04-16-2025 A Day in Astoria and the Columbia River Maritime Museum

This post might be a bit long to describe a single day, but I don't want to forget all that we learned during our time in Astoria.

When we woke up in the morning, the view outside our stateroom was beautiful.  The port is directly adjacent to the Maritime Museum, a place we would visit later in the day.

Mo and I have been to Astoria a few times in the past.  Once we traveled by cruise ship around Puget Sound in 2004.  That was my very first cruise, and I was surprised to learn that cruising was much more fun than I previously thought.  We spent our day in Astoria climbing the Astoria column, hunting for beautiful old houses around town, and enjoying specialty coffee in a sweet little restaurant.

The Astoria Column seen from our port in Astoria

The Astoria Column, I photographed in 2004

Above: View from the Astoria Column and the Astoria-Megler Bridge in the distance when we climbed it in 2004

In the years since that visit, we have traveled to Astoria a few times in the MoHo.  We climbed the Astoria column a second time to enjoy the spectacular views.  We drove across the beautiful Astoria-Megler Bridge that crosses the Columbia from Astoria to Megler, Washington.  

We visited Discovery Park on the wild Washington Coast and were thrilled at the informative and artistic Lewis and Clark Visitor Center.  

We visited the historic Fort Clatsop, where the Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered before returning east to St. Louis in the spring of 1806. It took just over three weeks for the Expedition to build the fort, and it served as their camp from December 8, 1805, until their departure on March 23, 1806.

The Astoria-Megler Bridge seen from our ship

Because we have visited Astoria in the past, most of the excursions for the day in port visited places we knew well.  We had no need to spend time in a bus seeing these places again or to climb the Astoria column one more time. Instead, we declined the formal excursions in favor of spending a quiet and relaxing day on our own. 

Breakfast in the Sky Lounge was lovely, and the morning sun on the Sky Lounge Deck was inviting.

For centuries, the Columbia River has served as the defining element of the Pacific Northwest. It has shaped the cultures and industries that exist on its banks.  

The great Columbia River is a source of rich and diverse maritime history, from a central thoroughfare for the varied and complex trade routes of the native inhabitants of the region, to the heyday of salmon fishing around the 1880s to what is has become today - a world class shipping channel tamed by a series of dams and locks all the way to Lewiston, Idaho.

Sometimes, living in the Pacific Northwest within driving distance of the Columbia River, it is easy to forget the spectacular history of this truly mighty river.  The story of Lewis and Clark and their explorations of the Columbia never grows old.  I won't repeat it here, but if you have time, this website  ​Down the Columbia, is an easily readable summary of that great voyage.  On this river cruise, we had special presentations each day by a historian who shared stories of the exploration. 

In spite of several visits to Astoria, we have never taken the time to visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum. Entrance to the museum, in addition to the 3D films presented in the theater, was included as a free excursion for our cruise. A simple walk down the gangway led to the pier next to the museum.

The first thing you see as you enter is the huge three-dimensional map of what is called "The Graveyard of the Pacific". Each ship marker represents a ship that has sunk at the Columbia River Bar.

​Since 1792, approximately 2000 vessels, including over 200 large ships, have sunk at the Columbia River Bar.  More than 700 people have lost their lives to the sea.  These dangers have earned this area the title “Graveyard of the Pacific”.  Mariners agree that the combination of high seas, a mighty river, shallow land, and shifting sand bars makes the Columbia River bar one of the most dangerous bar crossings in the world.  The large interactive map provides information about the many historic shipwrecks in the area.

Continuing through the lobby, the next exhibit is called "Crossing the Bar."

This exhibit takes an exciting look at the legendary Columbia River entrance, where the forces of the mighty Columbia River and Pacific Ocean meet to create one of the most dangerous bar crossings on the planet.  The coastline of the Pacific Northwest is no stranger to violent winter weather, but nothing can compare to the extreme forces at work along the Columbia River Bar. Here, waves can exceed 40 feet in height during the most severe winter storms.  The exhibit features never-before-seen video of rough water passages captured while working with the U.S. Coast Guard and Columbia River Bar Pilots. Also on display is a rare bar pilot pulling boat that was used for decades to transfer pilots to ships. This historic boat is from the Museum’s collection.

