Astoria
We awoke to a crisp clear morning near the mouth of the Columbia River. It has been 199 years since Lewis and Clark made their epic journey west to the Pacific and they spent over three months in this area during the winter of 1805-1806. According to their journals, they had only six days of sun during the three months they were here. We were very fortunate to have a sunny day.
Once docked, we visited the Columbia Maritime Museum; founded in 1962, the museum contains a US Coast Guard Rescue Boat, fishing vessels, sailing ships and many maritime artifacts. We learned about the hazardous nautical history of the Columbia River Bar, the once booming salmon fishing industry, and the drastic change that dams brought to the once free-flowing Great River of the West.
Later we went to Fort Clatsop, the winter quarters for the Corps of Discovery during their third and final winter of the expedition. The log fort was reconstructed in 1955 based on William Clark’s drawings. The compact structure is located on the Lewis and Clark River, a tributary of the Columbia River and housed all thirty-three people of the expedition. Two men dressed in Pendleton Blanket wool coats demonstrated how the members of the expedition rendered animal lard to make candles.
After lunch we went up to the Astoria Column, built by the Astor family in the 1920’s. The landmark was modeled after Trajan’s Column in Rome, and was constructed by several Italian artisans. The vista included the Columbia River Estuary, Baker Bay, Cape Disappointment, Point Ellice, Young’s Bay, the Lewis & Clark River, and Lewis’ and Clark’s goal: the Pacific Ocean. The top of the column had a little bit better view, and a much better platform to launch balsa wood gliders! Some people walked back down to the ship; others spent time in Astoria. One group went to the beach at Fort Stevens State Park to walk on the beach and see the Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful afternoon for beachcombing as we found numerous razor clams and sand dollars. The rusted remains of the wreck of the Peter Iredale served as a reminder of the treacherous waters of the Columbia River Bar.
We reconvened with friends on the Sea Bird as dusk approached, and cocktails were served as we got underway. The Corps of Discovery made 16 miles up the river the first day they started home. We made 16 miles before deserts were finished on our journey back to Portland.
We awoke to a crisp clear morning near the mouth of the Columbia River. It has been 199 years since Lewis and Clark made their epic journey west to the Pacific and they spent over three months in this area during the winter of 1805-1806. According to their journals, they had only six days of sun during the three months they were here. We were very fortunate to have a sunny day.
Once docked, we visited the Columbia Maritime Museum; founded in 1962, the museum contains a US Coast Guard Rescue Boat, fishing vessels, sailing ships and many maritime artifacts. We learned about the hazardous nautical history of the Columbia River Bar, the once booming salmon fishing industry, and the drastic change that dams brought to the once free-flowing Great River of the West.
Later we went to Fort Clatsop, the winter quarters for the Corps of Discovery during their third and final winter of the expedition. The log fort was reconstructed in 1955 based on William Clark’s drawings. The compact structure is located on the Lewis and Clark River, a tributary of the Columbia River and housed all thirty-three people of the expedition. Two men dressed in Pendleton Blanket wool coats demonstrated how the members of the expedition rendered animal lard to make candles.
After lunch we went up to the Astoria Column, built by the Astor family in the 1920’s. The landmark was modeled after Trajan’s Column in Rome, and was constructed by several Italian artisans. The vista included the Columbia River Estuary, Baker Bay, Cape Disappointment, Point Ellice, Young’s Bay, the Lewis & Clark River, and Lewis’ and Clark’s goal: the Pacific Ocean. The top of the column had a little bit better view, and a much better platform to launch balsa wood gliders! Some people walked back down to the ship; others spent time in Astoria. One group went to the beach at Fort Stevens State Park to walk on the beach and see the Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful afternoon for beachcombing as we found numerous razor clams and sand dollars. The rusted remains of the wreck of the Peter Iredale served as a reminder of the treacherous waters of the Columbia River Bar.
We reconvened with friends on the Sea Bird as dusk approached, and cocktails were served as we got underway. The Corps of Discovery made 16 miles up the river the first day they started home. We made 16 miles before deserts were finished on our journey back to Portland.
