ASTORIA, Ore. — When it comes to an outdoor walkabout, Astoria, Oregon — the oldest townsite west of the Rockies and now more than two centuries young — offers a dizzying array of “must see” possibilities.
From the Astoria Column to the historic Liberty Theatre or the Columbia River Maritime Museum, there is always so much to see and learn!
Astoria resident Mac Burns, director of the Clatsop County Historical Society, offered another significant and sobering bragging right.
“Without this place being established in 1811 by John Jacob Astor, the truth is that Oregon, Washington and Idaho would all be a part of Canada today," Burns said. "That is a fact!”
The Astor party arrived in Astoria just three months ahead of a British scouting party led by explorer David Thompson. The party planted the U.S. flag smack in the middle of town, where a replica Fort Astoria stands today.
The fort is just the start of a day-long walkabout through Astoria that offers plenty to see and experience through adventures that meet head on with history.
While just off the town’s front step, the mighty Columbia River offers outdoor recreation that’s easy to come by. All you need is a trap, some bait and a spirit of adventure to catch dinner from the sea: fresh Dungeness crab!
“We’re one of the largest producers of Dungeness crab on the west coast and Alaska,” noted fisherman Steve Fick. “It’s really a year-round recreation and a staple for a lot of the coastal communities. People come to the coast, and they want to have crab.”
We recently joined a special gathering of guests at one of the town’s heritage pubs called the Astoria Brewing Company. While the brewery and pub were established in 1997, the business celebrates a same-name link with the very first Astoria Brewery established in 1872.
"Oh, very much so,” said pub manager, Matt McClure. “In the 1800s people were making beer and there were multiple breweries in the town. Well, prohibition takes over in the early years of the 20th century and shuts all those breweries down and nothing really happened with brew for many years. We decided to make beer and open Astoria Brewing Company as a homage to those early days — now 25 years ago — and it’s helped out the town immensely! Beer tourism is amazing!”
Back in the kitchen, McClure mixed 10 ounces of cream cheese with a pound and a half of shelled crab meat. He added half-cup each of chopped onion and celery, added a half-cup of mayo, then fresh squeezed lemon for a perfect crab blend spread atop cucumber or crostini.
“Just something fun that’s light and summery,” said McClure. “You’ve got plenty of crab mixed in and you come out with a light crab appetizer that goes well with beer.”
With that, the guest diners sampled the fresh pub fare.
“Oh, very good,” said guest Sue Harsin with a broad smile. “The ingredients complimented each other, and those flavors together were amazing!”
“It’s Oregon freshness,” noted Leslee Sipp. “It is so wonderful!”
“How can you lose with crab,” added diner John Jordan. ”It’s a miracle that we have this abundance so close at hand. Dungeness crab in my opinion is the best!”
Just like the Astoria Brewing Company! So, stop in and check it out along the riverfront anytime.
“It is really a nice day trip and you can be here in an hour-thirty out of Portland,” added McClure. ”So, a real convenient trip to just get away for a little bit and leave everything by the wayside.”
Be sure to watch the weekly half hour program of Grant’s Getaways. The show airs each Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. on KGW.
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:
- "Grants Getaways I," Photography by Steve Terrill
- "Grant's Getaways II," Photography by Steve Terrill
- “Grant’s Getaways: 101 Oregon Adventures,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
- “Grant’s Getaways: Guide to Wildlife Watching in Oregon,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
- “Grant’s Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
The book collection offers hundreds of outdoor activities across Oregon and promises to engage a kid of any age.
You can reach me: Gmcomie@kgw.com