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All aboard the Astoria trolley | Grant's Getaways

'Old 300' has been riding the rails since 1913 and arrived in Astoria in 1998. The vintage trolley runs a three-mile route along the coastal town’s waterfront.

ASTORIA, Ore. — Astoria, Oregon is a great place to find remarkable adventures like exploring the towering Astoria Column, the historic Liberty Theatre downtown or the Columbia River Maritime Museum. Along the town's waterfront, Astoria Brewing offers something good to choose from for dining or imbibing.

Outdoor recreation is also easy to find, and highflyers will get a kick from zip lines at High Life Adventures near Warrenton, while the black powder demonstration at Fort Clatsop National Memorial, the winter home for the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery back in 1805, will always draw attention.

"It is the oldest U.S settlement west of the Rockies," noted local historian Paulette McCoy. "That's truly part of bragging rights, and it is also the beauty of the Columbia River meeting up with the Pacific Ocean."

The Columbia River's early days come alive for visitors who join lifelong local mark Schacher aboard his Arrow, a refurbished working boat that tours Astoria's waterfront.

"Astoria's reputation is bigger than itself," said Schacher. "It's always been that way! It's just a small town of 10,000 people, but everybody's heard of it."

Credit: Grant McOmie, KGW

Visitors who don't want to get their feet wet can step aboard "Old 300." The vintage trolley has been riding the rails since 1913, and arrived in Astoria in 1998.

"Normally it's about an hour trip along the waterfront, but it really depends on how busy we are. Our busiest times are when we have the cruise ships in town and we only have the one trolley that seats 44 passengers," noted trolley conductor Craig Yamasaki.

It’s a three mile out-and-back excursion along the town’s waterfront, with 10 designated stops that allow riders to get on and off. But, Craig added with a chuckle, many folks choose to make their own stops.

"We tell folks to wave a dollar bill, and that’s how we know they want the trolley," he said.

Credit: Grant McOmie, KGW

The ride is smooth and easy, but unlike a car, the motormen stand to drive the trolley, with their hands doing all the work. Hand-eye trolley control takes practice! There's a mandatory training manual for the scores of volunteers who serve Old 300, Craig added, and the group is always looking for someone new.

"My dad worked on the Union Pacific Railroad for 35 years," said volunteer Gayle Littlejohn, who's been working aboard the trolley for seven years. "So, I knew I wanted to help with this. I do a lot of interpretation and I’ll see a town site and know to talk about it. Some people want to know a lot of history, and I’m not a big historian and I don’t get into the Lewis and Clark adventure and all that – I do more of the local stuff."

The trolley runs daily – rides begin at noon – so check it out the next time you’re in town.

Be sure to watch the weekly half hour program of Grant’s Getaways. The show airs each Saturday and Sunday at 4pm on KGW.

More Grant's Getaways

For something different, you can follow my Oregon adventures via the Grant’s Getaways Podcast: Each segment is a story-telling session where I relate behind the scenes stories from four decades of travel and television reporting.

You can also learn more about many of my favorite Oregon travels and adventures in the Grant’s Getaways book series, including:

The book collection offers hundreds of outdoor activities across Oregon and promises to engage a kid of any age.

You can reach me at Gmcomie@kgw.com.

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