At least it wasn't raining...yet.
That isn't the best way to start a blog but it is the most accurate. And it's not that I'm complaining. Heck, I knew it would be rainy when I made the plans. No, I'm just observing. Besides, we'd already resolved that we would just work around the rain and still have a good time.
We're from Seattle after all. We deal.
Rise and shine early!! Ah, old people!! You're such wacky folks!!
We really didn't have a plan...
That isn't the best way to start a blog but it is the most accurate. And it's not that I'm complaining. Heck, I knew it would be rainy when I made the plans. No, I'm just observing. Besides, we'd already resolved that we would just work around the rain and still have a good time.
We're from Seattle after all. We deal.
Rise and shine early!! Ah, old people!! You're such wacky folks!!
We really didn't have a plan...
CB
Of course!! It was de rigueur...at least on my Dance Card it was.
It promised to be a cloudy and damp day. Clouds rolling over the coastal hills in Washington.
Just because I can.
I can track movement now with the new camera and the viewfinder. Ahhh, it's a great feeling. I still need to practice...Duh...but I now have the opportunity. No more cursing and fussing because I couldn't find the eagle or osprey on the screen of the old camera.
We sorta had an idea of what we'd do for the day. When we checked in, they gave us this Astoria Museums Adventure Pass!!
Hahaha, I had sorta poo-pooed the idea but thinking about the impending rain and all made these just a bit more attractive.
And it was free!!
First stop was this monument dedicated to "Soldiers of Great War of Clatsop County". It was dedicated in 1926.
What's unique about this monument is that...
...these are the only public restrooms listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Yeah, that's right!! Hahaha, when they constructed the monument they put in restrooms underneath the pedestal holding the Doughboy.
Oh, those crazy Oldies. They were respectful AND utilitarian!!
Oh, and I availed myself of the facilities. How many of you can say you've used the only restrooms listed on the National Register of Historic Places?
Hahaha, that's what I thought!!
People up here in the Great American Pacific Northwest seem to like their murals. At least it seems I've seen more of them in the area than I've ever noticed before. There were not many in Hell Paso that I remember.
This one, which was across the street from the Great War Monument, represents the Butterfly Fleet. What's the Butterfly Fleet? The Scandinavians who came to America to fish developed a culture known as the "Butterfly Fleet" of which Astoria, Oregon, was the thriving base.
This mural depicts the Butterfly Fleet and their amazing sails that looked like wings. At one time there were 2,500 of these boats in the coastal waters but the Maritime Museum can't find a single one remaining.
The mural was painted by a local artist, Dorothy Danielson, on the side of the Wauna Credit Union building. If you're interested, there is a book titled The Butterfly Fleet on Amazon.
Less than a half mile down the road was the Visitor's Center for Astoria. Pretty nice, eh? They're going to be remodeling the whole thing soon. Oh, Warrenton, that's the city just across Young's Bay to the west of Astoria. They're like Sister Cities I guess.
Very nice. I got some good postcards here from this...
...friendly and informative Lady.
Hahaha, it's fun to watch the reactions of folks when I ask if I can get a picture for my blog. I don't suppose they get a lot of requests like that. Their reactions go from surprise to suspicion to skepticism and finally to denial...Oh, you don't want my picture!!
Most folks agree and let us take their picture but there are a couple who suspect some kind of foul play and won't agree. Hahahaha, I don't blame them as there are lots of disgusting, vile and reprehensible Gutter-Snipes out there. Lots of them.
I think I'm gonna get some business cards with my phone number and e-mail address on it. I've learned that if you appear legit, like with a BUSINESS CARD then folks lighten up a little bit.
Plus it helps to have Carol there ready to explain what the picture is for...i.e. the Blog.
Oh, we do have ourselves some great fun!!
But this Lady was very informative and even gave me a free poster. And she loved bragging about the Visitor's Center and telling us all about the upcoming renovations.
OK, we got our bearings, our postcards and a CD for a guided tour around Astoria and we were off!!
Woo-Woo!! First stop was downtown!!
Crossing one of the streets we looked up the neighborhood streets. I wonder how they do with snow and sleet? I guess they're used to it by now, right?
And I was able to get this shot of one of the beautiful homes built overlooking the City. Pretty nice!!
