TUESDAY - S.S.D.D. - the PG version of this acronym is "Same Story, Different Day"! That's where we once again found ourselves this morning.
What do you do when you have to vacate your campsite at the check-out time of 11:00AM and your next reservation is only 15-miles away with a check-in time of 4:00PM?
Well, if you're the TWO PEAS AND THE POD you head for the nearest Walmart Supercenter, where it's FREE to park a 50' long truck and trailer in the back of the lot for the next 4-1/2 hours.
To be completely fair, we did go into the store and purchase $76.83 worth of groceries.
This will have to suffice as our entire travel day photo collection for today.
I'm glad we have adequate cell phone reception here...
...because no way are we getting Starlink reception under all these trees.
WEDNESDAY - Today we'll be concentrating our efforts on exploring the Fort Stevens State Park.
There are several locations in the park that have grabbed our attention and one Historical Landmark just outside the park that has a little bit of WWII history attached to it.
EXPLORING FORT STEVENS
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We had barely made it out of the campground when we saw this lone female elk...
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...just grazing in the grass off the side of the road.
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The very northwest corner of Oregon is where you'll find Fort Stevens, guarding the entrance of the Columbia River from the south bank.
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This is where you'll find Battery Pratt in the Historic Area of the park.
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From this vantage point they had a clear view of the mouth of the river.
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There's one of the local fishing boats going out to sea for the day.
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This was the only gun turret that still displayed the metal ring to pivot the guns.
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All the others had been removed, possibly to be reused elsewhere, or for scrap.
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The entire battery is almost completely open to be explored.
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Down below it does get kind of dark in the far corners of the rooms.
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These tracks on the ceiling were used to transport ammunition throughout the battery.
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One track to bring it in and the other to take the empty buckets back out.
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Well, we couldn't see behind these locked doors.
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This is a replica of one of the 6" guns used to defend the fort.
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They could be raised and lowered to be shot and then reloaded.
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On June 21st, 1942 a Japanese submarine opened fire on Fort Stevens, the first time since the War of 1812 that the U.S. mainland had come under fire from an enemy.
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We have now moved inland to the Battery Russel location.
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From the parking lot you'll have to negotiate this set of 55-stairs to get to the battery.
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Battery Russel was built on the high ground about a half mile inland and south of the fort.
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It was smaller, but of the same design as Battery Pratt we explored earlier.
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Obviously, something was mounted to the floor in this upstairs lookout nest.
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Inside the concrete it looked as if it was filled with rocks from the beach.
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This is the inside of the sighting room on the top level.
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All the gun turrets were stripped bare of metal.
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Even the ammunition tracks were removed from the ceiling.
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Looking out from underneath the gun battery.
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It should be much easier to go down the stairs than it was coming up.
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At the South Jetty is a raised observation deck.
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Already on the deck when we arrived were a local birdwatcher (in red) and a couple from Panama Beach, FL who are now members of TWO PEAS AND THE POD.
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The tip of the south jetty is off limits during the Snowy Plover nesting season.
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Our next stop is probably the most iconic photo location here in Fort Stevens State Park.
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On October 25, 1906 the four-masted British ship, Peter Iredale, ran aground in a storm.
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Weeks later, when the storm subsided, the ship was hopelessly buried in the sand.
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The crew of 27 sailors escape without injury, but the ship was lost in the sands.
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Most of the ship was salvaged, but there is still part of the buried hull beneath the sand.
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The Peter Iredale was 285' long.
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This location marks the spot where the Japanese attack was focused. Three miles south of the military enclosures at the mouth of the Columbia River. They were so far off target that Fort Stevens never returned fire, which would have given away their correct location.
THURSDAY - While yesterday was spent inside the park, today we will be focusing of the sights in and around the town of Astoria.
Astoria was founded in 1811 and is the oldest city in the state. It is also the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains.
EXPLORING ASTORIA, OREGON
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The early morning fog over the Columbia River was obscuring the view of the bridge that will take us into Washington State tomorrow.
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Pig N Pancake is a coastal Oregon restaurant chain of just 6 locations. We've been seeing them along our travels and today we're going to check out the food.
