Coolness

Our little town of Astoria, Oregon is on the ballet of Budget Travel Magazine to be one of the coolest small towns in America.  So far, the votes have us coming in at number two.  A quick picture tour of our town and a little bit of history will show you why we've made it this far, then, please, feel free to pop over to Budget Travel Magazine and vote for our Astoria!

Astoria, the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, is situated at the mouth of the Columbia River.  Fort Clatsop,  just a couple of miles out of town, is where the Lewis & Clark party wintered after they spied the mighty Pacific Ocean.  The Hudson Bay Fur Company settled in, with a big trapping and trading post and Astoria has been a unique and wonderful little settlement ever since.  Built on a peninsula of steep hills and boasting beautiful victorian homes, Astoria is sometimes refered to as the little San Francisco.  We are connected to the state of Washington by the bridge you see in the photo above, spanning the Columbia River for 4.3 miles. 

A Riverwalk spans the whole length of our town, running all the way from the bridge that spans the bay to the small town of Warrenton to the Tongue Point on the other end of town.  It's a great place to excercise, walk your dog, ride a bike or just sit and enjoy the sites on one of the many benches that dot the pathway along the Columbia River.

Starting with Lewis & Clark, Astoria has boasted several famous residents, such as John Jacob Astor.  Clarke Gable actually started his acting career here in a small local theatre.  Astoria is also the home of The Goonies~

Kindergarten Cop, Short Circuit, Free Willy, The Black Stallion, The Ring Two and several other movies have been filmed here because of our beautiful countryside and sweet town.

Many of the stars of Discovery Channels The Deadliest Catch and Axe Men are local residents.  Even with all of this, we are still a small fishing and logging community.  A real town who has not gotten above itself.

Astoria has a big and super fun Sunday Market, second only to Portland's famous market.  It runs every Sunday from Mother's day through the 2nd weekend in October and is full of everything from plants, handmade blankets, baked goods, fresh seafood, produce and artwork.  Food booths and live music are always a part of the festivities.

There's so much more that I could tell you - like how our downtown is still a small town downtown with fun shops in original old buildings;  how when you walk down the street people smile and say hello;  how people take pride in their beautiful victorian and craftsman homes;  how the first daffodil that blooms in, yes, early February, brings joy to all.

Thanks so much for taking this small tour of our town and if you find it to your liking, please, pop over  and vote for the coolest small town ever.  And if you find yourself out here, in the Pacific Northwest, stop by and have a beverage on our deck.  We'll be glad to show you around!