Fort Columbia…ready to guard the mouth of the Columbia River since 1904!
Another Fort?
Being a kid again! Balsa Gliders!
Astoria Column has a long, and fun, tradition of kids launching balsa gliders from the top of the tower.
The gliders can be purchased in the gift shop, which can sell as many as 600 gliders on a busy summer day. The shop will even assemble them to order for waiting customers. While most of the gliders slowly spiral down around the tower to be retrieved by their owners or reflown, some have been found as far as 6 miles away. The tower chose balsa gliders because of their biodegradable construction, and the money helps support the maintenance of the tower.
I wish I had brought more than 1 up with me, but for a moment I was a kid again!
The Astoria Column
The Astoria Column on the hillside overlooking Astoria, Oregon and the Columbia River was erected in 1926. It was the 12th and final historical marker Ralph Budd of the Great Northern Railroad commissioned across the country. Mr. Budd had a great interest in learning and history and wanted travelers to realize that every corner of America had something interesting and historical to share.
The Astoria Column, original called The Astor Column because of John Astor’s original establishment of a trading post there, is 125 ft tall and can be climbed by visitors via a 164 step spiral staircase, the 360 degree view from the top makes the steps worth while. The outside of the column is decorated with hand painted murals that depict 14 significant events in Oregon’s history, such as John Astor’s original trading post and the Lewis & Clark expedition.
Tidbit: The book Astoria by Peter Stark is a great read that tells the story of John Astor’s attempt to create a trading monopoly on the west coast.
The end of the trail
As we began our travels last spring, our northwest path continually put us on the trail of Lewis & Clark. After several weeks of following their footsteps and stopping to read the many interpretive boards in the many little parks, we decided if we were going to be traveling with them, we needed to learn more. We downloaded Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose and were transported back in time as we travelled across the country.
We thought we parted ways in Montana, but 7 months later we find ourselves at Fort Clatsop, the end of the Lewis & Clark trail on the Pacific Ocean in northern Oregon. The small party spent 3 very wet and hungry months at this small outpost before starting their journey back east.
Fascination
Walking around Seaside, OR, we passed a doorway with a big sign stating ‘Fascination Parlor Inside’! Fascination? Never heard of it. Lets check it out!
Go back to 1918, Coney Island NY, and Fascination is born! A combo of Skee-ball and Bingo, up to 50 people compete against each other to get their ball into 5 holes in a row. Each game costs a quarter and lasts about a minute.
75 years ago Fascination Parlors could be found in almost any seaside town with an arcade, but now with the old-line amusement parks dying off, the Fascination Parlors are going with them. Today, there are only a handful left as the parts to keep them running are hard to find.
We were lucky today as there were only 6 or 8 other players in the Fascination Parlor, so our odds of winning were much higher. 5 across wins you a ticket to be traded in for a fair type souvenir. We won 4 tickets and gave them to a couple of little kids with their grandparents. It was fun to play a bit of history, and we won!
Fort Stevens
Fort Stevens, just outside Astoria, Oregon, was first built to protect towns on the Columbia River during the Civil War from Confederate gunboats, it was actually finished after the Confederate Army surrendered. The fort continued to expand and grow in the following years. During WWI, a number of the gun emplacements were shifted to France. During WWII, it was the site of the first attack on the US continent when a Japanese submarine tried to shell the fort.
We spent the afternoon walking the grounds, learning the history of the fort, and exploring the bunkers & gun installations. An interesting day immersed in cool history, but a little creepy.
Great! Something else that needs to be fixed!
Just kidding! My favorite hat has felt a little snug lately. 8 years of pretty constant use in all types of weather has taken its toll. I knew The Penman Hat Company, where I purchased the hat, was in Oregon. As it turns out, John’s shop was close enough on our route to stop by for a consultation about the hat’s shrinking.
To my surprise, my hat didn’t shrink, my head got fatter! Who knew that when you add a couple of pounds to the waistline, a bit goes on the melon as well!
The Penman Hat Company is a custom hat shop and John’s customer service is amazing. As I type, he is reworking my hat to fit my new size, adding a new liner and such, and generally tuning the hat up. I just need to cover the cost of the materials! Amazing! John, as it turns out, is the hat maker for the stars. He makes hats for stars like James Spader in The Blacklist.
One Year
It is really hard to believe we are there already, but today marks the one year anniversary of our teary, excited, scared shitless departure from home. One year of living on the road. One year of adventure, heartache, and learning. One year of every day being new…new vistas, new campgrounds, new friends, new life lessons, new ways to look at everything, especially ourselves and who we are, and what is important. We have become more resilient and more vulnerable at the same time. We have learned more about who we are and where we fit and don’t fit, and where and who we want to be. How can one year accomplish so much…and what will the next year bring?
Some of our favorite highlights from the past year:
Port Orford Headland
How could I forget to blog about the Port Orford Headland, thank you Astrid for reminding me. If you have limited time while travelling along the Oregon coast, I recommend 3 stops: 1) Cape Perpetua, 2) Heceta Lighthouse and 3) the Port Orford Headland. Originally a coast guard station, today there are walking trails, a coast guard museum, sea lions and beautiful vistas.
The Coast Guard Station operated from 1934 to 1970. Lookouts manned a 37ft tower on the headland point watching the ocean for distress signals. When one was seen, the ‘surfmen’ would run down 532 slippery steps to the boathouse where they would launch their 36ft boat into the often raging waters. Their motto was, “You have to go out…you don’t have to come back”.
Port Orford, Oregon
Port Orford is an eclectic, artsy, sleepy little lost village on the Oregon coast…just the kind of place we like:) It is also home to the only dry dock or “dolly dock” on the west coast. Originally a deep water port, deep enough for a Japanese submarine to hide in during WWII, it was perfect for the large ships of the lumber industry. The only problem was the old south wind which made the port too turbulent to be used about 3 months of the year. Today, a jetty makes the port a safe shallow harbor for the commercial fishing industry. There isn’t a bar to cross which makes for more fishing days, but there isn’t safe mooring so the boats must be hoisted out of the harbor and put on trailers.
