Astoria, Oregon

We left Mount Rainier and drove south across the state line and into Oregon. We had decided to stay a few days in the Astoria area rather than risking the wintery conditions up in northern Washington.

Located on the far northwestern tip of Oregon State, Astoria is the oldest city in Oregon and the first permanent American settlement west of the Rockies.

Astoria was named for entrepreneur and fur trader John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant and explorer who was born in 1766 in Walldorf, Electoral Palatinate (part of the Holy Roman Empire). His great-grandsons, cousins John Jacob Astor IV and William Waldorf 1st Viscount of Astor, established a hotel together in New York City which you might have heard of.

It was lunchtime when we arrived in Oregon, and we decided to stop in at the Bridgewater Bistro where I had a salmon BLT, one of the best sandwiches that I've ever had in my life.

Astoria was once the salmon and tuna cannery capital of the world. More salmon were caught in the Columbia River than in any other place on Earth. Today, it's a sleepy resort town with a population of around 10,000 residents.

We were going to be staying at the Cannery Pier Hotel.

Built 600 feet into the Columbia River on top of the original Union Fish Cannery pier, this 46-room boutique hotel offers amazing views of the river.

 

The rooms were so comfortable, with their big beds, large windows, and fireplaces, that I really had to drag myself out of the room so that we could go out on our next adventure.

The Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, located just outside of Astoria, Oregon at the mouth of the Columbia River, commemorates the historic 1804 - 1806 expedition of the Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. 

Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson after the Louisiana Purchase, the expedition aimed to explore the newly acquired western territory, establish trade, and assert federal presence before European powers could lay claim. 

The expedition reached the sea in late 1805 and built Fort Clatsop, named after the indigenous Clatsop Nation, where they spent the winter.

The original fort is no longer there, but a replica was built in 1955. Unfortunately, it burned down in 2005, and a second replica, which still stands today, was built in 2006.

The winter conditions were harsh, and there was a constant cold tension between the natives and the explorers arising from cultural misunderstandings. Nevertheless, 32 men, one woman (Sacagawea), a baby, and a dog survived throughout the winter, which they spent in extremely cold rainy winter collecting supplies, making salt and leather, and writing their maps and journals.

After touring the museum and exploring the fort, we decided to take a hike along the park's trails. 

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the weather was slightly warmer than it had been up in Washington. This made for perfect walking weather.

We walked along a trail following the river. Along the way, we stopped several times to track and log birds in our life lists! 

I was really excited about birding in the Pacific Northwest. I added more birds on this trip than I had on any other trip of my life! I was especially excited to see several Bald Eagles, America's national symbol. I was amazed at how common they were, and I got excited every time I spotted one.

After our hike, we returned to the car and drove a few minutes down the road towards the second half of the park, which is located on the beach.

It was a long walk through sand from the parking lot to the sea. The beach was wide, and the icy cold waves were rough. While it must have been an exciting moment for the expedition to finally find the coast, it's certainly not a hospitable place. It's hard to imagine the hardships that people in the past used to go through in the cause of discovery. While there are certainly things about Manifest Destiny that are problematic by today's standards, I can't help but feel proud of the tenacity and bravery of early American settlers and explorers who willingly ventured into the unknown in order to see what was out there.

We returned to the hotel that evening for a wonderful dinner at the bar and homemade chocolate chip cookies which were served in the lobby before bed.

The next morning, we took a walk along the river, stopping in at the local Maritime Memorial.

Astoria had a high population of Finnish immigrants, and the memorial was built on the coast just outside of Suomi Hall.

We even found a Korpela, who could possibly have been a distant relative of my dad and me.

Our trip to the Pacific Northwest was drawing to a close, but it had been one of the best visits home I have ever had. I really enjoyed spending time with my parents and getting to explore a part of the country that I had never seen before.

Now, it was time to fly back to Texas for the second part of my visit to the US to begin.