Touring America 2023

Went into Astoria today to replenish our food supplies and do some wandering around town. Took the trolley along the riverwalk. Nice touch, as the docents provide a little information about the boardwalk and the area known as Cannery Row.  After a quick lunch we went to the Astoria Column. The now have small gliders for sale that you can throw off the top of the column. Great idea for the kids. Saw several deer and a fawn on the grounds. Nice views of Astoria and the surrounding areas.


This is the Astoria Column. It was built in 1926 and served as a beacon for the Pacific Northwest for over 80 years. It stands 125' tall and is built on a knoll 600 feet above the City. The viewing platform is accessed by a spiral staircase inside the structure. There are 164 steps in the stairway with several platforms spaced about every 35 stairs. These platforms are welcome as the stairway is very steep.  That's Debi and Josh waving at the top.

This is one of the many views of the shipping areas in Astoria. Here, trucks unload large timber that is loaded on ships for overseas delivery.









A bite to eat at the famous "BowPicker" fish and chips restaurant. Five pieces of fish along with a generous portion of chips for $10. It wasn't bad. Not fishy and not greasy, but not as good as some of the fish and chips we've had. IMHO, it is a little over rated, but it does have ambiance.

 Another view of the Astoria Bridge as seen from the Oregon side. The pilings in the foreground are from a long ago cannery that was destroyed in a storm many years ago.  The pilings are not removed as they are still serviceable in the event they decide to build another structure there. The placement of the pilings are a story in itself.






This trolley runs along the river walk adjacent to Cannery Row. About 50 years ago, this area was a main shipping port for fisheries in the area. As the fisheries played out, the area became more of a tourist attraction as the canneries found places like San Francisco and Seattle more economical for shipping purposes.




The trolley was originally from San Antonio, Texas where it was decommissioned a long time ago. It lay abandoned in a storage yard until it was discovered by the City of Astoria. After negotiations, the trolley was shipped to Astoria for reconstruction. SA leased it to the City of Astoria for $1/yr. However, after it's rebuild, SA decided they wanted it back. After months of negotiations, the City of Astoria bought the trolley for $50,000. Today, it is maintained and run completely by volunteers. Here's Debi and Josh enjoying the ride.