Thursday, August 28, 2008

Astoria & Fort Clatsup

Mom decided to join me for part of my journey down the Pacific Coast Highway so after loading up the car with all the essential items needed for the journey, we were off! We meandered through Washington - stopping wherever the spirit led. We made it to the Megler-Astoria bridge which is the gateway from Washington to Oregon and it was the final piece that connected the 101 from Canada to Mexico. It was an impressive bridge - and our destination for today was just on the other side - Astoria, Oregon.

We checked in at our PEO Bed & Breakfast. It's really neat to be part of something that connects women around the country like family. Nancy was a wonderful host and even gave us each our own room - which was not expected! She informed us that the beach near her house is considered a highway and you can drive on it. That was all I needed to hear to make that our first stop.
Driving down the coast is one thing - but driving ON THE BEACH is a totally different experience. I loved it!! I would have kept going but mom had an agenda.

Our first stop in Astoria was Fort Clatsup. It was built by Lewis & Clark to survive the winter before making the trek back to St. Louis. Someday it would be fun to do a trip following the Lewis & Clark trail from St. Louis to Fort Clatsup.


We drove around town until we found the Astoria Column which sits high up on the hill overlooking the valley. The views are incredible - even with the fog which seems to be pretty constant in this part of the country.

We were almost ready to call it a day when we passed a sign for Fort Stevens. Not having a clue what it was, we decided to check it out. We saw the remains of a shipwreck from 1906 that is still visible on the beach and along the road we came across three beautiful elk - just having supper! They were awesome! Thankfully, no other cars were on the road and we sat and watched them for a good five minutes. They kept looking at us like we might be a good side dish but then kept on eating the vegetation. Whew!

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