Here we are, Beautiful Downtown Astoria. Looking east up Commercial Street towards the old Astor Hotel down on the right.
I have a thing for Small-Town America and I especially like their Main Streets...even when they mistakenly call them Commercial Street like they did in Astoria.
I forgive and then I enjoy.
We walked up the left side of the street and, in quick order, came upon a whimsical and probably high bookstore.
I was intrigued by their door seen here from the inside looking out. And the door delivered...this was a shop of surprises. Not the least was that they had an Espresso Cafe inside with a couple of the locals gathered round and discussing current events...such as the vote to legalize Marijuana in Oregon. Let's just say, from the little I overheard, the locals, at least in this Cafe, were totally in favor of the new law and regretted, hardily, that it had taken so long to come about.
Hahaha, I even overheard several recommendations to amending the law to accommodate the people better.
I found this over the Cafe bar...I remember Fearless Fosdick!! And, to give away my age, I even remember Wildroot Cream-Oil. Hahaha, never worked for me. I used Tres Roses Pomade to hold down my unruly mop. Back when I had a mop that is.
After a bit, the 'regulars' wandered off...I strongly suspect at least one of them was one of our Valued Homeless but I'm just guessing here based on his apparel and the large plastic bag he was carrying. Anyway, I came over and got a shot of the bar and part of the bookstore.
Look up!! They don't waste any space while decorating.
Here's a closer shot of the ceiling.
I wonder at how these small used book stores come up with some of the titles they have. Course, this is Oregon, home of the Animal House, so I guess I'm not too surprised.
I bet these were interesting reading.
What a crazy shop. I could see coming back here and spending some time...and money.
All you need is love...
And, when that doesn't work, an M-60 definitely helps.
I checked out this company and they're out of Hong Kong. They have a lot of model kits...some of the WWII German Army and so on. They do all the wars, I guess.
Lots of fun. I could stay here for a while but...other adventures were calling and I think I was starting to get a bit high from the air in the store.
Hmmmmm....
Like all Small-Town America Main Streets, they have their share of stately old buildings...with the first owner's name memorialized on it.
Oh, if they could only see what their prized buildings were being used for today.
They'd be amazed...and not a bit amused.
There's a large artist community here...as you might expect. One of the store windows sharing the local art for sale.
Carol liked this one.
Me? The jury is still out but I am thinking the verdict will be guilty.
Now this one I like. Hahaha, looks like my arm...minus the tattoos of course.
I just don't know how I would display it.
Art Store Window Reflected Selfie!!
We're shameless and we both know it.
Hahahaha, so you'll just have to endure these little jaunts into nonsense.
Some more art...and glass. Seems glass is big all over the Great American Pacific Northwest.
Me? I don't see all the fuss.
Now this, this is art!!
The Liberty Theater, in the heart of downtown Astoria, was designed to transport you to a Venetian Palace and is one of Oregon's best examples of a 1920s vaudeville-motion picture palace.
It was built around 1924...Interesting fact, most of downtown Astoria burned down in 1923 and that's why the majority of the fine old buildings all date from 1924-26 time frame.
Here's the theater back in its heyday.
Here's a closer view of the ticket stand. Inside is a shelf and a stool.
Hahaha, it wasn't all that difficult to take your dime and hand you a ticket now, was it!?!
It might be Small-Town America but its port hosts ships from around the world. Crossing the street, we looked to the left and saw...
Ah, those crazy Oregonians...they love their Java as much as those crazy Seattleites.
The Rusty Cup...
Hmmmmm, no Cheeseburgers or Fries?
Oh!! See the lavender Adirondack chair?
Keep it in mind. More later.
How cool is this!!
How much more Small-Town America can you get than to have a small storefront J.C.Penny's on your Main Street!?! And they had a small Sears Store just one street over.
Mylar Reflected Window Selfie!!
Hahaha, who could pass up a HUGE store window covered in mylar with great reflections!?!
Obviously not us.
Walking along, we saw, unfortunately, some Christmas decorations already.
Not unfortunate because they're Christmas decorations, but because it's too doggone early for them. We just got past Halloween and those decorations are still, somewhat, hanging around. Next up should be decorations for Thanksgiving and then put up the Christmas Decorations.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
'Nuff said.
