Corps of Discovery Trip - Day 4 - May 24, 2026

 STEPPING UP TO A DAY OF REST; DOWNTOWN MARKET; FORT CLATSOP

After yesterday’s activities, Karen suggested we take a day off from hiking. So, we drove up to the top of Coxcomb Hill this morning. The sky was blue and the sun was warm when we arrived. This is the site of the Astoria Column, built in 1926 to commemorate some of the local history. 

From this location you get a 360 view of the Columbia River, downtown Astoria, and several mountains, including Mt. St. Helens.

To get to the top of the column, you climb a spiral staircase up 164 steps to a viewing platform 125 feet above the ground. I think this was, technically, NOT a hike right? Karen didn’t hesitate at all and did a great job getting to the top. 

Among the rewards for climbing up there (aside from the obvious joy of invigorating exercise), was the opportunity to launch a small balsa wood glider from the top. It was amazing to watch how long and how far they floated in the air currents.  Along with us tourists, a pair of bald eagles watched from their perch in a nearby pine tree. Due to my acute fear of heights, I was glued to the column itself and stayed well back from the railing. Meanwhile, children down in the park were scrambling to retrieve any gliders that landed near them, so they could run back to the top and re-launch them.

Admission to the column is free, but the Friends of Astoria Column, Inc. must bring in lots of cash by charging $1 for each glider. Most people we saw had handfuls of them as they huffed and puffed their way up the staircase.

Later, while Karen rested in a comfortable chair down in the park, I took a short stroll to visit the Cathedral Tree. It’s down in a glen in the rainforest adjacent to the park at the base of the column. Once you’re in there, it’s green and shady and quiet - except for the faint barking sounds of sea lions way down the hill on the river. I also ran into a creature who seemed a long way from the University of California Santa Cruz.

On Sundays, there is a large farmer’s market in downtown Astoria and that’s where we went next. It seemed like the whole town was there enjoying the holiday weekend.

We checked out all the local products, and then drove through the very vertical neighborhoods of Astoria toward Fort Clatsop.

Just a few minutes outside town is the place where the Corps of Discovery spent the cold and miserable winter of 1805-06. The National Park Service manages a carefully reconstructed replica of Fort Clatsop. It’s hard to imagine 33 people living together for five months in a wooden stockade with a 50’ x 50’ footprint. The rooms are cramped and dark and even on a ‘warm’ day in May, the surrounding forest floor is damp and muddy. After a short visit, we decided to take the rest of the afternoon off.

After a little nap, we got a ride downtown for dinner in the hotel’s vintage 1960’s Rambler Classic.

NEXT: Hood River and the ‘Waterfall Corridor’

Corps of Discovery Trip - Day 3 - May 23, 2026

 “DO YOU KNOW WHY I PULLED YOU OVER, SIR?”; SAY ‘CHEESE’!; WALKING IN THE STEPS OF THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY 

We kept the window blinds open all night since we are right on the water. That made for a very natural awakening process in the morning, while the light filtered in and the boats began their daily routine.

Today, we drove south on Highway 101 toward Tillamook. Leaving Astoria, we immediately crossed over Youngs Bay on a long low causeway with a drawbridge in the middle. From there, the road mostly hugs the coast all the way down to Tillamook. 

When I say ‘hugs’ the coast, I also mean ‘hangs’ on the coast. This very scenic stretch of road is quite spectacular in places, with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.

The speed limit is 55 mph for much of the road between the several towns along the way. When we reached the one called Nehalem, where the Nehalem River empties into Nehalem Bay, we slowed for the downtown section and then began to leave town.

Suddenly, the rear view mirror lit up with bright flashing blue and white lights. I obediently pulled over to the right to let the law enforcement vehicle pass me in order to attend to whatever emergency lay up ahead on the road.

As I did so, the police car followed and stopped behind us. The officer walked up to our passenger side window, where he was greeted by the cheerfully smiling face of Karen. As I handed him my driver license, he leaned in and asked me if I knew why he had pulled us over. I honestly had no clue, so I told him I didn’t. He said there was a 30 mph speed limit in town, and he clocked me at 42 mph.

