The oldest American city west of the Missouri River, Astoria (pop. 9,813) is an upbeat mix of lovingly preserved past and busy contemporary commerce. Houses perched atop high hills overlook the Columbia River, creating a favorite backdrop for Hollywood movies. Despite its picturesque appearance, Astoria supports an active commercial fishing fleet and dozens of tugboats guide tankers and container ships across the treacherous sandbars. As more than a few Astoria bumper stickers proclaim, “We Ain’t Quaint.” Founded by and named after fur-trade magnate John Jacob Astor in 1811, Astoria protected the tenuous American claim to the Pacific coast until the opening of the Oregon Trail brought substantial settlement. By the turn of the 20th century, Astoria was still Oregon’s second-largest city, but the downturn in both salmon fishing and logging since the end of World War II has caused an economic decline which, as always, town officials look to tourism to overcome.
US-101 crosses across the Columbia River on the toll-free, high-level Astoria Bridge, completed in 1966, which drops you at the west end of the downtown waterfront. To get a sense of the lay of the land, follow the signs along 16th Street up Coxcomb Hill to the Astoria Column (daily 8 am–dusk; $1) for a view of the Columbia meeting the ocean, the coastal plain south to Tillamook Head, and the snowcapped Cascade Range (including, on a clear day, Mt. St. Helens) on the eastern horizon. A mosaic chronicling local history is wrapped like a ribbon around the column, tracing the many significant events in the town’s past. A spiral staircase climbs to the top.
Back downtown at 441 8th Street, Flavel House (daily in summer; $5) is a red-roofed Queen Anne–style Victorian showplace restored as an elegantly furnished museum of Astoria’s first millionaire, Columbia River pilot George Flavel. A half mile east, near the foot of l7th Street on the north side of waterfront Marine Drive, the Columbia River Maritime Museum (daily; $8; 503/325-2323) displays a large and very impressive collection that tells the story of the lifeblood of this community: the Columbia River.
Fortify yourself at one of the many good seafood places along the water, starting at the ever-popular Columbian Cafe (503/325-2233), 1114 Marine Drive, where chef Uriah Hulsey prepares all sorts of ultra-fresh food in an impossibly cramped galley kitchen, just a countertop away from his legions of foodie fans. Meals are massive yet reasonably priced, so be sure to arrive with an appetite; breakfast and lunch are served daily, dinner Wednesday–Saturday. Other Astoria eating options include the casual Cafe Uniontown or the pub-like Ship Inn, both under the bridge at Marine Drive and 2nd Street. Gourmets might want to visit adjacent Josephson’s Smokehouse (503/325-2190), at l06 Marine Drive, to sample the delicious array of smoked salmon, which is prepared on the premises and sold all over the country.
To absorb a full portion of Astoria’s addictive ambience, stay the night at the riverview Crest Motel ($55–120; 503/325-3141), three miles east of town along US-30 at 5366 Leif Erickson Drive, or at one of Astoria’s handful of nice B&Bs like the 1890s Astoria Inn ($80–100; 503/325-8153), at 3391 Irving Avenue. For detailed listings or further information, contact the Astoria Chamber of Commerce (503/325-6311), located at 111 W. Marine Drive.
