We caravaned out to Astoria with Jan & Gary this morning. We visited the Lewis & Clark winter camp at Fort Clatsop years ago, but had not gone into town. J&G were heading to Canada via the Olympic peninsula and Vancouver Island so we went as far as the Columbia River at Astoria with them.
Astoria is an old cannery city that long ago saw its last commercial fish put in a can. It is a resort town and the heart of the shipping business in and out of the mouth of the Columbia. Atop the hill in town is a tower built to the many hundred of people who lost their lives in the river. Over 2000 ships are known to have wrecked as they "crossed the bar" of the mighty Columbia as it opens into the Pacific. We visited the site on top of a hill, the highest point around. Thus the pictures. Gary and I climbed the tower, all 175 steps and I took a few shots. It was cloudy at 9:00 a.m. so it is not stunning with color, but the sight is breath taking.
This is a worth while place to visit. It is about 90 miles from us, through some beautiful farm land and over the mountains to the ocean.
After we said farewell, Aleene and I visited the Maritime Museum, which is one of the better I have seen. We also revisited Fort Clatsop, which was rebuilt a few years ago after a fire. The visitor center is very nice and worth the trip. The fort is small. Merriweather and Bill only had 33 men and spent only 5 months there and it rained most of the time, but they sure built cozy digs.
We came back alone and J&G continued to Port Angeles, WA where they pick up a ferry to the island tomorrow morning.
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