Having a border nearby always trips me up. I think it’s because I grew up in Texas, where the only place you can drive in a day is still Texas. So don’t laugh when I tell you that I was pleasantly surprised to learn on a recent trip to the Long Beach Peninsula in southwest Washington that hopping over to Astoria, Oregon meant just a few minutes in the car.
Our reasons for leaving the beach for a day were twofold: 1) An opportunity to take an eco-tour of the Columbia River, following some of the routes established by Lewis and Clark and 2) Sloth love Chunk.
Bald eagles and singing seals
I heard Captain Christopher Lloyd speak passionately about his Columbia River Eco Tours at the Travel & Words Conference in Woodinville a few months ago, and was thrilled when that exact tour was part of my Long Beach itinerary. After the chilliest, dampest spring in the history of the Pacific Northwest, we lucked out – the day of our tour was sunny, breezy and in the 70s.
It’s amazing what being on the water can do for your mind. Everyone was in a fine mood that morning, but as soon as the Captain pulled the boat out and picked up speed, the mood changed to downright euphoric. We sailed past Astoria’s historic waterfront and into the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge, passing pirates, nesting eagles, and a pretty raucous family of seals.
One-Eyed Willy? Perhaps.
Wildlife refuge
Bald eagle!
A vocal bunch. (See video)
Captain Lloyd and his wife were amazing hosts, and incredibly knowledgeable about the river, the community and the surrounding wildlife.
Speaking of pirates
Astoria, for those of you who aren’t children of the 80s, is where The Goonies was filmed. Josh and I made a beeline for the prison (now a museum) as soon as we got into town, then headed up the hill to see the house. THE house. The one Chunk did the Truffle Shuffle in front of! The one where Mouth “translated” into Spanish for Rosalita! The one where Mikey finds the map in the attic! THE HOUSE!
The Fratellis had already bailed
Pinchers of Power!
I’m aware that if you’re reading this and have never seen or have no interest in seeing The Goonies, I sound like a babbling moron. But if you are a fan and you get an opportunity to head down to Astoria, do it! Because up there it’s their time, but it’s our time down here.
Unless of course you just want to ride up Troy’s bucket.
My Eco Tour experience was kindly sponsored by the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau.
August 26th, 2011 → 6:19 pm
[...] 3. The location. The drive from Seattle is less than three hours, and a very pleasant, scenic drive at that. But it feels so much farther from the city. And it’s right near the Oregon border, so you can head across the bridge to Astoria and pay your Goonies respects! [...]
November 14th, 2011 → 3:40 pm
[...] first thought when Astoria is mentioned is “Goonies,” followed closely by “singing seals.” After this trip, I have to say “awesome food” is also on the [...]