We passed a small alley and Carol noticed these footprints embedded into the cement. Don't know why but I do know this is one mighty big man...look at the distance between each step!!
Hahaha, again, those cray-cray Oregonians!!
Up a side street was this engaging scene. Two locals animatedly talking while walking in the rain.
Some great architecture.
I only took three out of 12 or so windows, but I was thinking of the stories behind them as I shot these pictures.
Each window has a different life and history.
I thought it was kinda cool.
Something else that is cool are the trash cans in Astoria. They're all like this!!
An apporpriate homage to their fishing and canning past.
This was an interesting picture for two reasons...#1 are all the balls in the window!! Crazy, right!?! I expected to see Sheldon popping up yelling, "Bazinga!!"
OK and reason #2...can you see it? Look real close at the picture.
Haha, it's the phone booth!!
No phone in it but it's still there.
Don't ask.
I don't know.
Oh, and it's not the only phone booth we saw in Astoria.
Some of the old advertisements on the sides of the buildings. I'm beginning to develop a special affection for these old adverts to get you into their stores.
From the downtown, we had to find a necessary...quick. Hey!! I'm an old man.
'Nuff said.
Rear View Mirror Selfie!!
And, no, I wasn't driving when I got this Selfie.
So we headed to the local McDonald's and some relief.
And a large DC along with some Sausage Biscuits por moi!!
I mention all this to lead up to this picture.
We saw this fellow when we arrived and when we left. There were a number of folks that we, given their plastic bags, used clothing, appearance and distinct aroma, felt might be members of the Valued Homeless society. I don't know if this guy is one of them; he had his laptop open and was working on...something. This just struck us as odd. Other members of the Valued Homeless came over to conversate with him, too. Then, when we stopped in at this Mickey D's the day we left...again for the necessary if you must know...this guy was there with his laptop in the same place. He'd simply traded out the used briefcase by his chair for a large plastic bag.
"That's a mighty big piece of wood, there, Ma'am."
This Mighty Douglas Fir was cut down in 1917 and has decorated the front of the County Courthouse ever since.
From the Courthouse we walked on over to the Flavel House.
This is one of the best preserved examples of Queen Anne architecture in the Northwest. The house was built in 1884-85 for Captain George Flavel and his family. The Captain, who made his fortune as a river bar pilot and through his real estate investments, built the Flavel House as his retirement home at the age of 62. It's been restored to reflect the elegance of the Victorian period.
There were loads of birds around the house and I was lucky enough to get these pictures of two Scrub Jays.
Yep!! We were there bright and early and ready for the tour but...
...we should have read the small print.
We were there at 1030 and it didn't open until 1100.
No problem...we could use the time constructively.
Carol looking out from the front porch of the house.
Built after the Great Fire of 1923, the Labor Temple building was completed in late 1924. Dedicated in 1925, it served as home to unions represented by the Astoria Labor Council. The Labor Temple building is the oldest union hall in the Pacific Northwest built specifically as a union hall. It is one of only two in Oregon.
Today the Cafe hops with karaoke, pool, live shows and other hi-jinks!!
We walked around a bit and saw this Four-Plex. What a neat house, eh? There are four doors in the center of the building and we figure the inner two must go to the upstairs apartments while the outer two are for the downstairs apartments.
There were a lot of Craftsmen homes built in this area back then.
Yet the city has a unique flavor.
We wandered around and then stopped by the Oregon Film Museum housed in the old County Jail.
It was a lot better than I thought it would be. Evidently, they used part of the jail in the movie Goonies, and so it kinda made sense to put the Film Museum here.
It's a bit crowded, though.
Here's part of the original cells. Housed in the back, you had to go through the gated doorway to get back here.
They didn't worry about comfort back then. There were four cots in each cell. The other side looked just like the one you can see. Four cots...and a small walkway between them. If you needed to use the Necessary, the guard had to open the cell door and escort you to the single, open toilet in the rear of the jail. One toilet for everyone.
Here's the hallway between the two halves of the jail. The other side, behind the wall on the right, was just like this one. The cells have been removed to accommodate the exhibits for the museum.
Women and children were housed in cells upstairs. We couldn't go up there but, like the ones downstairs, they, too, had one toilet, though, hopefully, fewer occupants.
