Viator Viator Travel Blog

Editor’s Note: John Chilson blogs about mid-century Oregon history at Lost Oregon. Read John’s previous post about the best doughnuts in Portland.

Lewis and Clark couldn’t wait to high-tail it out of the area back in 1806 when they set up their winter camp near Astoria. Then again, they didn’t hang around until spring when the flowers bloom, the sun shines, and the Columbia River glistens and shines. At least it did the weekend we visited. If you want a quick getaway to the Oregon coast at an affordable price, Astoria, Oregon, might be your ticket.

The mighty Columbia River, just outside Astoria

From the fascinating history and majestic views of the powerful Columbia River, to sloping streets with quaint and cute 1800s Victorians and Craftsman dotting neighborhood hills, to the antique shopping and more recently, a burgeoning local beer scene, Astoria has a lot to offer visitors in a short 48-hour weekend.

Astoria is accessible from Interstate 5, then a short rolling trip up U.S Route 30 that drops visitors right into the heart of downtown. As you drive the comfortable Route, you’ll notice the omnipresent Columbia on your right as it hugs the highway. Get used to it – the river can be seen from most streetscapes in Astoria as can the impressive Astoria-Megler Bridge that stretches 4.1 miles from the town across the Columbia River, to Point Ellice, Washington.

Drinking in the scenery… and the beers

Sun Dog IPA. Ruff.

Starting out along the waterfront and near one of the Astoria Riverfront Trolley stops, we had lunch at the Wet Dog Café / Astoria Brewing Company. Firstly, the view from the outside dining area (we got lucky with a 70 degree day, in April!) looked out on the Columbia and kept us occupied until our waiter finally found us.

While perusing menus, this appeared to be your average pub grub hangout but it surprised us with some decent food. We weren’t there for the food, though. Astoria Brewing Company is the brewing arm of the restaurant and brewer Bolt Minister has some interesting beers he’s working on. The most notable is their flagship beer Bitter Bitch and my personal favorite, Sun Dog IPA, created with the pub’s newly installed solar system. The actual brewery is near the entrance to the restaurant – a tight, small space where Minister works wonders. There’s a lot of experimentation going on here – if you’re a beer person, it’s a definite stop. If there’s a chain on the doorway it usually means Minister is concocting his latest beer.

After finishing our beers, we took advantage of the sunny day (in April, I might add again), and took a small but brisk walk to Fort George Brewery, another local brewery producing some interesting beers.

The building housing the brewery has a fascinating history and was once a dealership for Ford automobiles in the 1920s, then fail into disrepair in the 1990s after an auto body shop left. The owners have done a magnificent job with the renovation by transforming the once-drab and forgotten space into a comfortable one where locals and tourists alike can stop in for a cold beer and some food.

According to brewer Chris Nemlowill, Astoria was a big lager town before prohibition, and Fort George was the first brewery in Clatsop County [the county where Astoria resides] to produce a lager since prohibition. Named Lovell Lager, this one is definitely more flavorful than your average lawnmower beer – fresh and very drinkable with lots of body. Some of the other interesting beers in the sampler included Quick Wit, a refreshing, citrusy Belgian style beer; Oatmeal Pale Ale, made from all-organic base malts, and the chocolately, velvet Cavatica Stout.

We didn’t have the space left to sample any food, though our next visit will surely include noshing on some of their famous homemade sausage.

In Astoria, Walking it off

After filling up with beer and grub, we decided to take the long route back to our hotel. Astoria is fairly compact, making it an ideal walking city. Whether you are scouting out the antique malls and shops on Marine Drive, Commercial Street or walking along the water, you will find a destination at the end. Recommended is a neighborhood tour of some of the beautifully designed, turn of the century homes on the hills that have been restored and re-done. Many are now used as bed and breakfast businesses; some are private residences while many have some sort of historical past and are a part of the National Register of Historic Places.

The Astoria-Megler Bridge in Astoria

The walks up on the hills with charming neighborhoods are worth the look at some amazing architecture along with remarkable views looking down on the Columbia. Visitors can also hop on the Riverfront Trolley that takes riders along the waterfront and stops near key attractions such as the Columbia River Maritime Museum, Fort Astoria, and the Goonies House. [Astoria has played the leading character in the cult classic Goonies, Ahhhnold’s Kindergarten Cop, and Free Willy – check with your hotel or the chamber for more information on the Reel Astoria Tour.

Shopping and sightseeing

One stop on your trip should include a drive or a walk up Coxcomb Hill Park - Astoria’s highest peak - that houses the Astoria Column, a wonderfully preserved tower from the 1920s that lets visitors climb up for some amazing views. From the park, and without climbing the tower, visitors can still get an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the mighty Columbia River to the north. There’s a lot of history in these two powerful bodies of water.

Speaking of history, fans of Lewis and Clark should visit Fort Clatsop National Memorial, a visitor center / museum site where the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped out during a typical soggy Oregon winter in 1806 that features history demos and historical exhibits.

Astoria is also home to some decent antique shops that dot the streets, the newly restored Liberty Theater, hotels and numerous restaurants featuring fine, fresh seafood dining. Residents embrace the maritime history and rightly so – it’s what made the city and much of the community. Nowadays, those not employed in tourism and hospitality are still mostly likely working canneries. It’s a nice mix of a tourist spot and a town that still thrives on its own.

Astoria has seen a lot in its landscape being built up but has still maintained the old school atmosphere and charm of its recent past [post WWII] to an even further past, dating back to when the English owned the area. It’s also a fun town to spend a couple of days in and soak up the history, sample some local food and drink a few locally produced beers.

Astoria on a budget: Watching the ships sail in and out to sea

A free and enjoyable pastime while waiting for reservations for your table or your hotel room is watching the ships pass through on their way to Portland on the Columbia direct from the Pacific Ocean from destinations as far as China and Japan. Most hotels along the water have posted shipping schedules, times, origin of country of ship and other facts about who and what is arriving on our shores in their lobby. (Side note, the Smithsonian magazine has a great article on piloting the mighty Columbia River.)

-John Chilson