Tuesday morning we got up early, got ready and hit the road. We drove a couple hours from Portland to the Astoria Column.
The Astoria Column is a 125-foot-tall tower with an interior spiral staircase leading to an observation deck at the top. The exterior is covered in artwork depicting events from the early history of Oregon.
The interior was closed due to COVID, but we still really enjoyed seeing the exterior artwork. It costs $5 for a parking pass that is good for one year. Otherwise, visiting the Astoria Column is free.
We ate a packed lunch there. We picked up some postcards and a Christmas ornament from the gift shop. And we enjoyed a beautiful view of the Columbia River and the Astoria–Megler Bridge.
When we left the Astoria Column we drove across that 4-mile-long bridge leaving Oregon and entering Washington. It is a really cool bridge to cross.
We headed to Long Beach to meet some new friends, Lori and Russ. Lori reads our blog and messaged me when she saw we were in the area.
We hung out at an outdoor area downtown. Lori and Russ are full-time RVers as well. We really enjoyed meeting and talking with them! They sent treats with us when we parted ways, which we enjoyed later that afternoon at Cape Disappointment State Park.
We had to look up how Cape Disappointment got its name, because oh my goodness – it’s amazing!
On Wikipedia we found that Cape Disappointment earned its name when Captain John Meares failed to cross the river bar in 1788.
At Cape Disappointment State Park there are hiking trails, a lighthouse, the beach and Fort Canby.
Our kids really liked exploring Fort Canby and reading about the history of it.
We found out that the U.S. Army constructed Fort Canby along with Fort Stevens and Fort Columbia to defend the entrance of the Columbia River from enemy warships.
I absolutely loved standing on Waikiki Beach and watching the waves crash against the rocks near the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.
After exploring the state park for a few hours, we drove down the peninsula through Long Beach and to Ocean Park. We arrived at Lori and Russ’s amazing land and enjoyed hamburgers, hotdogs and great conversation with our new friends.
We had such a great day on the northwest coast, another day packed with some really good memories!
Looks beautiful! Thank you for sharing your adventures 💕