I'll try to make this short and sweet so you can skip on through the photos and decide whether or not you want to just take the tour on here or head to Astoria yourself to check it out.
(I'd choose the latter of course...I'm thinking this is the new Columbia Gorge. Well almost.)
About a year ago, I had a patient I will never forget. There are always those unforgettable people that come and go in our lives. This was one of them. In fact, I almost wanted to stalk her when we made it to Astoria. I'm not kidding. She was that lovely and I wish everybody had her attitude. Anyway, she is the one that sparked my desire to get to know Astoria. So, as part of our Christmas gifts last year
from my parents, they decided to get us a stay at this lovely B&B!
Not only does the River Inn B&B serve gluten free options, but I have never been to a B&B that serves this much food! They make sure you don't have to buy lunch while you're done there. We brought
our bikes, which is nice to have to get around town quickly. However, the hills are a beezy
coming back up! I suppose it's the only way I can get Ty to exercise on vacation ;-) The town is
walkable, so if you don't want to bring bikes then don't. If you do, then the B&B is so kind enough to
let you store them in their basement.
So let us let you in on where to stay (obviously here), where to go, where to eat, and what to see!
STAY!
We stayed in two different rooms, both of which were darling! Each room had a touch of the
owners taste. For him, it was the signs. For her, she followed suit with antiques.
And the views from the house...gahhh!
We loved watching all the boats coming and going, night and day!
EAT!
In fact, tonight I would've drove down to Astoria to eat there and turned around to come home.
It's that good. And the last time I ever had fish and chips?? I can't even tell you because
it's been that long! You guys, I was in heaven. And then I was in a food coma. Heaven and a
food coma, I'll take it. Every bit of it was worth it!
They don't consider themselves a "gluten free facility" but when no such gluten goes
in their deep fryers...Amen! All gluten free desserts. Tons of fun gluten free drinks (not that I had one, but in case you like them...have at 'em). And majority of the rest of their menus are gluten free.
To. Die. For.
Like I said, I'll make a trip there if anybody wants to go one of these days. And if you want to go on a Tuesday, I'll drive early in the AM because Baked Alaska does buy one, get one gluten free pizza.
And their pizza...let's just say "pork belly with jalapeno jelly and mozzarella cheese." Between a deal like that and their unique pizzas...that's enough to get me running for the coast. I'll literally...well
maybe drive to Astoria, then run from my car to the restaurant. And most likely only run because it's probably raining there. You get what I mean I hope ;-)
and for your leaving town meal or a quick lunch, head to the Bow Picker. Most famous fish and chips
in Astoria. They use tuna instead of any other fish, which makes it more interesting.
(Ty ate here as it was not gluten free)
DO!
walk the river path and through downtown to check out the shops and/or restaurants.
Enjoy the view from every angle!
check out the pier and the coast guard ships
go to the column. if you stay at the River Inn, it's a lovely walk up the steep hills.
Check it out in the morning and evening...if you're lucky you just may get to see more
than the fog. Luck is key here though.
and then of course, climb up the stairs. don't wuss out. it's worth the climb.
spend part of your day at the Maritime Museum. Trust me.
I was never one to read or dig deep into museums before, but now. Now I'm a whole
new lady. This stuff is so interesting and I can't even begin to tell you how much more respect
I have for all you Coast Guards, boat drivers, captains, etc. I don't want your job, I'll say that much!
Plus you even get the chance for a few hands on things. So parents, you just may have some luck
with your kiddos at this place!
check out Astoria Vintage Hardware. I wanted to buy it all, but I walked away with nothing.
Probably because I loved the big items and there was no way they'd fit in our car for the drive home.
Instead, I just admired which is still fun.
take part of your day to drive to a few lighthouses. stop in towns to get some taffy, ice cream,
or just take pictures as you drive through (just as I did below).
and if you're like us, we park and run to lighthouses. One time we ran together and the other we
did not. And the time we didn't....well we were parked illegally so one person stayed in the car and timed the other, then we switched. I won. I always win. But then guy always wins my heart.
It's a fair trade.
once you're done exploring the lighthouses, come back to town for lunch. And like I said,
try out one of those two restaurants and if you've already done that...then head to the Bow Picker.
After lunch, explore the city...
The Flavel House, the iconic Goonies places, etc.
This place has so much history. Soak it all up, bring it all in, and enjoy every moment!
be sure to find time to stroll up and down the streets to check out the historic homes, updated homes, the architecture itself, and the view (yet again). Grab yourself a coffee and snack
at Fort George (on Fridays they serve gluten free items) to keep warm while you stomp up
and down those hills. Before you know it, you'll be workin' up a good sweat!
explore on foot (aka run for me) early in the AM, before much is even alive in town.
Kinda creepy, yet really neat!
And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed your mini Astoria tour or are making plans (like now)
to have a few days to explore. If you decide to go, please do enjoy yourself!
♥T&C
