A Day Date at the Coast

After working all week and staying home Friday night (which was really relaxing and actually kind of fun) I wanted to get out and take some pictures on Saturday.  Our new little town has some great places and buildings to photograph - but it is little.  So I have done most of them already.  Solution?  Go somewhere else for the day!

So after a leisurely morning, we got some Dutch Brothers and headed down to Astoria.  When we got back home last night and I uploaded all of the pictures from my camera, I realized I took nearly 450 pictures that afternoon!  After sorting through them, I had it down to about 250.  Of course - I want to share every single one.  But that would just be overwhelming (both for me and anyone trying to look at them!).

Instead, I have decided to break them up into smaller posts throughout the next several days.  I still will not be able to share everything.  But at least I can post some of my favorites.

Our first stop was at the Rogue Public House for lunch.

It is housed in the oldest remaining cannery building on the Columbia - the former Hanthorn Cannery.  The building was built on Pier 39 in 1875 as part of the Columbia River Packers Association (which later became Bumble Bee Tuna).  The old building is also occupied by a cannery museum, river-view suites for rent, and offices available to artists and other small businesses. 

Here's a couple of old pictures of the building -  I'm not sure what years these are from, though.

For those of you who have not heard of Rogue - it is a group breweries and pubs that started in the late 80s (the year I was born, actually!!) in Ashland, OR.  They have lots of beers to choose from and pretty good food to go with it.  If you HAVE heard of Rogue, you probably have heard of their Dead Guy Ale.

I'm not sure what the Mr. had - but my Pumpkin Patch Ale was pretty tasty.  It's brewed in Newport, OR from pumpkins grown on their farms in Independence, OR.  Pair it with a burger and you are set!

As mentioned - this is a very old building.  They have made a point to NOT restore certain aspects of it - including the bathrooms.  You actually have to leave the restaurant and go through the old warehouse to get to the pre-union bathrooms (fortunately the stalls at least had doors on them).

 

If you are ever in this northwest corner of Oregon - I highly recommend visiting Pier 39.  Not only for the history - but also the views.

On any given day - there could be as many as 10 ships out beyond the piers.  They sit there after conquering the Columbia Bar before heading up river to Longview or Portland.  There's also a ton of smaller, local fishing boats.  If you are lucky, there could also be cruise ships or the Sternwheeler river boat in town.

Tomorrow - our date continues!!