Aside from a wedding back East, Adam and I haven't spent much time out of the city since our Memorial Day trip to Hood River. When trying to decide what to do over the weekend, I suggested we get out of town and head to Astoria. After getting over the hesitation of a potential 6+ hour roundtrip drive, we decided 'why the hell not?!'.
After a (naturally) later than planned start, we had our alternative-milk based lattes in hand and were on the road.
I'm not going to say the main point of this trip was to have a beer, but our first destination was Fort George Brewery. This was pretty necessary after the somewhat terrifying jaunt across the 4 mile Astoria-Megler bridge. Annnd let's be real, having a 3-Way IPA at one of the sources was at the top of our to do list.
Our lunch - full of surprisingly good BBQ for a PNW brewery - was followed with a stroll around the waterfront taking in the sights of Columbia River and popping into local shops. The second stop on our agenda was - SURPRISE! - another brewery.
We stopped at Buoy Beer Company due to the amazing view of the river and Washington on the other side. As we shared a perfectly acceptable pilsner, a parade of boats sailed by. It was apparently Regatta Week, and local captains were showcasing their boats on the river. We saw everything from Coast Guard to fishing boats to tug boats to a makeshift pirate ship with a pretty damn authentic Captain Jack Sparrow.
We walked back through town to catch some live music at Fort George and enjoy a flight of beer on the patio. At this point it was getting a bit late for our 3 hour drive back to the city, so we grabbed dinner at Baked Alaska - as I couldn't leave town without some chowder. While maybe not the best restaurant we've been to, it got the job done with a great view.
Before heading out of town we stopped by the Astoria Column. Unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worst and some fog set in. Even though we didn't get great pictures, it was still nice to check off the list!
Needless to say it was a pretty quick trip, and there was definitely a lot more to check out. I personally wouldn't recommend making it a day trip. Next time, we'll plan for an entire weekend, or, at least, spending the night. Here are some shops and restaurants we'd like to visit our next time in town:
Restaurants
Shops
Garbo's Vintage Wear
Things to Do
Cape Disappointment State Park