The homes of the respectable families on the hillsides overlooked the waterfront streets of Astor and Bond, known as "Swilltown". The notorious shanghaier and killer, Joseph "Bunco" Kelly called Astoria the wickedest city in the world. He wasn't the only one as this article in the January 1, 1882 Sunday Oregonian claimed:
"Astoria affords every opportunity and allurement (sic) of vice in its lowest forms, and on Saturday night the town fairly howls. During the fishing season it is perhaps the most wicked place on earth for its population."
Who said the Oldies were dull!?!
Ah, Prohibition. Here's a couple of entrepreneurs arrested for a little home-operated business.
And this one. Obviously a real felon!!
And this fat, old rascal!!
Obviously the city is better with him off the streets!!
There were a huge number of films shot in and around Orgeon.
Goonies, of course but also Kindergarten Cop was shot in parts of Astoria. Animal House and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest were also filmed in Oregon.
Some props you can use in the short film you can make in the museum.
You can even drive a truck...there's one of those green screens behind the cab so the background changes.
Hahaha, a star is born!!
The jail and museum were more interesting than I had thought they would be. Well worth stopping by.
But let's get back to the main attraction...The Flavel House!!
We presented ourselves and produced our ticket and...were politely told we'd have to go to the Carriage House and get our Calling Card before we could come in.
OooooooooKay!!
Off we went around the yard...
...to the Carriage House for our Calling Card.
Plus a gift shop...
And an interesting 12-minute video about George and his family.
He was an interesting character. From Bar Pilot to Real Estate Magnate.
Here's the many faces of George...
He built the house for his retirement and only lived seven years after it was completed.
He was, by all accounts, a generous and giving man. He even bought the fire engine for the Astoria Fire Department.
His son was a bit of a lout until his father arranged for him to be shanghaied and forced to work his way back home. When he got back he was a changed man. He promptly married and had two children and a successful business career.
A little bit of Tough Love, eh!!
The Captain's two daughters never married. Accomplished musicians, they weren't wallflowers according to the social records of that time. They shopped for clothes in New York and San Francisco and traveled extensively.
But always they came home to the Flavel House.
What a life they must have led. The Carriage House had some interesting exhibits like this sleigh. What a kick it must have been to go riding around in this one-horse open sleigh.
The craftsmanship is amazing.
The only thing I wonder about is how well it did going up and down some of the hills in the city.
One last stop in the gift shop and then we were off to the main house.
A view of the main house from the Carriage House. Nice yard. Oh, look close and you can see the 9-ft doors the Captain had put in...everywhere.
Then we saw these two from the front porch. A Robin and a Cedar Wax-Wing.
How cool is that!?!
OK, I have around 200 pictures of the inside of the house and, as you well know, no measurable ability to self-edit.
So I'll try and keep them just to he ones I want you to see.
Part of the Formal Parlor. Used only for entertaining, it was usually closed off and the furniture covered with sheets.
More of the Formal Parlor.
One of the nice things about this exhibit was that you could walk throughout the house. Few areas were roped off like in other museums.
A detail of the ceiling mount for the lamp. When this was first built, the lamps were all gas. You had to turn on the individual spigot and then light each one.
The turret just off the Formal Parlor.
Everything was crafted by hand...before they had electric anything.
Amazing.
This was part of the sliding doors, or Pocket Doors, separating the Formal Parlor from the Library.
Across the hall was the Music Room.
The girls were both musically inclined.
The Library.
Most of the day-to-day living took place in this room. The two rooms, the Formal Parlor and the Library were connected by the Pocket Doors.
The fireplace...it was duplicated in the Captain's bedroom which is directly above the Library.
The door between the Formal Parlor and the Library.
On the other side of the house, just off the Dining Room, is this sun room for breakfast.
Ah, tough living, this.
The Dining Room. Look at the border on the wall near the ceiling.
This is cool but what's even cooler is that they didn't have to set the table, cook the food or clean up after!!
Hahahaha, my idea of heaven on earth!!
Some of the original Fine China.
These pieces were probably shipped via boat around the Horn to get here.
Dining Room Mirror Selfie!!
Hahaha, I had to call Carol back to get this picture!! And then I didn't let it focus.
It's an illness.
The kitchen. Carol doesn't think the table in the center is original. She thinks there would have to be a large work area in order to make all the food for the family. I agree with her. That table is way too small.
