We had previously gotten a taste of the West Coast; our Sunday night hipcamp host was like a quintessential one of those dudes — I’m not sure how to describe it exactly, but if you know what I’m trying to say then you know what I’m trying to say. And the morning’s coffee in Hood River was ordered over the pulsing of California pop music, ruthlessly efficient, busy and full of all kinds of people, and fantastic.
Today we would get a different view of coastal life. The Oregon Coast Highway, US 101, runs from LA up through Washington. We followed it from Tillamook to Astoria along the Oregon Coast. The ocean was beautiful; the hills were beautiful; the river was beautiful. It was rainy — we had packed camp in the soaking rain — and a spooky mist draped over the hills. There is so much life in this part of the country; somehow an entire slug had found its way into our tent. But we’ve seen practically no mosquitos or ticks; instead we get harbor seals barking outside our Astoria hotel.
The Columbia River could be mistaken for a lake; parts of it are actually named as lakes. It’s got drawbridges and big ships and a river walk and made us nostalgic for Duluth. It’s got a cozy downtown full of galleries, antique shops, breweries, outfitters, and the like. We ate at one such brewery, Astoria Brewing, with patio seating looking out over the river. Somehow we had both neglected to bring books on this road trip, and after dinner a cute little book store lured us in to remedy that. Glass blocks inset into the sidewalk lured Rosie’s artistic eye.
The day didn’t start out the best; we hid out in the tent for a long while before giving up and packing in the rain. Rosie wasn’t feeling the best either (transcontinental travel will do that!). But the day ended very nicely, watching Die Hard 2 and reading our new books in the best hotel room yet. Tomorrow we’ll cross the Astoria bridge into Washington and continue on to Seattle. The heart of the trip is here!
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