The Columbia River is the second-largest river, by volume, in the United States.  The mouth of the Columbia is regarded as one of the most treacherous river bars in the world.  The Columbia River Bar Pilots are a group of 20, based in Astoria, Oregon, chosen for the work of assisting all ships across the bar safely, day or night, in any weather.  The Columbia River Maritime Museum is now home to the retired pilot boat, Peacock.  This pilot boat is legendary in its seaworthiness, keeping the bar open and on schedule through decades of hard winter storms

The Peacock, docked next to our ship, adjacent to the Maritime Museum

Inside the Museum’s Brix Maritime Hall, we saw a life-size display of fish found in the Pacific Northwest. The exhibit in the hall of the Sailing Gillnetter has a mast that towers over 30 feet tall.  

The centerpiece of the Brix Maritime Hall is the 44-foot U.S. Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat shown in action climbing a 20-foot wave, just at the moment of a daring rescue, at the mouth of the Columbia River.​

We spent another hour meandering through several exhibits in a maze of halls, including "Shipwrecks" where we learned about what causes shipwrecks, how people have responded to such tragedies in the past, and what can be learned from studying these events.We learned a bit about how maritime archaeologists are using new methods to study these remote sites to learn more about our past.

A another room contained a wall for an exhibit called "ntsayka ilíi ukuk" "​This is Our Place".  This exhibit of photographs was a collaboration with the Chinook Indian Nation to share Chinook maritime traditions and culture as it is lived today ​through the photography of Amiran White. Even though I live in a part of Oregon that is home to Chinook peoples, I had no idea of the complex history of their fight for tribal recognition until we saw this exhibit.

A favorite exhibit in the museum for me was called "Cedar and Sea: The Maritime Culture of the Indigenous People of the Pacific Northwest Coast".  There were beautiful examples of clothing and basketry made with cedar bark.  Videos throughout the exhibit made by indigenous artisans explaining their craft added so much to the displays. I had no idea that cedar bark could make such soft fabrics.

Pacific Northwest Coastal Indigenous People used their deep knowledge of their environment to harvest its natural wealth, developing sophisticated technologies that enabled them to create and maintain some of North America's most complex and rich cultures.

The exhibit showcased tools and implements fashioned from stone, bone, shell, wood, and other natural materials, representing thousands of years of innovation by coast Indigenous People from Yakutat, Alaska, to southern Oregon, as well as present-day materials and practices used by the living descendants today.

I wish I had taken more photos inside this exhibit but I was so awed I completely forgot to use the camera.  Here is a link:  Cedar and Sea Exhibits

I do know of one person who reads my blog who will no doubt love looking at this PDF of the Cedar and Sea Exhibit.  Link is here: Cedar and Sea . Blogging friend Sherry was recently in Albuquerque to visit the Gathering of Nations PowWow.  This is an exhibit that shares much of our Northwest Indigenous culture that isn't talked about as much as that of the Plains our Southwest tribes.

After our hours in the museum, Mo and I returned to the ship for a very late lunch in the Sky Lounge before spending a bit of time in our stateroom relaxing.  There were a few other free excursions available to us, including a city tour by bus and the local trolley.

We were a bit late for the entire trolley ride, but enjoyed jumping on for a stretch along the port with views of town to the south.  The trolley itself was unique, built in 1913 and beginning her career in San Antonio, Texas.  She was rescued by the city of Astoria from the Trolley Graveyard in Banks, Oregon in 1998.

Once again, dinner in the dining room was delicious, with a crab-crusted salmon as the entree and huckleberry ice cream for dessert.

Our ship was scheduled to depart the port at 5:30, during the dinner hour, and she left right on time.  The views as we traveled back upriver toward the east were beautiful.  We passed several large freighters along the way, before the evening skies darkened after sunset.

04-15- to 04-20-2025 Cruising the Mighty Columbia on American Pride

As always, Mo spent some time thinking about what she wanted to do for her birthday in March.  This year, she spent a bit more time planning and preparing for an extra-special treat to celebrate her day.  The only minor detail is that her day is the 1st of March, and her adventure of choice wasn't available until mid-April.  So this year, the birthday trip was a month and a half later than her actual day, and I am writing about it even later than that.

Springtime here at Sunset House is a flurry of activity, and spending time at the computer writing about our time on the river keeps falling to the back of the list each day as we work.  Our beloved property requires a plethora of projects to keep our home mowed, trimmed, fertilized, and watered as we prepare for the coming warm days of late spring, summer, and early fall.  We know what we need to do, and we each have our jobs and responsibilities.  I am a bit slower this year, so with the required afternoon rest time (which I find ridiculously irritating), writing has taken a big back seat.  

