Thursday, April 3, 2025
Nice sunny day today but a brisk 47 degrees.
After a leisurely breakfast again in the main dining room, we decided to skip the state park. We were just going to walk the mile to downtown Astoria via the Riverwalk.
The path to the downtown area was clearly marked and we were not the only ones who decided to walk. Others opted for the shuttle that was provided for a fee. Some people rented cars while others took taxis or Ubers to their destinations.
Our first stop was the Astoria Riverwalk Viewpoint. With no fog, we could see across the Columbia River to the state of Washington.
Our next stop was the Oregon film museum in downtown Astoria. The museum is located in a converted old jail.
It was small but a very interesting museum. I was not aware of the number of movies that had been filmed in and around Astoria, Oregon.
Some sample movies –
But the over-whelming draw to this museum is the 1985 movie The Goonies. They had several items of memorabilia from the movie. A person could even film themselves starring in various clips of the movie.
I saw a number of tourists of all ages in the museum who were wearing Goonies apparel and were quoting scenes from the movie. I kind of remember The Goonies but I feel I should watch it again since apparently it is a cult classic. The actual Goonies house is somewhere in Astoria, but we did not seek it out.
Our next stop, just right around the corner, was the Flavel House Museum. It was the 1886 Queen Anne home of Captain George Flavel, one of the first millionaires in Oregon.
You get your tickets at the Carriage House which has exhibits also.
Then you walk over to the house.
There is a docent that greets you at the door and can answer any questions. The tour through the two-story house is self-guided. The furnishings were beautiful.
There were other museums we could have visited once we finished here, but we decided to head back to the ship again via the Riverwalk.
Once we were at the pier, I did a little souvenir shopping at the booths that were set up (have to get that Christmas ornament).
We spent the afternoon sunning by the pool until it was time to get ready for the evening. When we got back to the room we had another gift from the Casino – a beach bag.
Tonight, we had a reservation at the Canaletto, the specialty Italian restaurant. I ordered the Chianti-braised beef brisket and Chuck ordered the Chicken Parmesan.
The show in the world stage tonight was Move by the HAL singers and dancers. We had seen it before on a different ship, so we opted to go to the Casino.
The Casino was very busy as it is the last day/evening it will be open for this trip. We played for a while until it was too busy to enjoy it. We settled our account and made our way to the Orange Party.
The Orange Party, the celebration of the Dutch heritage, is held on every sailing. Tonight, the party would be in the BB King Lounge. Most people wear something orange, with several going all-out in costumes, wigs, etc. Chuck likes to wear his bright orange wig.
We stayed for a while listening to the music, but the dance floor was packed. We then made our way to our favorite venue – the Rolling Stone Lounge.
Once they finished their last set, we called it a night.
Back in our cabin, we were greeted by a towel animal, and some chocolate.
We really did enjoy our time in Astoria and agreed it would be a place we would like to come back to visit more in-depth.
Tomorrow – Victoria, BC
Travel Trivia*
Founded in 1811 by John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company, Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies.
The Astoria-Megler Bridge, which spans the Columbia River and connects Astoria to Washington State, is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.
The Columbia River Bar is one of the most dangerous navigational hazards in the world, with treacherous currents, shifting sandbars, and strong winds. The Coast Guard has a station in Astoria to monitor the bar and perform rescues when needed.
Located near Astoria, Fort Clatsop National Memorial Park is where the Lewis and Clark expedition spent the winter of 1805-1806.
*trivia supplied by Oregon and Astoria marketing materials
