Pacific West Coast

Joanie Foley
Oct 1, 2021
2 min read

Cannon Beach - Haystack Rock

We spent a peaceful morning on this iconic beach!

Astoria Column

We climbed the 164 step spiral staircase to the top of the125 foot Astoria Column that sits 600 feet above sea level for the panoramic views of the Columbia River and Astoria to be had on the viewing platform. The exterior of the column is decorated with a frieze that is almost seven feet wide, and if “unrolled,” would be over 525 feet long. The painting shows 14 significant events in the early history of Oregon with a focus on Astoria. It is located on highest hill in Astoria and is very impressive!

Astoria Riverwalk

The Astoria Riverwalk trail stretches along the city's waterfront, following a portion of the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad. We enjoyed a nice 3 mile walk on the trail - seeing birds, see lions and different waterfront activities.

International Rose Test Garden- Portland, OR

We almost did not go to the International Rose Test Garden because late September would be too late to catch blooms. We were so glad we rolled the dice because the garden was absolutely beautiful. The garden was scented by the many different varieties of roses that were in bloom. There was a sweet older gentleman playing a keyboard as we strolled around these magical gardens! We got some great ideas for our garden next year!

Sand Dunes in Florence, OR

We went to South Jetty Beach 4. We were "wowed" by how different the colors and textures of the dunes were in comparison to what we were used to in the DelMarVa area. It was a steep, steep climb up the BAM! beautiful sand and the Pacific Ocean was in front of us! We loved walking the beach. We had the entire beach as far as the eye could see entirely to ourselves.

Sweet Cheeks Winery

Southern Willamette Valley in known for its Pinot Noir so we wanted to be sure to check out a local winery. We really enjoyed the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Gris we sampled. The tasting was on the patio with spectacular views of the vineyards. Was a great way to cap off a lovely day!