Hahaha, go cut some wood for the fire!! Thank goodness for modern amenities!!
The Captain had all the latest innovations installed in his home including indoor plumbing. The spigots are on the upper left of this picture.
A toaster and other time-saving kitchen utensils.
Again, thank goodness for electricity and modern science!!
The washing machine.
'Nuff said.
And, the Ice Box. Ice would be put on the bottom shelf to keep the food cool.
My Mom's job, when she was a little girl, was to take out the drip pan underneath the Ice Box and empty it...everyday.
Hahaha, I grew up calling the fridge the "Ice Box" because of my Mom and Dad. You don't hear that term anymore.
And, the downstairs loo.
I mentioned that the Captain had all the latest installed and this was one of them. No trips to the outdoor privy for these guys.
I don't know about the sewage, but they did do their business indoors on these Wooden Wonders. This beauty is set just off the kitchen.
We noticed a big difference between the finishes from the family's area and the rooms used by the servants. The back stair well, for instance, isn't done in the detail of the front.
Here's a detail of a door in the servants area. Can you see all the knicks, gouges and scars put in by a servant, probably with their hands full of something, trying to get the skeleton key into the hole? Probably in the dark, too.
A little reminder of life.
Hahaha, do you remember these!?! I sure do. I imagine this was put in much later, probably in the 20s.
Here's the Captain's bedroom. He died in that bed in 1893, of pneumonia. I've mentioned that he had all the new, modern conveniences...see the sink? He had those installed WITH hot and cold water.
His desk.
And here's his wife's bedroom. She and the Captain were married when she was 14. She would outlive him by 35 years.
She also had the turret room for her use.
Hey, I'd have put my bed in here...what a view!!
The upstairs hallway separating Mom and Dad's rooms from the girls. If you look down to the end of the hallway, you'll see the two-seater. More later.
This is Nellie's room. She was the oldest of the two girls.
And this was Kate's room.
I guess they had a thing for dying in their own beds as Kate passed away in this bed from a neurological disorder when in her early 40s.
In addition to these four bedrooms there were two more bedrooms upstairs, one for guests and one set up like a playroom.
There's over 11,000 feet of living space in this house.
Wowsers!!
And they had a two-seater, too!! Now that's convenient!!
And here's the view if you are sitting on the Wooden Throne. You could easily monitor all the goings on in the hallway from your...uh, perch.
I guess you learned to knock before entering.
Here's the servant's staircase. The house had three floors and some folks believe the open third floor was suppose to be a ballroom but most discount that. Regardless, the third floor was never finished and never used.
Pretty nice work on this staircase, eh?
What a kick!! And all hand-made or with machines that did NOT run on electricity. What Craftsmen they were.
See the gas light on the wall?
Here's the view coming to the main floor. Remember, these are the servants stairs and so the pantry there is for them to store the regular dishes and such near the dining room...just to the right. To the left in this picture are the main stairs the family used. The floors in this part of the house weren't as well cared for and show the wear and tear more than the others. Also, the wood wasn't finished as well as the ones in the other parts of the house.
See the hanging gas lamp? All those glass globes had to be taken off and washed on a regular basis. And each lamp required you turning the gas on and then lighting them. It was better than candles and kerosene lanterns but still a far cry from the "clap-ons" we enjoy today.
Looking into the Dining Room from the main hall. Look at the moldings around the door. Oh, and the nine-foot doors. Beyond the table is the alcove with the table set for breakfast or tea.
A clock in the main hall.
This is the original transom glass over the front door. The Captain knew his ships.
Infinity Hallway Mirror Selfie!!
Who could resist a selfie with a 130-year old hallway mirror. Obviously not me.
Like most Victorian homes, the wall hangings, mirrors and pictures, were hung with a wire in the back so they 'leaned' forward from the wall.
We really enjoyed touring the Flavel House. It was well worth the time.
Afterwards we headed back to the Mini via the Courthouse. Past the old jail and current Film Museum.
And into the Clatsop County Courthouse which was built in 1908. They must have had a sale on marble that year.
And we refreshed ourselves and satisfied our chocolate cravings with this handy dispenser.
Now we know where Bambi's Dad got off to.
A long view of the first floor of the Courthouse.
