Astoria is nicknamed the San Francisco of the Northwest, and it is well named because much of the town is build on the side of steep hills. Atop one of the hills is the Astoria Column. From the parking lot or from the top of the column the views are magnificent.
Similar to San Francisco, trolleys ran along the coast during the day.
We were also fortunate enough to purchase fresh salmon right off the boat. The next evening Sandy, Bettie, and Rick prepared an outstanding dinner that was an epicurean delight.
The Maritime Museum was probably the most interesting place that we visited. The displays showed the life of a fishing village when Astoria was one of the largest canneries of salmon. It also explained the dangers that were faced on a daily basis by those who ventured out of the Columbia River into the Pacific. They had to cross the bar which has claimed hundreds of lives. After touring the museum we boarded the Columbia that was "light ship" that warned ships as they traveled to the river.