As always, I have many photos that help me remember each day of this short and sweet little vacation, and in addition, there are the calendars and the few notes that I kept tucked away in my private records. The one job I most often manage within days of returning home is editing and culling the hundreds of photos  I took, unable to limit my excess.

Only a few will end up on this blog, but there are many more for us to share and enjoy, as we look back over whatever activities have taken our attention.  Without the photos, I would barely remember anything.

We were camped on Sauvie Island in 2023 when we saw this American Cruise Lines Paddle Wheeler

In our years living in Southern Oregon, Mo and I have traveled east and west many times, following along the Mighty Columbia River as it flows toward the Pacific along Interstate 84.  We have often seen the sternwheelers with their big red paddle wheel from a distance and said, "Wouldn't that be something fun to do someday?!" River journeys aren't inexpensive, and it took a birthday for Mo to decide that she could plan a river trip and make the reservation for the two of us.

Mo chose American Cruise Lines for our trip, and the ship she chose was the American Pride.  Pride isn't the newest of the ships cruising the Columbia, but in our opinion, it is the most endearing.  There is something about the red, white, and blue color scheme and the bright red rear paddle wheel that felt so romantic.  Pride cruised the Mississippi River for many years, until she was transferred west to cruise the Columbia River.  To get here, she had to cross the infamous Columbia Bar, but more about that later.

Mattie Loves being at Melody and Robert's House

Our cruise began with a simple drive north to Portland, by way of Brownsville, where Melody and Robert waited with the cats for the arrival of "the dog".  Melody and Robert love Mattie, but their older cat Kago is a bit less excited when Mattie appears.  

Deja Vu checking out the dog

The newer kitty, DejaVu was even less enamored, but Mattie has learned to give the big kitty a wide berth after a time when Kago put Mattie in her place with a slap to the face.  We are so lucky that Melody and Robert are willing to dog sit for us since sending Mattie to a doggie boarding place isn't our favorite thing to do.  At Melody and Robert's house, she is loved, spoiled, and cuddled constantly, and barely notices that she has been temporarily abandoned.  

Throughout our journey, Melody sent photos of Mattie's adventures in Brownsville, including at least three daily walks in the park.

After leaving Brownsville in the afternoon, we drove north toward Portland International Airport and the Embassy Suites, where American Cruise Lines put us up for the night before our river departure the next day.  Mo's brother Dan and wife Chere agreed to drive to Portland and meet us at the airport for a short but sweet visit to share dinner and conversation at Famous Dave's BBQ just minutes from our hotel.  We had such a luscious supper and such fun conversation that I completely forgot to take photos.  We hadn't seen Dan and Chere since our shared camping trip last summer.  It is always fun to get together with them.

The view of Mount Hood to the east from our suite

After supper, we settled into our hotel, just minutes away.  In our view, the Embassy Suites was quite spectacular, with 8 floors opening on a beautiful atrium filled with waterfalls, fountains, and pools.  When the planes flew over, we understood the reason for all those water features:  they mask the sound of the low-flying airplanes!

Our room was big and roomy, actually a suite with a huge bedroom and a separate sitting room, and that's obviously why they call it the Embassy Suites and not the Embassy Hotel.  We had a beautiful view of the setting sun on Mount Hood to the east, a big comfy bed with excellent bedding, and two televisions, one in the bedroom and one in the adjacent sitting room. We had no time to watch even one of them as we prepared for our departure the next day.  Breakfast the next morning was quite nice as well, and complimentary. 

The day seemed to drag along after breakfast because we were not supposed to board the bus to the port until 11:30 AM.  As is often the case with cruises, we needed to have our bags ready to be picked up at 7AM for transport to the ship.  Hopefully, they would be waiting in our stateroom when we arrived.

Our sister ship parked right behind us in Washougal, ready for departure on the next day

The port where the ship was docked was about half an hour away, on the north side of the Washougal Waterfront Park Dock on the north shore of the Columbia River in Washington State.  We arrived shortly after noon and boarded the ship easily.  Lunch was waiting in the sky lounge on the 4th deck, just a short distance from our stateroom 403. When we entered our room, we were happy to see all our luggage, with one minor detail.  There was an extra piece we didn't recognize, but the stateroom number was just a couple of doors down from us.  I slipped the extra piece into our neighbor's room and never said a word.