And this!! It is on the entryway wall on the right in the picture above.
This plaque was cast with metal recovered from the U.S.S. Maine.
Cool!!
Here's the front of the U.S. Post Office and Custom House in Astoria. It was built in 1933 and is on the National Registry of Historic Places.
They had style back then.
The bridge dominates the city scape. It's everywhere, really.
We headed back downtown towards the next top in our trifecta of museums...The Heritage Museum in the old City Hall building.
When we parked, I had to make sure I was positioned correctly. After getting the stupid parking ticket in Tacoma, I've been very wary about where I park.
Stupid waste of $45. And a prime reason I haven't been back to Tacoma to spend any of my bucks since then. I know, I bet they're really regretting what they did now.
Hahahaha, not!!
Oh, I bet it's ever so interesting after a winter freeze to drive on these streets. Haha, I'd walk instead if I weren't afraid of slipping and landing on my rather large posterior. Ah, the choices we're forced to make.
Here's the old City Hall and the current Heritage Museum.
It served as the City Hall until 1939 when the City Hall was relocated downtown Astoria. This one was just too far away from the heartbeat of the city.
Back in the glory days.
In 1940, the abandoned building was given to the USO and used to host dances and such during WWII. The USO left the building in1960 and it was used for a time as the Maritime Museum and then became the Heritage Museum.
OK, I admit to my ignorance and inability to connect the dots. I was almost through with the whole museum which, oddly to me, featured a lot of exhibits of John Jacob Astor and his fur company as shown in part by the picture below. I had even been to old Fort Astoria which was established in 1811 by traders from Astor's fur company on what is now the city of Astoria.
After all that...all the exhibits, the fort, after all that Carol still had to tell me the city was named after John Jacob.
Duh!!!
Well I don't claim to know everything and that is just another example of the truth of that.
But I now know where it was that Clark Gable got his start in acting. Seems he'd come to Astoria in 1922 with his then girlfriend who was acting in a theater. One of the guys came down sick and she suggested her boyfriend take his part and...the rest is film history.
You already know Astoria was one wicked bad city...back in the day, and here's some of the objects used by the locals. The small derringer was used by one of the Ladies of the Night. She'd cut off the trigger guard and the front sight blade so that it would be easier to draw from her garter if she needed it.
On the right is a set of rusty brass knuckles...handy to have if you were jumped by a Press Gang crew.
And the cards and such. Oh, Astoria, you were a bad girl!!
This photo was taken around 1887. The bridge crossed a bay that has been since filled in. In fact, like Seattle, this town was destroyed by fire and then parts of it were lifted when they rebuilt.
Haha, look at the handwriting!! They could pen a name back then!!
This Swedish sea chest belonged to Captain John M. Peterson. It went with him on many journeys all over the world in the days of sailing vessels. Captain Peterson went to sea as a boy, leaving his home in Sweden in the 1870s.
I don't know if I could use this to save money. It's kinda scary.
Carol looking quite at home in a restored bar from Astoria's tempestuous youth.
I wonder how many lives were ruined on this Bad Boy.
Talk about a real Wheel of Fortune.
One of the homes across from the Old City Hall.
They really have a thing for color there.
On our way to the Astoria Column, we passed the local high school, Astoria High School, Home of the Fighting Fisherman!!
Love that name!!
We are the Fishermen,
and we couldn't be prouder
If you don't believe us,
We'll yell a bit louder!!
And, always the neat homes...all built on hills.
It's funny, in South America the rich build their homes on the flat ground and the poor on the hills and in North America they do it the exact opposite.
People are strange.
On the way up to the Column.
It's a long and winding road...
But you do get there...eventually.
Amused, I looked up and there were a bunch of kids up on the top of the column. My first thought that these Merry Pranksters had brought this one plane along and thrown it off so I yelled up asking them if they had thrown it. I really didn't know where it came from.
I got no response.
Then I looked over at Carol and she had these and there were more in the air sailing down from the top of the column.
There was a group of school kids from Waldorf, Germany visiting and they were given these balsa wood gliders. The Visitor's Center sells them for a $1 each.
They had a guy from the school collecting them up as they sailed down from the column and he was taking them back to the center. Seems they gave him X number of gliders and charged him the $1 for each one that wasn't returned.
