Astoria, Oregon - Our last stop in the Pacific Northwest
- Paul Hallman
- May 12
- 6 min read
Our last port of call, as part of this segment of the cruise, was Astoria, Oregon. Jan and I had never been to Oregon, so we were excited to finally visit a new state and see what this corner of the Pacific Northwest was all about. The town is situated about 100 miles from Portland and the most recent census says the population is slightly less than 10,000 people.
The ship docked about 1½ miles from downtown, so we decided to walk along the boardwalk into town. We were right beside the very long bridge and I don't believe we would have made it underneath either - good thing we had a Captain that knew where he was docking.
Not long after leaving the ship, we walked under the massive bridge that connects Oregon and Washington States. It was called the Astoria–Megler Bridge.
The bridge is about 4.1 miles long, and seeing it up close really drives home how important this crossing is—linking communities on both sides of the Columbia River and serving as a key connection along the coastal route through the Pacific Northwest.
Astoria itself is a smaller waterfront city near Portland, sitting right where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. That meeting point is powerful—and dangerous. The river entrance (the Columbia River Bar) is known for rough winds and currents and has the nickname “The Graveyard of the Pacific.” Many a ship has capsized trying to either enter or leave the Columbia River channel.
There is a railway line that runs along the shoreline and the town has now set up a trolly that runs the full length of the town and for $2 you can ride it all day long. It stops at several places every 30 minutes however we chose to walk.
As we walked into town, we also noticed a number of small tents and tarped “homes,” and we understood there’s a seasonal homeless population that grows in the summer months—apparently some people come here from Portland. The locals we spoke with say they are not really a problem and just mind their own business.
As we walked into the town we passed the Fort George Brewery and I was able to see through some windows to get a photo. It was a large site and we found out that there are lots of small cottage breweries in the area.
A working waterfront town
Astoria isn’t just a tourist stop—it’s a place built around the water. The local economy has long been tied to commercial fishing and seafood, river and port activity and tourism. The crabber boats are a big part of that story and the crab industry in this area supports not just the crews on the water, but also docks, processors and the businesses that serve them. Some of the Crabbers we met on the Deadliest Catch in Ketchikan, worked on Crab Boats here in Astoria and it was at this location they learned the trade.
The market (opening day and packed)
When we got into town, we spent about an hour walking the market and it was definitely larger than we expected.
The market stretched for blocks, with food trucks, bands, and lots of people—many of them walking their dogs—which gave it a fun, local, festival feel. It was the first day of the season, and with the cruise ship in town it was packed.
Somewhere in all of that, I found a bottle of single malt whisky that was so good I decided to bring it home and save it as a special-occasion drink for when guests come over.
Lunch with friends
After the market, we met up with Scott and Chris—our Saigon travel buddies not to mention other spots as well, and the four of us went to a Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. It was a memorable place with decorations everywhere, including a classic Vietnam scooter right in the restaurant. This time we had enough money to pay for our lunch but it brought back a reminder to learn about currency before going to dinner.
I know we have now come to enjoy Vietnamese food as long as they keep the spices to a minimum. The flavour is so good especially with it is a curry base.
This was a sign posted in the restaurant and somehow I could not pass up taking a photo of this as said by the Dalai Lama.
Movie town moments (including The Goonies)
After lunch we grabbed an Uber for a small town tour. Astoria has a surprising movie legacy—films like The Goonies (with Sean Astin and Josh Brolin), Kindergarten Cop (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger), and Short Circuit (with Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg) were filmed in and around town.
Other sites in town worth visiting is the prison which was used in many of the films shot in town. In the prison you were able to make your own movie using preconfigured staging areas and a script that you can use. When you are finished they email the video to you that you took. Several friends made a video and they will never get a star on Hollywood Blvd. for their Astoria Performance.
One of our stops was the house used in The Goonies, which was a fun “we’re really here” moment. As we Uber'd around town I snapped some photos of other areas of the town. The house is privately owned although the owner does not object to visitors taking photos of his home. We thought it was a bit strange to live in a fish bowl environment.
The bottom photos were taken at the "Goonies House"
Up the hill: the Astoria Column and the view
The rest of our Uber tour took us up to the top of the town hill to the Astoria Column, and the view from up there was incredible—overlooking the town, the valley, and the place where the river meets the sea. It is 600 feet above sea level.
The Column is more than just a viewpoint.
Built in 1926, it’s wrapped in a spiraling mural that tells the story of the Pacific Northwest—exploration, early settlement, and key moments tied to this region (including the Lewis and Clark story). Standing there, looking out over the geography, it’s easy to understand why Astoria has always mattered.
We heard a story from a local who told us that about 60 years ago, he and his buddies used to come up to the tower to drink and smoke through the night. He was laughing as he told it—said it was crazy days—and you could tell the place held a lot of memories for him. From the story he said we were pretty sure it was not just cigarettes they smoked.
Back to the ship
We took an Uber back to the ship as the clouds started getting darker and we thought we might get some rain—but it never did. It was a fun was in town to experience Oregon life in a small town.
As the ship left the Columbia River and entered the Pacific Ocean again the Pilot Boat picked up his payload and proceeded to play with the ship guests as he returned to his port. Many times as we left a port we get to see some playtime.
Be sure to watch the video to the end when he does a donut, blows his horn to say Bon Voyage - It is always fun to watch these sailors play!
It was an interesting day and one we’ll remember. Next he have two sea days, and then we will be in Santa Barbara where we’re meeting up with Jeff and Steven. We met these two fine young gentlemen on our Antarctica Cruise and they live north of Santa Barbara. They have arranged a special travel tour around the area and are going to be our new tour guides.
Our Circle Pacific Cruise is counting down the days and we only have three more ports prior to our arrival in LA. Suitcase packing has begun and that in itself might just be a "Hallman Experience" in itself.
Oh yes, we pick up new luggage in Santa Barbara as our dear friends kindly accepted an Amazon shipment on our behalf, because we realized that we might need more storage space to get all our items home from the ship. Packing is one thing, but getting six suitcases, one Ukelele and a Guitar on board an airplane and then to our home might be the bigger challenge.
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