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What to do with one day in Astoria in July


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We are 4 people on a cruise arriving July 12 in Astoria. We don't particularly like ship excursions and wondered what you might recommend for some sightseeing that day. We will hire a private guide if necessary but if we can get around on our own that would be great.

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There are a couple of Astoria threads already, which might give you some ideas. When you say you don't like the ship excursions - why not? There's a big difference in terms of making recommendations if you want to avoid them because you think they're too pricey but would go to the same places or if you hate the sound of all the places the ship tours go! Plus, details on how long you have in port could be critical - no point mentioning a place you don't have time to get to...

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In town, Could walk or take the trolley to the Maritime Museum. Eat at the Bowpicker or one of the brewpubs. Check out the Columbia Tower, firehouse museum, the Theatre. Take the trolley to either end and help turn it around. Josephson’s Smokehouse has fabulous smoked fish.

 

Fort Clatsop is the end of the Lewis and Clark trail.

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^It's a decent-sized town, so there are plenty of shops in Astoria. Small market-stalls get set up by the pier on cruise days for various artisanal doodads.

 

Tillamook cheese factory is interesting if you've never seen industrial scale cheesemaking happen - but their actual cheese is weaksauce. Their best cheddar is only aged 18 months so if you're used to good cheese it's a real letdown (though if the likes of black Diamond is your comparison, it's a step up!)

 

There's a far superior cheesemaker only a few hundred yards away in Tillamook, Blue Heron (they also do wine tastings).

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My experience is a bit dated (about 3 years old). The bigger ships NCL etc. dock at a commercial pier that is a short walk from the town center. It is actually a nice walk along the water front. Some of the smaller ships that can make it under the bridge end up just off the downtown centre and tender.

 

As some have suggested taking the historic tram that runs along the water front is an option.

 

Lots of historic building in the town. It has a very small town fell. I would just wonder around the town and explore.

 

There is a good chance they will have an open air market with artisans in the downtown core a ship day.

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We are 4 people on a cruise arriving July 12 in Astoria. We don't particularly like ship excursions and wondered what you might recommend for some sightseeing that day. We will hire a private guide if necessary but if we can get around on our own that would be great.

 

Ok. Can't believe that no has mentioned it yet...or maybe they did on the Astoria forum? but it is a nostalgia, movie buff thing I guess...the Astoria Film museum...is also Filled with Goonies stuff...no you can't go to the house, but the rest is cool..the admission package we got also included a gorgeous Victorian mansion across the street, as well as another museum a few blocks away.

 

About 30-45 minutes away is a cute seaside town called..Seaside...

 

There is also the tower...some 194 (I think) steps will take you to the top, and the same number will bring you back down...

 

I can't tell you much else, we had edible pizza from some place, but our day was spent with one of my best friends that I hadn't seen in 10 years, and I asked him to drive 2.5 hours to pick us up and drive us around, so I could introduce my husband to him. That fact that we could throw in some 80's movie nostalgia...bonus.

 

Was a busy quaint little town. Enjoy and have fun...

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We are 4 people on a cruise arriving July 12 in Astoria. We don't particularly like ship excursions and wondered what you might recommend for some sightseeing that day. We will hire a private guide if necessary but if we can get around on our own that would be great.

 

Hey there! I actually live and work in Astoria! The previous posters are right .... we have a nice little town with lots to see and do!

 

There is lots to do within walking distance of where you dock. They also usually have busses at the port that will drive you into downtown if you would like. I would guess it´s about a mile from the dock to the downtown area. There are quite a few Art Gallerys to check out (I think you mentioned interest in that!). RiverSea Gallery is great as is Old Town Frame Shop. They would also be able to recommend more places. There isn´t much as far as wine tasting, but we do have some really amazing breweries:

Fort George Brewery: great brew pub with really good beers, definitely known for IPAs and more hoppy stuff. Restaurant will be busy for lunch and food is okay.

Buoy Beer: This place is also great! ON THE WATER - Amazing views. Great food, and a wider beer selection and also a full bar. If you want to go here, get there when they open at 11:00 to avoid a long wait.

Astoria Brewing Company: OK.

Reach Break Brewing: A great brewery near the Fort George. Tap Room, so no restaurant, but 3 food carts on the patio to buy from (thai, bbq, and taco fusion). On a nice day its a great place to sit and visit and relax. Right next door to Reach Break and sharing the same patio is Reveille Cider which has amazing hard ciders!

 

I would also recommend the Columbia River Maritime Museum, and the Film Museum if you love the Goonies.

 

I see lots of posts about Tillamook. In the Summer with traffic, Tillamook is a good 1 1/2 hour drive from Astoria. I would not want to be spending that much time in the car. I would also skip Seaside.

 

If you want to go to the beach, have Astoria Downtown Coffee Shop and Taxi Service take you to the Peter Iredale shipwreck beach. Not sure where you are from, but our beaches are usually COLD and WINDY! hahahaha.

 

If you walk to the Riverwalk all the way to the end, Coffee Girl is a great coffee shop on Pier 39 with amazing views, great coffee and pastries.

 

Let me know what other questions you have about our little town!

 

Oh and as others have mentioned, if it is a nice day, climbing the Astor Column is quite a treat .... but it is a spiral staircase and has made my friends feel a bit woozy after climbing up and down that many steps!

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I have to echo the recommendation for Cannon Beach. I stopped in Astoria with a cruise and took the tour offered by the ship. I loved the area so much I spent a week at a boutique resort just south of Cannon Beach last year. You will see the magnificent Haystack Rock as well as the charming town of Cannon Beach itself. There is some wonderful shopping and I had the best Clam Chowder I've ever had at Morris's Fireside Restaurant.