Haha, neat. Nice way to make some money and have some fun.
OK, did you catch it?
The German kids are from the Sister City in Germany, Waldorf.
They're visiting their Sister City in the U.S., Astoria.
Put the two together.
Aha, now you got it.
Cute, eh!?!
The Astoria Column is a tower overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River on Coxcomb Hill. Built in 1926, the concrete and steel structure is part of a 30-acre city park. It's 125-feet high and has 164-steps in a spiral staircase ascending to an observation deck at the top.
Here's a view of the Columbia River.
The city and the bridge.
Looking a bit more to the west you can see more of Astoria and the peninsula with Fort Stevens and Warrantor in the distance beyond Youngs Bay.
The mountains to the east of Astoria.
Here's where the Lewis & Clark River, on the right, and Youngs River, on the left, come together and flow into Youngs Bay and then feed into the Columbia River.
The countryside around the rivers.
A map showing points that can be seen from the hill, or the column if you want to climb it.
The Youngs River.
Looking across the Columbia towards the northern end of the bridge.
You can tell it was a cool day.
And what trip to anywhere would be complete without a visit to the gift shop?
Short answer - None!!
There's so much neat stuff to buy!!
Like these whimsical and entertaining yet still functional Walking Sticks!!
C'Mon!! I wannnnnnnnt one!!
These too, are functional but still decorative...ceramic tiles.
They're not bad, really.
Or this patch for your...uh...er...something.
Now these are comfortable, utilitarian and have a certain, je ne se quoi, that says comfort...and home.
So we arrived at our moment of truth. We'd delayed and wandered around as long as we could...time to man up or back down.
What the heck!! It's only 164 tiny little stairs up to the observation deck 125 feet off the ground which, by itself, is 600 feet above sea level.
You can do it!!!
Some other time.
Hahaha, we both slunk off with our tails between our legs telling ourselves it was for the better that we didn't climb it. It was getting dark. The park would close soon.
We really didn't have to.
Here's part of the spiral graffito frieze on the exterior of the structure. The mural is almost seven feet wide and 525 feet long. Painted by Electus D. Litchfield and Attilio Pusteria, the mural shows 14 significant events in the early history of Oregon.
Ah, this seems fair. You buy one parking permit and it's good for the year. I pleaded with the lady to prorate my permit because it would only be good for another two months but she was resolute. No go.
Oh, well, I tried.
On the way back, I drove by the school they used for the exteriors in Kindergarten Cop. Hahaha, Arnold ran out across this lawn to confront the kid's mother.
It's not a Tumah!!
(Hahaha. If you watched the movie you'll remember that line)
We were pooped. It was, really it was, a good decision NOT to climb that easily ascendible tower. We could have but we didn't want to tire ourselves out too much.
We drove back to the room and sacked out for a couple hours. It had been a long day.
Honest.
For dinner we tried Stephanie's Cabin.
Looked interesting.
And it were raining...a bit.
They'd been talking about a storm heading into the area in the evening. This was the first hint of what was to come.
After a quick perusal of the menu...we decided to split the Cabin Seafood Platter.
I now know I do not like oysters. I know it with all my heart. I had only suspected it before but after tonight, I knew.
Carol liked them.
Yes she did.
Looking good, Carol Anne!!
I had really just wanted Fish 'N Chips...and that was exactly, hahahaha, what I got.
It worked out well.
The only disquieting thing was that Stephanie's Cabin was...
strangely quiet.
There wasn't a lot of business there at 1800 on a rainy Wednesday evening.
They were still done up for Halloween.
Sorta looks like Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, right?
Some more conventional decorations. I could, and did, walk all over taking pictures without disturbing anyone.
Hahahaha.
After a good meal we headed back to put it in bed...
...but NOT before Ol' Eagle-Eye spotted another spider...or was it the same one back for Round Two?
Don't ask.
I don't know.
I was surprised at how busy we had been almost all day. I don't know why I thought we'd zip through the three museums and have plenty of time left over to tour around the area but...we didn't.
Regardless, we had a really fun day. I throughly liked that Flavel House. And we hadn't even touched the River Walk like I thought we would.
Nope, a busy day...just right for us.
Now we just listened to the rain come down and waited for sleep.
A good day.
Life is good.
Hooah!!
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