Although I have been lucky enough to travel quite a bit and see things that not many get to, sometimes nothing beats the comforts of home. Oregon has been a great place to grow up - you can find a beach one hour west of Portland, a mountain one hour southeast and still get all four seasons for your indoor and outdoor pleasures. One place in Oregon that I have grown quite fond of is Astoria.
Astoria is a beach/port town on the most northwestern tip of Oregon that lies on the Columbia River, and is just a a hop, skip and a 4-mile bridge away from Washington. Astoria might sound familiar; American millionaire John Jacob Astor named several cities and hotels 'Astoria' after himself, including this little gem. Several movies were shot in Astoria as well: The Goonies, Overboard, Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy, The Ring I and II, Into The Wild and The Guardian...just to name a few.
Last Valentine's Day my boyfriend Eric and I decided to plan a getaway from our busy lives and spend a night in Astoria. We booked a room at Hotel Elliot and hoped for the best. Neither of us had been there since we were young so we didn't quite know what to expect. But alas, we were pleasantly surprised. Hotel Elliot sits right in the middle of town and is a perfect location for walking to the shops, restaurants and to the pier. The concierge even upgraded us to a suite! Here are some pictures of our room:
The front of the hotel
The "living room", with a great view of the water
The bedroom
Jacuzzi tub - woohoo!
Eric and I were very happy with our choice and the hotel is beautiful. There is also a rooftop terrace that would be great for a wedding (on the rare occasion that it is sunny in Astoria). After we set our bags down we decided to explore and find something to eat. Our goal? Seafood, beer and a view of the water. We found what we were looking for at Wet Dog Cafe.
Wet Dog Cafe is not only a restaurant but a brewery as well, serving beer made on site under the name Astoria Brewing Company. Their menu boasts a variety of seafood and burgers (and seafood burgers!), along with a great selection of beers. I had been wanting to try cioppino for a long time, and I knew that this would be my best chance at getting a great first impression...I could see the water from where we were sitting! My instincts didn't let me down, it was delicious! After a scrumptious meal we ended up taking home a growler (half-gallon) of the Old Red Beard Amber Ale to share at the hotel. The night ended beautifully with me falling asleep at 9:30pm. Poor Eric. lol
Steamers, mussels, tiger prawns, halibut and salmon in a delicious broth
If you're interested in visiting Astoria but don't know if a good beer and seafood stew is worth the trip, there are plenty of other fun things to do. We visited the Astoria Column, as well as the Walsh' house from The Goonies (which is still occupied by the way). There are also some great shops in town and several fun coffeeshops. On our way home we stopped in Seaside for a little arcade fun and Pig N' Pancake, but that's for another post. :)
The Astoria Column
The view from the top of the Column
"Heeeyyy you guuyyyssss!" The real Goonies house!
