One of the first things I noticed about Astoria is that the downtown area seemed quite large for a population of only 10,000 people. A hundred years ago, it was the second largest city in Oregon. Astoria’s past sometimes overshadows the present; the Lewis and Clark expedition spent time there and it was the first permanent U.S. settlement west of the Rockies. Certain parts of the city feel frozen in time; buildings look like they haven’t been touched in at least 50 years and original signage is everywhere. Beautiful Victorian houses line the steep hills behind the downtown streets.  

     

     

      

      

      

    

From the edge of downtown, you can see the waterfront. Old warehouses, new restaurants, and tiny shops line the pier. Straight out of a storybook…