Sunday, July 20th
Our
first stop today was at the Astoria Column in Astoria. The Column is a monumental
landmark and sits high atop Coxcomb
Hill. It was dedicated in 1926 as a symbol of westward expansion, grit and determination. It
is awesome and beautiful as it sits and overlooks the mouth of the Columbia River.
The outside spiral frieze depicts 14
significant events in the early history of Oregon as well as 18 scenes from the
history of the region. 164 steps inside
the column spiral up and puts you atop the column where you can look out in any
direction. The gift shop sells little
wooden airplanes that you can take up and let fly. A fun little adventure for the young and old
alike.
Next stop was Fort Clatsop and
the Lewis and Clark Museum. Ft Clatsop
was a replica of a typical fort, and it only took Lewis & Clark and their entourage three weeks to build. It was here on the mouth of the Columbia River in November 1805 that they reached the Pacific Northwest. They were so excited to reach what they thought was the Pacific Ocean. They exclaimed, "Ocian in view, O! the Joy..."
They were the first recorded European Americans to reach it by land. They wintered here in 1805-1806, and then headed back across the country to St. Louis. We enjoyed our time at the fort and museum. They really told the story.
After our time with Lewis & Clark and Sacajawea (a cherished hero of Melba Jean's), we headed to Cannon Beach. It was a can't miss stop as one of the supposed most picturesque destinations on the Oregon Coast. Our friend, Leslie Brady, from the 2024 World Cruise grew up in Oregon, and this was a beloved spot for her. It was a beautiful area ... touristy, yes, but quaint and lovely shops and eateries dotted the beautiful street. Leslie recommended particularly Cannon Beach Bakery which has been in business for 80 years! And Bruce's Candy Kitchen was another must see (since 1963). We stopped at both. Watched them make taffy at Bruce's - There were so many flavors to choose from, Vi got some Marionberry taffy and LeRoy got some chocolate toffee. Yum! Sprinkle a fabulous bookstore into the mix, and Vi's day was made! Fun fact: Marionberries were developed at Oregon State. They are a cross between blackberry and raspberry.
We will definitely come back here, but time to move on to see the famous Haystack Rock. It is the third tallest seashore formation in Oregon. It is just what you would imagine!
We didn't have time to go down on the beach, but we saw it from up above. So majestic. The people on the beach looked like ants next to it.
It was a Sunday, so lots of people (locals and tourists alike) were at our next stop. Tillamook Creamery! The parking lot was like Disney World! It's a big place. The line to get ice cream was very long, so Vi ran straight for it, while LeRoy took the 30 minute tour. Let's just say, it took us the same amount of time! LeRoy came back with samples of cheese, and Vi had a "flight" of ice cream!!!! Yum!
Marionberry, Caramel Toffee Stripe and Strawberry! It was a fun and delicious place. Next time, we are going on a weekday!
Fortified with ice cream, we kept going on down the coast on our way to Florence for the night. There were "pullovers" every mile. So many picturesque views. We stopped at one and walked down to the beach. It was so rocky, and different than our beaches on the Gulf.
Two of our last pullovers for the day afforded us glimpses of Cleft of the Rock Lighthouse and then on down to Cape Perpetua.
It was a very full day as we pulled into Florence. We did some bathtub laundry tonight at the Quality Inn, ate some Taco Bell, and called it a day. Looking forward to tomorrow as we are setting a course for the Siuslaw National Forest and the infamous Oregon Sand Dunes. See you there.
Vi and LeRoy
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