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Similiar to the nationwide chain, Denny's, the food was good and inexpensive.
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Similiar to San Francisco, the roads here in Astoria are very steep. Here on 11th Street, between Irving and Jerome Avenues, the road is too steep to even be a road.
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Instead they installed a walking path with what are locally called "Pigeon Steps".
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We're now at the top of the steps, which are more like a grooved ramp than actual steps.
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The colorful home at the top of the pigeon steps deserved it's own photo.
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From the top you can see all the way down 11th Steet to the Columbia River.
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Up there on that hill is our next sightseeing destination, the Astoria Column.
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Near the base of the Astoria Column is the Chief Comcomly Memorial. He was the leader of the Chinook Nation in the early 1800s and a valued friend to Lewis and Clark. This is a cement replica of a Chinookan burial canoe.
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The Astoria Column is decorated with 22 events that shaped this region between 1792-1818. This year is the 100th Aniversary of the opening of the Astoria Column.
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After climbing the 164 steps to the top of the 125' column there is a commanding view.
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Although the view is partially obscured by the fog still at 9:00AM.
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There's ROVER down there awaiting Tricia's return. That's right I didn't make the climb. I prefered to wait until later this afternoon after the fog burns off.
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Tricia had the top all to herself and took the opportunity to do a 360° walk around video.
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There's one of the huge tankers coming into the river.
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That curved roof building down there is the Columbia River Maritime Museum, our next stop.
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See, I told you so!
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Docked behind the museum building is one of the American River Cruises boats.
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Also behind the museum building is the Lightship Columbia WLV604. It was the 4th and final lightship to ward off boats from the sandbar at the mouth of the river.
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In front of it is a large buoy that replaced the need for lightships.
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The lights atop the lightship would flash white every 10-seconds and were visible for 13-miles.
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We were able to go down below and explore the lower decks.
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Here is the dining hall for the crew of up to 20 men at a time.
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Of course right next door was the galley where meals were prepared.
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In another lower deck were the sleeping quarters.
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This spacious room was for the officers.
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This room was for the enlisted crew members.
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We were too early to get a guided tour of the engine room in the bottom of the ship, so we decided to head back up to the outer deck.
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The outside deck was textured with a nonslip flooring, important when it's wet and rocking.
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We are back inside the Astoria Column Gift Shop where everyone is encouraged to purchase a $1 balsa wood airplane to throw off the top of the column.
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How could you say no to that! Tricia tried to video the flight of her airplane, but it was a complete failure to keep it in frame.
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Let's just say her plane landed somewhere beyond those tall trees out there.
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Yes, I went up to the top this time and the view was much improved over this mornings.
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We ate lunch back in town across the street from the museum at Bowpicker Fish & Chips.
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This "food truck" type location was no secret. Everyone in town was here for lunch.
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You wait in line, order your food, move to the next window to recieve your food and then exit out the other side. Very efficient, but still slow, because each item is cooked when ordered.
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For dessert we walked one block down the road to Custard King.
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There were quite a few of these colorful murals around town.
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Here's Tricia's haul from the Astoria Column Gift Shop. She bought an extra plane to keep.
Looking for our Visited States Map and Data? How about our State by State Bucket Lists or Visited Campgrounds List? If so, click on the sign below to be taken to our other website.
We had barely made it out of the campground when we saw this lone female elk...
...just grazing in the grass off the side of the road.
The very northwest corner of Oregon is where you'll find Fort Stevens,
This is where you'll find Battery Pratt in the Historic Area of the park.
From this vantage point they had a clear view of the mouth of the river.
There's one of the local fishing boats going out to sea for the day.
This was the only gun turret that still displayed the metal ring to pivot the guns.
All the others had been removed, possibly to be reused elsewhere, or for scrap.
The entire battery is almost completely open to be explored.
Down below it does get kind of dark in the far corners of the rooms.
These tracks on the ceiling were used to transport ammunition throughout the battery.
One track to bring it in and the other to take the empty buckets back out.
Well, we couldn't see behind these locked doors.
