We just finished hiking up (and back down) Multnomah Falls outside of Portland. We were exhausted, snacking on fresh fruit from the farmer’s market back in Portland earlier that morning. We drove back through Portland after our hike on our way to Astoria, Oregon…. a place I’ve wanted to visit since I was a kid. I was finally going to get to check it off my bucket list.  I really enjoyed the city of Portland, but I’m a small town girl at heart and this was just the place for me. A tiny port town on the Pacific Coast at the mouth of the Colombia River. Does it get much better? Yes. The Goonies (among other movies) was filmed in the area. If anyone knows me, they know I LOVE the Goonies. It’s my favorite childhood movie and I can quote it to you in my sleep.

We drove through windy roads bordered with towering trees and forests until it finally opened up to the mouth of the Colombia River as we drove past the Warrington Bridge that connects Astoria, Oregon to Washington. We continued on through a tiny romantic town before arriving at our Bed and Breakfast. Brian looked at me as we’re driving through the town, which at the time (because it was a week night) looked a little desserted and boring, and said “I bet you the average age of people visiting here is 45-50 years old.” I just laughed because that would be the kind of place I’d like to visit. I’m an old lady at heart.

Let me just say that I’d return to Astoria in a heart beat. Brian was also ready to pack up and move to Oregon by the end of our stay. Although, we visited at the perfect time of year. More often than not it’s drizzly and a bit gloomy during part of the day, except for a few weeks during the Summer and Fall. We were in Astoria during July 4th weekend. We stayed at the perfect place, The Rose River Inn. It was beyond perfection for my ideal bed & breakfast.  It was positioned on a hill just a block above downtown. We had the corner room upstairs which was wall-to-wall windows that overlooked the Colombia River and part of downtown Astoria. Pam and her husband, who own/run it, were so friendly and helpful. They also had the cutest little pup, Penny.  Breakfast was served family style every morning at 8:30 sharp. We met some other folks (yes they were all 40+) from all over the world. It was actually pretty neat. We normally keep to ourselves on vacation, so this was a bit different for us (good different).

While in Astoria, we took it pretty slow and relaxed (my ideal ending to a vacation). The town is so rich in history and old family tales. We of course, visited the Goonies house, the Oregon Film Museum (housed in the old jail – which was also a film site for the Goonies), purchased some local food and hand painted prints at the Sunday Market, ate at Astoria Coffee House (twice b.c it was so unique & delicious), slept with our windows open!, walked along the waterfront, drove up to the Astoria Column (amazing 360 degree views), dined at Baked Alaska on the waterfront while  the sunset, and watched fireworks on the pier from our bedroom.

One afternoon we drove down to Cannon Beach (also film site of the Goonies) with the famous Haystack Rock and hiked at Ecola State Park. Wow. Now this is my kind of state park. No joke, I felt like I was in FernGully. Trees that were hundreds of years old surrounded us, Lewis and Clark ventured through the same area! I even saw a creature that I’d never seen before… maybe a ferret ? There were natural creeks all around us, muddy trails that we trekked through. It was beautiful.  The beginning & end of the trail started at a beautiful beach just a couple miles down from Haystack Rock.  There were families and dogs running along the beach in front of us while huge cliffs and forests were at our backs. Peaceful may have described it.

The Oregon coast is beyond romantic. There’s a reason why so many movies have been filmed there.

Below are some of my favorites from the Astoria area. You can view the entire album here on Flickr.