28 VISITTHEOREGONCOAST.COM ASTORIA AND WARRENTON Situated at the mouth of the Columbia River, the cities of Astoria and Warrenton are two of Oregon’s most storied coastal towns, steeped in maritime and natural history. Get your bearings at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, where interactive displays and nautical artifacts tell the story of one of the busiest ports on the West Coast. Kids love the tugboat simulator and life-size fishing vessels. Listen to dramatic recordings of Coast Guard rescues on the treacherous Columbia River Bar, nicknamed “the graveyard of the Pacific” because so many ships have met their fate here. Nearby, visit the Hanthorn Cannery Museum, housed in the oldest cannery building still standing on the Columbia, where displays explore cannery history and life working in the canneries as well as the local fishing industry from the 19th century to present. For a bird’s-eye view of the river, mountains and sea, climb 164 steps to the top of the Astoria Column. Modeled after Trajan’s Column in Rome, the monument features a beautiful, hand-painted spiral frieze depicting the stories of early Western settlement. Among those early settlers was Captain George Flavel; you can tour the historic Flavel House Museum, which he built in the late 1800s, a fine example of the town’s Queen Anne architecture. The Oregon Film Museum pays homage to movies filmed in the state, from classics such as “The Goonies” and “The Shining” to “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Animal House.” Housed in the former Clatsop County jail, which was featured in “The Goonies,” the little museum is filled with memorabilia and props you can use to record your own short movie on-site. Stretch your legs on the Astoria Riverwalk or hop on the Astoria Riverfront Trolley (the schedule changes seasonally; visit Old300.org). Conductors share local history and NORTH OREGON COAST ITINERARY PREVIOUS PAGE: ROBBIE MCCLARAN. THIS PAGE: GREGOR HALENDA / VISIT SEASIDE Historic fishing ports neighbor bustling beach towns on Oregon’s North Coast, home to hiking trails and waterways, vintage bookstores, and celebrated seafood shacks. Seaside Go to VisitTheOregonCoast.com/ Regions/North-Coast for more info on the North Coast.
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