This is the last of a four-part review of Flat Stanley's 2003 visit to Oregon. Before Flat Stanley flew home, via USPS, to my nephew's classroom in Indiana he had a chance to visit the Oregon coast with us and our dogs. One of my favorite spots at the coast is the beautiful little city of Astoria, the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, dating from the fur trading post set up by John Jacob Astor’s men in 1811. It reminds me of a mini-mini-mini San Francisco. There is a quite large Finnish population living there and in the surrounding area, and in past overnight trips to Astoria Mike and I have enjoyed going to the authentic Finnish steam bath on the main drag in town.
In the picture above Flat Stanley is on the balcony of our motel room overlooking the Port of Astoria. The bridge spans the Columbia River.
The following morning we went to the Astoria Column, a favorite tourist site that I never tire of climbing for the view of the Columbia flowing into the Pacific Ocean. Spectacular! This link takes you to a one-page fact sheet about the Astoria Column that is so worth the click.
At the base of the Column there's a brass interpretive plaque mounted into the hillside, where Flat Stanley got the lay of the land.
Mike bought a tiny glider made of thin wood to take to the top of the Column. We posed Flat Stanley sitting on the glider as a joke for the kids in Indiana, then removed him before flying the glider off the observation deck.
We left Astoria and drove along the coastline (nice video at link), stopping at beaches along the way. The dogs demanded numerous stops to run on the sand, and we were more than happy to comply. Flat Stanley found a most attractive sand castle, complete with crab shell centerpiece.
As usual we lingered at the coast that trip with Flat Stanley. I never want to leave the beach when I'm there. Even on day trips staying to see the sunset and dream some in the gloaming before driving home is a must-do.
