Cannery Pier Hotel | Astoria

I gave an overview of all the hotels we stayed at in Oregon here. Cannery Pier was particularly special, easily the most photogenic. I'm confident this is the place to stay if you are visiting Astoria.

[Hotel Perks / details I loved]

-Architecturally stunning and well decorated common area where we ate breakfast and enjoyed wine and cheese at happy hour.

-A teal blue '57 Chevy + a driver to bring you into town.

-An antique cannery machine on display in the lobby that was made in Rutland, VT (Engraved on top: CRPA = Columbia River Packers Association). 

-Spacious bedrooms featuring hardwood floors, a lounge area with a gas fireplace and a riverfront balcony.

-A blissful clawfoot tub. Additionally, an indoor hot tub with-a-view just down the hall. 

-The window seat and that Pendleton Blanket. The perfect place for getting cozy with a mug of coffee and a book. Or gazing through the binoculars at the seals playing in the river.

Astoria | Oregon

Astoria is a charming old fishing town where the mighty Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. We arrived just in time to witness this gorgeous sunset on Pier 39. Talk about a warm welcome. 

After that epic Pacific Coast sunset we discovered Rouge Pier 39 Public House at the end of the pier (in the former Bumble Bee Tuna Cannery) and decided to stay for dinner. We shared Smoked Salmon Chowder ($4), Kimchi Crab Sliders ($9), and a Blue Chicken Pizza ($14). The food was good, the chowder being my favorite, however, Rogue Beer is the real star. They brew a massive amount of styles and flavors with a sense of humor. My sampler contains: Pumpkin Patch Ale, Chipotle Ale, Good Chit Pilsner and 4 Hop IPA. Dessert in the form of a Rogue Beer Float ($6) with vanilla ice cream started a love affair with their Chocolate Stout.

On our second evening in town we ate at Buoy Beer Co which was a disappointing meal. I did not have glowing recommendations for anywhere in particular and we quickly realized (by the reaction of the hotel front desk staff) that 8:30 pm was much too late to be heading out to dinner. Oh, these sleepy coastal towns! Buoy was one of the few places we could choose from and they close at 10 pm. They served us Willapa Bay Oysters ($10) on plastic ramen noodle soup spoons over blue died pebbles. We ate them and we were fine, physically. Emotionally, I am scarred for life. I kindly asked the waitress why they serve them like that and it did not seem to phase her "we like to do things differently here." Yikes. Bob's Tempura Fish & Chips ($12) were sup-par and I had Local Salmon (mkt) which was fine. The atmosphere is cool and the beer is good. But I can't get past those oysters. (Albatross & Co sounded like the best choice in town, but are closed on Sunday and Monday.) Fort George Brewery is open until midnight so we went there after dinner for a beer.

 Yes, Astoria is full of charm: the Riverwalk, the old piers, the barking seals, the iconic bridge I so loved photographing, and the quaint houses perched on a hilltop neighborhood. But it has an industrial, gritty, commercial feel to it as well. On the stretch of route 30 that passes through town there's a plethora of fast food chains, some sketchy looking dive bars and old motels. On the steeped-in-time Duane Street there's unique shops, an old theater, and a J.C. Penney with a storefront window display circa 1990. Oh and the Goonies house is a no-go as the new owners have had it with the fans. 

I loved perusing Astoria Vintage Hardware on 15th Street. I would have liked to check out the Columbia River Maritime Museum as the history of the river is fascinating to me, but it was way too nice outside to be museum going. Also, we saw Humpback Whales along the Riverwalk! Lucky us we got to see them so close - we were out on a morning run and I did not have my camera.

Astoria was different than we expected in many ways, which is not a bad thing at all. That is what travel and seeing new towns is all about. Our accommodations at Cannery Pier Hotel plus all the beautiful spots to visit nearby are what truly enhanced our visit to Astoria. Those are up next!

Oregon Road Trip

From October 2nd through October 11th we road-tripped around Northwest Oregon; spending two nights each in Portland, Astoria, Newport and Dundee, plus a final night back in Portland before we flew out on Sunday morning. The Pacific Northwest is an incredible destination abounding with adventures. Portland is an unconventional yet hip city with a terrific food scene and microbreweries galore. The rugged Columbia River Gorge is an outdoor enthusiasts playground with breathtaking vistas, waterfalls and hikes. The Oregon Coast is strewn with stunning, sprawling beaches and lined with lush, emerald forests. The rolling hills of Dundee in the Willamette Valley offer picturesque vineyards, incredible wine, and outstanding wineries with pristine tasting rooms.