 

We learned that the lunch served here each day was perfect for us.  Always fresh and delicious, with wraps, sandwiches, yummy desserts, and an unlimited supply of wine on the tray, it was a lovely place to eat the kind of light lunch we like. With only 140 passengers and 45 crew the ship never felt overcrowded and we always found a place to dine and relax.

Pride was scheduled to depart at 2 PM, but as sometimes happens, there were delays, and it was almost 3 before the ship was underway.  I loved the low vibrations of the ship engines and the low hum and gentle movement.  No fears of motion sickness of a river ship makes it even more relaxing for me, with my tendency to have vertigo and motion issues.

The views of Mount Hood from the river were spectacular.  We were thrilled with our weather forecast for the week, with no rain predicted and temperatures at least ten degrees above normal for this time of year.

Above: Sailing under the Glenn L Jackson Memorial Bridge (the I 205 Bridge) that connects Portland, Oregon, to Vancouver, Washington.

Sea Lions resting in the middle of the Columbia River

There was a bit more delay as we waited for the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 9.6 or BNSF Railway Bridge 9.6, also known as the Columbia River Railroad Bridge, to open for passage. The bridge was built by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (SP&S) and completed in 1908, and was the first bridge of any kind to be built across the lower Columbia River, preceding the first road bridge, the nearby Interstate Bridge, by a little more than eight years. The 2,807-foot-long bridge has a swing span, which pivots on its base to allow for the passage of taller ships. 

As we continued toward Portland and the confluence of the Columbia and the Willamette Rivers, we were fascinated by the complexity of the port.  Something surprising to us was how empty the container yards were, even before the tariffs were fully implemented.

We weren't sure how long it would take for the ship to travel the river toward the small town where Mo grew up.  She has memories of watching the big ships pass her home, and we hoped to get a photo from the water level.  In the meantime, however, while waiting for the ship to reach Columbia City, we explored the ship.

Above: Top deck lounge area adjacent to the captain's quarters and the bridge

Above- A favorite place for us to hang out on the 4th deck outside the Sky Lounge

I don't remember the exact number of white wooden rocking chairs there were but it was a LOT!

Above:  There it is, Reeder Beach Campground and RV Park!

The sun was getting low in the western sky as we approached Sauvie Island and passed our campground from the last two trips when we camped there. Within a short time, we passed Columbia City and finally the little town of St Helens came into view.  The sun was in my eyes, and of course, the camera had a hard time focusing on the shadows.  I must have taken 40 shots to try to find Mo's family home on the hill above the town.  No luck.  When we got home to the computer and perused all the photos, not one of them had a photo of her house.

Above:  There is the lighthouse that is at the end of the trail on Sauvie Island that we didn't manage to reach when we paddled on the Columbia with Dan and Cherie last year.

Below:  Dan, Chere, and Sophie the pup kayaking the Columbia toward the lighthouse

Below is the best photo I could get of the riverside community of Columbia City.  Mo's house is up the hill somewhere and probably to the left.  We still had fun trying to find it.  Something is endearing about visiting a familiar place in an unfamiliar form of transportation.  

We made it down to the first deck to the dining room in time for dinner.  On this river ship, dinner is served promptly between 5:30 and 7:30 PM, with tables for 6 or 8 most common and no simple tables for just two, which is usually our preference.  We were delighted that on the entire cruise, everyone we met was enjoyable and interesting.

Above: large ships on the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon

Dinner on our first night on the river was a perfectly prepared halibut with fresh asparagus and roasted potatoes.  Delicious!  It was just the beginning.  We had no expectations for great food, having read a few negative reviews about it on these ships.  We were happily surprised to discover that the food on this trip was a real highlight, with a nice variety of entrees at each meal.  Excellent Pacific Northwest ingredients and cooking styles were always part of the menu, and we loved it. Every meal we had was wonderful.

The dining room was lovely.  This photo is from a breakfast setting. I didn't manage a photo of the evening setting or the food because everyone was so nice, and taking photos of the meals seemed awkward.

Deluxe balcony Stateroom on the 4th Deck

There was entertainment on the first night, but it had been a long day, and we did not attend.  We settled into our room and were reasonably comfortable.  The bed wasn't the best feature of the cruise, but it was adequate.  The bathroom in our stateroom was quite roomy, bigger than some I have had in apartments I have lived in.

Our first day on the ship was lovely.  We were encouraged and looked forward to the next three days of cruising the river.