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How far is cannon beach and what is the best way to get there?

 

I took the tour offered by the cruise line and we made a few stops along the way so I really can't answer your question. This worked for me but others may think renting a car is a better option.

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How far is cannon beach and what is the best way to get there?

See for yourself (and since that map goes from the only car rental office in Astoria, you can probably guess what I think the best way to get there is!)

 

PS: there are 3 'Haystack Rocks' along the Oregon Coast. Cannon Beach is the middle-size one, and you can walk out to it at low tide but you're not allowed too close because of bird nesting sites. The one off Cape Kiwanda is almost half again as big, and has a cool hole right through one end of it, so I've added that site to the road map too (it's further, but still driveable in a port day). It's the best of the three IMO. The third is even further, much smaller, and not actually haystack shaped so I've got no idea how the heck it ended up with that name... this site has pics of all three so you can compare.

 

Personally I wouldn't leave Astoria - well, Fort Clatsop is outside town but not far, though transit options are not very feasible so a rental car would still be helpful. It's a steep schlep up the the Column too, and parking is available all over town for free or very low cost, so a car is a pretty good idea even if you don't hit the highway.

 

But since it sounds like you might enjoy teeny twee tourist towns with knick-knack shops and little restos, after you're done in Astoria fill any leftover time with a drive over the bridge to Washington State's Long Beach Peninsula - while whoever is driving should of course keep eyes on the road, it's a pretty sweet bridge for passengers to roll down windows for pics of the mouth of the Columbia and out to the ocean. Once across, you'll find the longest beach in the US and a string of wee towns & villages running along the 103 right next to it, bracketed by state parks on each end.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's so nice when a local weighs in, the information is much appreciated to be sure.

 

 

 

My concern is that I've already booked a "Mt. St. Helens Tour" through RCI for our visit in Sept. I would apprecate any feedback on this. Would you know how long the drive is from Astoria to the site? I also worry that it would be a wasted trip if the weather doesn't cooperate and Mt. St. Helens is not visible. Your description of Astoria and sites, is making me second guess this excursion. I can always cancel, but would really like your take. Thank you so much!

 

 

 

 

 

Hey there! I actually live and work in Astoria! The previous posters are right .... we have a nice little town with lots to see and do!

 

There is lots to do within walking distance of where you dock. They also usually have busses at the port that will drive you into downtown if you would like. I would guess it´s about a mile from the dock to the downtown area. There are quite a few Art Gallerys to check out (I think you mentioned interest in that!). RiverSea Gallery is great as is Old Town Frame Shop. They would also be able to recommend more places. There isn´t much as far as wine tasting, but we do have some really amazing breweries:

Fort George Brewery: great brew pub with really good beers, definitely known for IPAs and more hoppy stuff. Restaurant will be busy for lunch and food is okay.

Buoy Beer: This place is also great! ON THE WATER - Amazing views. Great food, and a wider beer selection and also a full bar. If you want to go here, get there when they open at 11:00 to avoid a long wait.

Astoria Brewing Company: OK.

Reach Break Brewing: A great brewery near the Fort George. Tap Room, so no restaurant, but 3 food carts on the patio to buy from (thai, bbq, and taco fusion). On a nice day its a great place to sit and visit and relax. Right next door to Reach Break and sharing the same patio is Reveille Cider which has amazing hard ciders!

 

I would also recommend the Columbia River Maritime Museum, and the Film Museum if you love the Goonies.

 

I see lots of posts about Tillamook. In the Summer with traffic, Tillamook is a good 1 1/2 hour drive from Astoria. I would not want to be spending that much time in the car. I would also skip Seaside.

 

If you want to go to the beach, have Astoria Downtown Coffee Shop and Taxi Service take you to the Peter Iredale shipwreck beach. Not sure where you are from, but our beaches are usually COLD and WINDY! hahahaha.

 

If you walk to the Riverwalk all the way to the end, Coffee Girl is a great coffee shop on Pier 39 with amazing views, great coffee and pastries.

 

Let me know what other questions you have about our little town!

 

Oh and as others have mentioned, if it is a nice day, climbing the Astor Column is quite a treat .... but it is a spiral staircase and has made my friends feel a bit woozy after climbing up and down that many steps!

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It's so nice when a local weighs in, the information is much appreciated to be sure.

 

My concern is that I've already booked a "Mt. St. Helens Tour" through RCI for our visit in Sept. I would apprecate any feedback on this. Would you know how long the drive is from Astoria to the site? I also worry that it would be a wasted trip if the weather doesn't cooperate and Mt. St. Helens is not visible. Your description of Astoria and sites, is making me second guess this excursion. I can always cancel, but would really like your take. Thank you so much!

I'm not the specific poster asked, but I can say that it is a very long bus ride, over 5 hours return. Would you be happy doing that to then not have a view? Also, if on the fence, a car rental would be much cheaper than the excursion...

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We live in Portland and you probably stand a pretty good chance of seeing MT St Helens and seeing inside. Sept is one of our best weather months. We have been up there in the rain and it’s still worth visiting. The visitors center is very worthwhile to see. If we were on this cruise you are much safer off going on the ship bus tour as you never know just what sort of traffic situation you are going to get into. Definitely wouldn’t want to be in a panic getting back to Astoria. All it takes is one wreck and you could be keeping a close eye on your watch. Yes you may get their sooner.

 

 

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