In the midst of all this is farmland. We were surprised by the amount of farms with hundreds of grazing cows and horses we passed through driving down Interstate 101. The geography of this state knows no bounds - especially when you take into consideration there is a barren desert landscape just further west of the Columbia River Valley than where we ventured.

The direct flights on Alaska Air were a breeze - worth noting that we decided on this trip because we had flight vouchers after being stranded in the Seattle Airport last March. We were pleasantly surprised with easy flights: on time take off, early arrivals, nice planes, friendly staff, and best of all a free case of checked wine each. From BOS to PDX - Alaska Air is a win. 

[Pictured]

International Rose Test Garden | "City of Roses"

sipping on a sour beer @ Cascade Barrel House | SE Portland

Baerlic Brewing Co tasting flight | SE Portland

bone marrow @ Little Bird Bistro | Downtown Portland 

Columbia River Gorge | Crown Point Vista - Scenic Byway
Astoria - Megler Bridge (connects OR to WA) | Astoria
Bob at Shipwreck Beach | Fort Stevens State Park 
Ecola State Park | Crescent Beach
with Haystack Rock | Cannon Beach
Mo's famous Clam Chowder | Newport Bayfront
Nye Beach dunes | Newport
starfish @ Cobble Beach | Yaquina Head
Pacific Ocean post swim | Nye Beach 
view from Winderlea Wine Co | Dundee Hills
Apple Dutch Baby for breakfast | La Bastide B&B
among the grape vines | Willamette Valley

Each morning after we arrived in a new city we'd head out for a run. I'm sure none were over three miles but it always felt good to start out exploring with exercise and no particular place to be. In Portland we looped through the Willamette Riverfront Parks, over pretty pedestrian friendly bridges and along the spacious downtown streets. In Astoria we made our way down the Columbia Riverfront, stopping at every pier along the way for views of the majestic Humpback Whales (!) who decided to grace the town with their presence that day. In Newport we ran on Nye Beach, the wide sandy flats making it easy, the strong winds not so much. We needed to work up a sweat anyways because we were determined to jump in the Pacific Ocean. (It was 54* water, but we did it!) In Dundee there were hills and farms; we ran by goats, horses and llamas, past crab tree orchards, autumn hued vines and thick, towering evergreens.

Over 7 days we drove about 11 hours which allowed plenty of time to spend relaxing and exploring. It worked out really well. All of our hotels were excellent - seamless stays with zero issues, I would happily recommend each one! Below are a few details, if you are interested. 

The starting point above is Hotel Modera in Portland. Upon checkout we took the TriMet to secure our rental car from the airport and drove east to see Multnomah Falls and hike Oneonta Gorge. Then, we drove over The Bridge of the Gods into Washington State and cruised west, crossing back into Oregon further north and over to Astoria. The little hook at the top was a detour back into Washington the next day to see Cape Disappointment. From Astoria it was due south on 101 to Newport, with a few stops along the way at Cannon Beach and Devil's Punchbowl. After Newport we backtracked north and cut over on Route 18 to the Willamette Valley and 99W took us into Dayton and Dundee. On our last day we stopped for lunch in McMinnville - a quaint college town just south of Dundee. The red ending point is Portland Airport.

[Hotels]

Portland | Hotel Modera | 515 Southwest Clay Street | modern boutique hotel with chic, eye pleasing décor. beautiful courtyard with a live wall and cozy firepits. convenient downtown location, steps from Gov Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Pioneer Courthouse Square. Easy access to public transportation - across from the TriMet and close to bus stops. *We booked through Tablet when they were having a 20% off sale*

Astoria | Cannary Pier Hotel | No. 10 Basin St | luxurious and unique. every room is positioned for absolutely stunning views of the Columbia River and the Astoria-Megler Bridge. The spacious rooms are well appointed to include a small waterfront balcony, a window seat, a fireplace and a clawfoot tub. They also provide in room binoculars and Pendleton wool blankets! Good continental breakfast. Wine and cheese happy hour.

 

Newport | Hallmark Resort | 744 SW Elizabeth St | oceanfront views and easy (stair) access to Nye Beach. There are a lot of hotels to choose from on the beach in Newport - I got a sense this one falls in the middle of the spectrum with standard appointed rooms. They had a lovely salt water pool, hot tub and sauna which we took advantage of after we swam in the frigid pacific! 

 

Dundee | LaBastide Bed & Breakfast | 21150 NE Niederberger Road | newly built home with modern furnishings. Cozy, quiet, friendly, family run B&B. Walkable to downtown bistros and tasting rooms. Convenient drive to Dundee Hills wineries. Amazing breakfasts!!

I hope you enjoyed the collective overview of our time in PNW Oregon. I look forward to sharing so much more about each of our four home base destinations and all the explorations in between!