This is a replica of one of the 6" guns used to defend the fort.
They could be raised and lowered to be shot and then reloaded.
On June 21st, 1942 a Japanese submarine opened fire on Fort Stevens,
We have now moved inland to the Battery Russel location.
From the parking lot you'll have to negotiate this set of 55-stairs to get to the battery.
Battery Russel was built on the high ground about a half mile inland and south of the fort.
It was smaller, but of the same design as Battery Pratt we explored earlier.
Obviously, something was mounted to the floor in this upstairs lookout nest.
Inside the concrete it looked as if it was filled with rocks from the beach.
This is the inside of the sighting room on the top level.
All the gun turrets were stripped bare of metal.
Even the ammunition tracks were removed from the ceiling.
Looking out from underneath the gun battery.
It should be much easier to go down the stairs than it was coming up.
At the South Jetty is a raised observation deck.
Already on the deck when we arrived were a local birdwatcher (in red) and
The tip of the south jetty is off limits during the Snowy Plover nesting season.
Our next stop is probably the most iconic photo location here in Fort Stevens State Park.
On October 25, 1906 the four-masted British ship, Peter Iredale, ran aground in a storm.
Weeks later, when the storm subsided, the ship was hopelessly buried in the sand.
The crew of 27 sailors escape without injury, but the ship was lost in the sands.
Most of the ship was salvaged, but there is still part of the buried hull beneath the sand.
The Peter Iredale was 285' long.
This location marks the spot where the Japanese attack was focused. Three miles south of the military enclosures at the mouth of the Columbia River. They were so far off target that Fort Stevens never returned fire, which would have given away their correct location.
The early morning fog over the Columbia River was obscuring the view of the bridge
Pig N Pancake is a coastal Oregon restaurant chain of just 6 locations.
Similiar to the nationwide chain, Denny's, the food was good and inexpensive.
Similiar to San Francisco, the roads here in Astoria are very steep. Here on 11th Street, between Irving and Jerome Avenues, the road is too steep to even be a road.
Instead they installed a walking path with what are locally called "Pigeon Steps".
We're now at the top of the steps, which are more like a grooved ramp than actual steps.
The colorful home at the top of the pigeon steps deserved it's own photo.
From the top you can see all the way down 11th Steet to the Columbia River.
Up there on that hill is our next sightseeing destination, the Astoria Column.
Near the base of the Astoria Column is the Chief Comcomly Memorial.
The Astoria Column is decorated with 22 events that shaped this region between 1792-1818.
After climbing the 164 steps to the top of the 125' column there is a commanding view.
Although the view is partially obscured by the fog still at 9:00AM.
There's ROVER down there awaiting Tricia's return. That's right I didn't make the climb.
That curved roof building down there is the Columbia River Maritime Museum, our next stop.
See, I told you so!
Docked behind the museum building is one of the American River Cruises boats.
Also behind the museum building is the Lightship Columbia WLV604.
In front of it is a large buoy that replaced the need for lightships.
The lights atop the lightship would flash white every 10-seconds and were visible for 13-miles.
We were able to go down below and explore the lower decks.
Here is the dining hall for the crew of up to 20 men at a time.
Of course right next door was the galley where meals were prepared.
In another lower deck were the sleeping quarters.
This spacious room was for the officers.
This room was for the enlisted crew members.
We were too early to get a guided tour of the engine room in the bottom of the ship,
The outside deck was textured with a nonslip flooring, important when it's wet and rocking.
We are back inside the Astoria Column Gift Shop where everyone is encouraged to purchase
How could you say no to that!
Let's just say her plane landed somewhere beyond those tall trees out there.
Yes, I went up to the top this time and the view was much improved over this mornings.
We ate lunch back in town across the street from the museum at Bowpicker Fish & Chips.
This "food truck" type location was no secret. Everyone in town was here for lunch.
You wait in line, order your food, move to the next window to recieve your food and then
For dessert we walked one block down the road to Custard King.
There were quite a few of these colorful murals around town.
Here's Tricia's haul from the Astoria Column Gift Shop. She bought an extra plane to keep.
