Travels with T & J: Return to Cannery Pier

Hello friends and family…we’re back out in the world. It was a long winter but now that Jan’s in better shape to travel, that’s what we’re doing. Starting with a couple of days at the coast.

Camp 18, where lumber is king

Bigfoot doing the Meet and Greet

Camp 18 is a fun place to stop for breakfast. Eighteen miles to Hwy 101. The beautiful grounds pay homage to the Oregon timber industry. It’s fun to walk around before breakfast looking at the old lumberjack equipment. And the interior structure is amazing.

The wonderful interior, a labor of love from the Gordon Smith family

Three of our favorite Americans are featured at the turn around in Seaside: William and Meriwether, we knew about. Mo’s is new to us in that location, but fortunatly the Pacific Ocean is still there.

The turnaround in Seaside.

We spent a while walking around Fort Stevens State Park, and so did a large family of elk. We took turns adoring each other.

World War I era gun batteries at Fort Stevens

A Disappearing Rifle has recently reappeared

Roosevelt Elk being photogenic

Cannery Pier is a cool place to stay in Astoria. Lovely rooms with close up views of the river traffic.

The Cannery Pier Hotel, on (literally) the Columbia River

Lots of grain and gasoline being transported up and down river. That is, for now. Tom enjoys ship spotting when we stay on the Columbia, interested in their country of registry. So it was humbling when he was stumped on this trip and sent running to Google. The ship’s home port of Maduro wasn’t any help.

Loaded grain ship heading out. Name that Flag and Country for extra credit

That is the flag of the Marshall Islands. During World War II this group of Pacific atolls was famous for the Battle of Kwajalein. In the late 40’s it was famous for the US blasting Bikini Atoll into a radioactive hole in the ocean. Today, this country is the world's second largest registrar of ocean going vessels, trailing only Panama. Isn’t travel broadening?

The Astor Column

The Astor Column struck a pose for us on that beautiful day. Many, many people going up and down. Been there, done that with younger legs.

Seen "Saving Private Ryan?" Note the name of their cocktail lounge

Admit it, you’d have been disappointed if we didn’t stop in to our most favorite restaurant in town, Fulio’s. So would we.

It was north for us next day, up the Long Beach Peninsula all the way to Oysterville. It’s delightful to drive around the area and we always stop at the Oysterville Store. It’s never been open when we have come by. Betting it was a charmer.