7/7/12 - Astoria Column

It's a short drive to Astoria from where we were staying in Seaside, so we drove up Coxcomb Hill to climb the Astoria Column in the City Park. 

Built in 1926, it was the pet project of the president of the Great Northern RR.  (I think he was playing with real monopoly money.)  He built 12 of these historical markers between St. Paul, MN and Astoria, OR. 

On the summit of the tallest hill in town, it's a memorial to early explorers and settlers.  It's decorated with a frieze of 22 significant events in the region.

Climbing is kind of weird.  The stairs are a right-hand spiral and the part of the wedge next to the center column is pretty narrow.  We went up the 164 steps as lots of other people were coming down.  I held on to those knobby things in the middle.  I don't know how George got those size 15 feet to fit!



On a clear day you can see forever...well, anyway, to Mount St. Helens & Mt. Hood.  It wasn't very clear but we could see the Astoria Bridge across the Columbia River.   George and I showed up pretty good.

Back downstairs, we headed to the Bowpicker for fish 'n' chips again.   The line was longer, but it was still worth the wait.



If you'd like to see a few more pictures, click on this link:  Astoria Column