A Walk in His Gardens--Astoria

You probably forgot all about it and like I, neglected to make a celebratory cake and blow out all the candles as you wished a very Happy 150th Birthday to ...

OREGON
The Beaver state.

Home to Ft. Clatsop, the winter settlement of Lewis & Clark

during the 1805-6 winter.

Site of Crater Lake, the USA's deepest lake.

Location of both a

windsurfing paradise in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge

and

home to Mt Hood where one can ski year round.

Oregon,

Washington state's southern neighbor

and

one of Idaho's western neighbors.

A really incredibly beautiful state where the Goonies and many other movies were filmed!!

So to honor Oregon, I present a 'Walk' in one of my favorite areas there--the home of the oldest permanent US settlement on the west coast (although I think that is somewhat a misnomer as the Native Americans were there a long time before it's settlement by Europeans) and much, much more--Astoria.

I hope you enjoy it; I know it helps me feel better for not celebrating the BIG day.

I like to think of Astoria as a little San Francisco but with a lot more trees and rain! But then the NW rain keeps our trees green--BTW--did you know that Washington is the 'evergreen state"? I know, I've done many walks there:) Will get to more of them later.

--

Back to Astoria...if you ever get to visit this town make sure you take a trip on some of the back roads along Young's Bay and up into the forests--so beautiful! Up to the column (especially on a clear day) and along the Columbia River, where there is a maritime museum and a trolley. If you have time, across the bay is Fort Clatsop and Fort Stevens, with what is left of the Peter Iredale shipwreck and more!

While in Astoria, if you're hungry for pastries check out the bakeries in town--there is one that makes the best Finnish prune pinwheel (yes, you heard me correctly - a pastry made with prunes); it is 'heavenly' to eat and I can never stop with only one. Sigh. For the non-prune lovers out there, they have a lot of other equally delectable pastries.

All this thinking of pastries and beautiful Astoria makes me want to travel but I should, considering the hour, be traveling off to bed:) So I bid you a good night from the NW.

Blessings, Aimee

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Photos: Astoria Column (on that hill), Young's Bay view & eagle, view of Astoria and the column from across Young's Bay, rural view in Astoria area, a view from Coxcomb Hill and a trolley along the Columbia River.

Note: Sorry but some of these photos were taken with my older camera and the resolution is -- well just not that good.