Crossing the mighty Columbia River on the Astoria Bridge is always an incredible sight.

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The town of Astoria which claims to be the oldest settlement west of the Rocky Mountains hosts a huge (more than 200 vendors) Sunday Market. Here we were able to buy not only Northwest-grown produce but also some unique locally made things. As you can see, this is also the location of the Liberty Theater which dates back to 1925. This Italian Renaissance-style building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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The Columbia lightship once guided ships to safety at the mouth of the Columbia River. It has since been replaced by a light-buoy.

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This beautifully refurbished 1913 streetcar gave us an up-close look at Astoria's canneries, sea lions, boat traffic and waterfront along the Columbia River. A volunteer motorman and conductor operated the trolley along the four-mile ride, entertaining us with tales about Astoria, past and present. Along the way we got to see...

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...a decorated dumpster...

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...the Astoria Bridge from below...

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...net drying and stretching house from the old days...

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...and a hermaphrodite brig, a ship that has both triangular and square sails.

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Standing atop Coxcomb Hill, the highest point in Astoria is the Column. It is 125 feet tall and offers panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Oregon and Washington Coast mountain ranges, the Columbia River and the city of Astoria. The column was built in 1926 and has fourteen 25-foot-long scenes representing the triumphs, conflicts and turning points of the Pacific Northwest. This type of work is known as sgraffito, an Italian art form that combines carving and painting into a concrete structure.

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Our friends caught up with us here in Seaside and invited us for a delicious home-made fajitas dinner.

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The sun was out, the wind was blowing but we still enjoyed the beach!!

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The Peter Iredale, a British sailing ship, was grounded here after being caught in a storm here in 1906. This is all that is left of this steel-hulled ship today.

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We spent some time in Fort Stevens State Park where we saw some old war bunkers. On June 21, 1942 the only hostile shelling of a military base on the US Mainland by Japanese submarines took place in this area. We also saw the rebuilding of south jetty which was interesting since we had seen these big boulders being trucked to the docks in Anacortes, Washington where they were taken by barge to the Columbia and then trucked here to become part of the rebuilt jetty.

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A visit to the winter encampment for the Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark Expedition) gave us a better understanding of the trials and tribulations this group of men endured on their trek to discover the land beyond civilization.

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Salt was important to these explorers and by the time they reached the Pacific, they had run out. A salt works was established 15 miles from the fort in what is now Seaside. This area was chosen because of the high saline content of the seawater here, its proximity to local Indians and the availability of fresh water, game and firewood. For 24 hours a day for almost two months, the men boiled the seawater to produce salt. They were able to produce 3-4 bushels of salt which was enough to last through the winter and their journey home.

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Cannon Beach is home to many artisans, this bronze whale...

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...as well as Tillamook Rock Light.

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The sun came out long enough today to give us a bit of color as the sun set over the cove in Seaside.

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Some of the trees have begun to change color which leads us to believe that summer is gone and fall is upon us.

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