

Canon Beach 

 We moved the RV north a bit to just outside of Astoria, Oregon.  Astoria is a beautiful little city situated on the banks of the Columbia River where the river meets the Pacific Ocean.  The city is the oldest settlement west of the Mississippi.  On the other side of the river is Washington state.  We'll be driving over the bridge you see in the picture.  The river is a very active shipping area.  However, the entrance into the river from the ocean is extremely dangerous.  Although the river is wide, there is a very narrow navigable area within the river.  Also, the waves at the entrance of the river are huge and turbulent due to the river and ocean's confluence.  Many, many ships have gone done attempting to enter the mouth of the river.   We visited the Maritime Museum today in Astoria.  It was well worth the entrance fee.  Very interesting exhibits.

Astoria, Oregon and Columbia River

The next picture is the Astoria Column.   The Astoria Column sits at the top of the hill the city is built upon.  There are 164 steps on a winding staircase inside the tower and once you reach the top, there is a platform on the outside where you can get a 360 degree view the surrounding area.  Because it was so clear today, I was able to see Mt. St. Helens.  Steve didn't go up to the platform with me because he doesn't like heights.  It was built to recognize the early settlers and explorers of the Pacific coast.

Astoria Column

 It happens that this weekend is the annual celebration of the making of the movie "Goonies" which was filmed in the town of Astoria.  This is a photo of the "Goonies" house.   There were several other movies filmed in Astoria such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Animal House and Kindergarten Cop.

Goonies House