Astoria
A sunny day in Astoria! From all that we had read about Lewis and Clark’s winter at nearby Fort Clatsop, we expected rain. According to their journals, they had only six days of sunshine during the three months the expedition was here. We took advantage of the fine weather and spent all day getting to know this area. After breakfast we started at the Maritime Museum, where we learned a great deal about the Columbia River and heard hair-raising tales of the treacherous Columbia River bar. There were also excellent exhibits about the salmon fishing industry that was once such an important part of life here. After the museum, we went to see the Peter Iredale, one of the shipwrecks claimed by the stormy seas of the bar. On October 25, 1906 the four-masted bark was driven to shore by gale force winds and it has been on the beach ever since. On our way to the wreck we found sand-dollars and razor clams on the beach, and saw brown pelicans and California gulls patrolling the water just offshore. Next we visited Fort Stevens, which was built during the Civil War by Union troops to guard the entrance to the Columbia River. There was an artillery exhibition going on, and our visit to the fort was punctuated by cannon fire.
In the afternoon we visited Fort Clatsop, which is the site where the Corps of Discovery spent their third and final winter. Originally, they had intended to winter on the northern side of the river, but it proved to be too exposed to storms, so they chose a location on the southern side that was more protected and close to elk hunting grounds. Today Fort Clatsop is a National Park; we were accompanied by a Park Ranger who told us the history of the area. Fort Clatsop was rebuilt in 1955 based on William Clark’s floor plan, and as we looked around we thought about what it must have been like for thirty-three people to share this small space.
Our final stop of the afternoon was the Astor Column on the hill above town. The column was built in the 1920’s by the Astor family and it has become the symbol of Astoria. The column is modeled after Trajan’s Column in Rome and several Italian artisans came to Astoria to build it. There was a stunning view from the top of the hill and for those that braved the 164 steps there was an even better view from the top of the column.
We left Astoria, but before we could begin our journey upriver, we headed downstream – to the infamous Columbia River bar. Second Mate Adam Stockland joined us on the sunny bow, familiarizing us with the various navigational aides used while traveling along the river. On the way we spotted several California sea lions resting on channel markers. Looking ahead, we saw large waves crashing over a relatively small area. As we approached, we felt the ocean swell. Captain Kalbach took us right up to the breakers and even on this calm day it was an impressive sight. We turned around before the swells got rough, and enjoyed the rest of a beautiful evening.
A sunny day in Astoria! From all that we had read about Lewis and Clark’s winter at nearby Fort Clatsop, we expected rain. According to their journals, they had only six days of sunshine during the three months the expedition was here. We took advantage of the fine weather and spent all day getting to know this area. After breakfast we started at the Maritime Museum, where we learned a great deal about the Columbia River and heard hair-raising tales of the treacherous Columbia River bar. There were also excellent exhibits about the salmon fishing industry that was once such an important part of life here. After the museum, we went to see the Peter Iredale, one of the shipwrecks claimed by the stormy seas of the bar. On October 25, 1906 the four-masted bark was driven to shore by gale force winds and it has been on the beach ever since. On our way to the wreck we found sand-dollars and razor clams on the beach, and saw brown pelicans and California gulls patrolling the water just offshore. Next we visited Fort Stevens, which was built during the Civil War by Union troops to guard the entrance to the Columbia River. There was an artillery exhibition going on, and our visit to the fort was punctuated by cannon fire.
In the afternoon we visited Fort Clatsop, which is the site where the Corps of Discovery spent their third and final winter. Originally, they had intended to winter on the northern side of the river, but it proved to be too exposed to storms, so they chose a location on the southern side that was more protected and close to elk hunting grounds. Today Fort Clatsop is a National Park; we were accompanied by a Park Ranger who told us the history of the area. Fort Clatsop was rebuilt in 1955 based on William Clark’s floor plan, and as we looked around we thought about what it must have been like for thirty-three people to share this small space.
Our final stop of the afternoon was the Astor Column on the hill above town. The column was built in the 1920’s by the Astor family and it has become the symbol of Astoria. The column is modeled after Trajan’s Column in Rome and several Italian artisans came to Astoria to build it. There was a stunning view from the top of the hill and for those that braved the 164 steps there was an even better view from the top of the column.
We left Astoria, but before we could begin our journey upriver, we headed downstream – to the infamous Columbia River bar. Second Mate Adam Stockland joined us on the sunny bow, familiarizing us with the various navigational aides used while traveling along the river. On the way we spotted several California sea lions resting on channel markers. Looking ahead, we saw large waves crashing over a relatively small area. As we approached, we felt the ocean swell. Captain Kalbach took us right up to the breakers and even on this calm day it was an impressive sight. We turned around before the swells got rough, and enjoyed the rest of a beautiful evening.
