So we go back to the Oregon coast at Astoria. Astoria is where the Columbia River meets the sea, and this is where Lewis and Clark ended their amazing journey across the continent. We wanted to visit this place since we had been to their starting place at St. Louis, Missouri, last year. We checked into the Fort Stevens State Park on the peninsula near Warrenton (see Map). Our campsite is nestled among stately Sitka Spruce trees. The park includes most of the beach area around the peninsula and is very accessible, including being able to drive on the beach is some areas (we were surprised at this). We encountered the following at one area of the beach. It seems an infantry company was conducting a live fire exercise further down. The statue below represents Lewis and Clark near the water's edge at the 'end of the trail' after an arduous journey of about 18 months. What a moment that must have been. Our exploration of the area began with Fort Clatsop, the winter encampment of Lewis and Clark. They arrived in the area in November of 1905, and by the end of December, had constructed this small fort to spend the winter. There was a total of 33 in their party. This fort is a scale replica of the original and probably more painstakingly constructed. A group of 3 men were sent to set up camp close to the coast and to boil sea water to extract the salt. Salt was needed for the return trip to cure meat and for seasoning. It took 2 months to acquire the required 4 bushels of salt. Driving around Astoria we discovered that they has very steep streets much like San Francisco. Below is the most elaborate of several Victorian homes in the town. This is the Flavel house, built in 1886. Flavel was a prominent businessman and river pilot. We also discovered the Astoria Tower, constructed around 1929. The outside is decorated with a spiral mural depicting scenes of Lewis and Clark's journey. There are 164 steps to reach the top. The view from the top is, of course, spectacular. According to locals, this was the first clear day they have had in awhile, so we were fortunate. Mary Lou was thrilled to be able to see Mt. Ranier and Mt. St. Helens in the distance. The next day was dreary again. Astoria is a major deep-water port. On this day a cruise ship was in port, and of course, logs are a major export. The cruise ship docks where the logs are. We saw many of these on the roads. The ship departs past our vantage point at the tip of the State Park. And so we depart the Pacific Ocean for the last time. (The shipwreck was grounded here in 1906.) We will spend time in the Seattle area and then head east and south. Stay tuned.
2 Comments
|
Who Are We?
Chuck and Mary Lou have been traveling in their RV since 2002 and have lately been taking longer, extended trips. This is our way to share our experiences. Trip Reports
All
|