Friday midday, after securing the last available ($$$) room in Seaside, we drove up to Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, about five miles south of Astoria. Our first stop was at Fort Clatsop where Meriwether Lewis and William Clark spent the winter of 1805-06. The Corps of Discovery was an expedition sent out by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the Missouri River and establish the most direct water route to the Pacific Ocean.
We explored the Fort exhibit and visitor center and watched an orientation film titled "A Clatsop Winter Tale". The Corps saw only six days of sun during their Fort Clatsop stay, sure glad our day was sunny.
On a tall hill in the heart of downtown Astoria sits the Astoria Column. Erected in 1926 to commemorate the exploration and settlement of the Pacific Northwest. This concrete column at 125 feet tall stands high above the Columbia River. The 164 step spiral staircase takes you to a 360 degree panoramic view. Vincent Astor, great grandson of John Jacob Astor, along with the Great Northern Railroad, commissioned this monument.
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| View from the top of the Astoria Column |
The wreck of the Peter Iredale at Fort Stevens State Park is a 278 foot sailing vessel that ran aground in 1906. This is one of over 2,000 ship wrecks at the treacherous mouth of the Columbia River.
The Columbia River Maritime Museum is located in downtown Astoria, right on the Columbia River. The museum focuses on exploration, salmon fishing, the shipping industry and the Coast Guard.
We saw many historic Coast Guard and fishing vessels. Galleries highlight fur trading, fishing on the Columbia, and discuss the Columbia's reputation as the graveyard of the Pacific.We also explored the
Lightship Columbia, the last seagoing lighthouse to serve on the west coast. A lightship is a floating lighthouse that remains anchored in one place to mark the entrance of a dangerous river. This Lightship was in service from 1951 to 1979. We really enjoyed this museum spending an entire morning there.
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