Oregon 2006

We traveled to Seaside, Oregon for a combination of bridge and sightseeing.  The bridge was OK, but the scenery was spectacular.  The northwest corner of Oregon gets lots of rain, but none while we were there.  One day we drove north to Astoria and took the bridge across the Columbia River to Washington state.  The weather was so calm and clear it was hard to imagine that we were looking at one of the most dangerous navigational channel in the world.  Seaside is a charming little town with a wide expanse of beach and very nice people.

Here's the bridge that crosses the Columbia River into Washington.  Ships that go under the bridge and continue to the Pacific Ocean are said to be "crossing the bar".	Pat stands in front of the Astoria Column.  It is 125 feet tall and offers spectacular views from the top.	The detail work of the Column's spiral mural is noteworthy.	Lewis and Clark were here.  This historical marker shows their route to Astoria.	The Maritime Museum in Astoria is interesting.  This chart shows all the shipwrecks that have been documented at the mouth of the Columbia.

Back in Seaside, here is Pat with our teammates Terry Currie and Jolie Hess.	Pat went for an après-shopping walk on the beach.	Seaside's beach has a wide expanse of sand, but the water is quite cold.	A rare visit to the other side of the camera.	This is Cannon Beach, about 10 miles south of Seaside.  A little farther south is the famous Tillamook cheese factory.