He asked where we’d come from and what our plans entailed. Karen explained that we were on Day 3 of a three to four week road trip. He said he’d really not want to give us a speeding ticket on Day 3, so he was going to just issue a warning (what might have happened had this been Day 33?), once he ran our information through the system. Whew!

Needless to say, I was the most observant driver out there for the remainder of the day. Speaking of observation, we couldn’t help but notice one of the premier eateries in Rockaway Beach. The Pronto Pup not only dishes up tasty hot dogs, but also provides top quality  interactive entertainment for those who are waiting to be served.

Near Garibaldi, there is a vintage railway, a cherry stand, and beautiful lagoon views.

All along the highways the past two days, rhododendrons have been in full bloom. Many of the plants have been enormous, and are quite striking in their colors, which range from pinks to reds to purples.

The Tillamook Creamery was packed with Memorial Day tourists today, and we added to their number. After a quick self-guided tour, some souvenirs, and some snacks for later, we jumped  into the car to drive back to Astoria.

Our plan was to stop at Ecola State Park to walk on one of the few trails where you can hike the same route that Lewis and Clark did in the winter of 1805-1806. Near Indian Beach the trail winds through an old growth Sitka Spruce forest above the flat sandy  beach below.

The tourist materials I read before our trip simply described it as a short hike of about 2.5 miles. That’s why Karen agreed to go on this ‘walk’. After our picnic lunch of Tillamook goodies, we grabbed our hiking poles and took off.

The forest is super lush and green, with dense groups of ferns and  other rainforest species to go along with the towering spruce trees. Due to the recent rain and misty conditions, however, the trail was muddy and slippery. Oh, and also quite steep in many places!

Karen took it all in stride (some strides easier than others), and did a great job on a challenging little hike! She stuck with it, as she clambered over fallen trees and side-stepped numerous trail hazards. It was our own Corps of Discovery walk!

We made it back safely, and drove into Astoria in time for dinner and sunset.

NEXT: Fort Clatsop and a day in Astoria 

Corps of Discovery Trip - Day 2 - May 22, 2026

 SUNSHINE START, SCOTCH BROOM SCENERY, SLUGGISH STROLL, SPA SUNSET 

It was a beautiful sunny morning when we left Everett and sailed down I-5 through downtown Seattle with hardly any heavy traffic. When we got to the State capital city of Olympia, we turned onto Highway 8 toward the west coast.

This two lane road took us through Satsop, site of a never-completed nuclear power plant, whose horizon is dominated by two enormous smokestacks (picture the Three Mile Island or China Syndrome type) high on a hill. We followed the Chehalis River along a lush and boggy valley as it flowed toward Grays Harbor. And, the sun disappeared. It got cold, breezy and a little misty.

The highway was lined with various wildflowers, including a quite colorful invasive shrub known as Scotch Broom. Apparently, it was introduced in the 19th century to help control erosion. Now, they can’t get rid of it as it continues to spread.

At the lumber town of Aberdeen (also home to the famous late grunge rocker, Kurt Cobain), we turned south on Highway 105 and hugged the west coast through the towns of Westport (we had picnic lunch at a surfers spot called Westport Light State Beach), Grayland (home to many cranberry growers - see picture of dormant cultivation bog on the corner of Turkey and Cranberry roads), and Raymond (where the Willapa River empties into Willapa Bay).

From there, we caught Highway 101 south to Cape Disappointment State Park. This headland is at the southwest corner Washington and is one of the places explored by Lewis and Clark when they reached the Pacific Ocean. We walked along a couple of trails and saw the North Head Lighthouse and some ruins of WWII-era buildings that were used as observation positions to guard the entrance to the Columbia River. I also came across a fairly good sized mollusk on one of the trails.

It was so overcast by this time, that it felt like night at 5pm. So we got back on 101 south to Astoria, OR. This meant we had to cross the Columbia River. The Megler Bridge is 4 miles long and is a spectacular way to travel across the water.

The Cannery Pier Hotel and Spa will be our home for the next few nights. We are at the base of the Megler Bridge on a pier overlooking the entrance to the Columbia River. From our room we can watch large container ships sailing by in both directions.

NEXT: Down to Tillamook and Back