From Mt. Hood to the Oregon Coast

From Mt. Hood to the coast Oregon has it all. Being from Oregon I sometimes forget how simple it is to visit the coast or to go to the mountains. I would like everyone to take advantage of this beautiful state and the simplicity that is offered by the closeness of our natural wonders.

164 Steps Up and Another 164 Steps Down

At the moment my family is hosting a German exchange student from Stuttgart (which is in southern Germany).  Since she is here we have been going on many small adventures. This weekend included quite a few highlights which I will be breaking up into different posts. First up is the Astoria Column!!

We started off our weekend adventure by leaving about 6am on a Saturday morning for a 3 1/2 hour drive. This was oh so exciting for a Saturday morning.  However, nothing can make you feel as accomplished as hiking 164 steps up to the top of the Astoria Column before 10am on a Saturday morning.

To make everything perfect the weather was amazing!! It was mostly clear with very few clouds when we reached the top and there was little to no wind (which is unusual for being up that high)!!

View from the top

Now for a brief history. The Astoria Column was built in 1926, is 125 feet high and has 164 steps winding to the top. Patterned after the Trajan Column in Rome it depicts scenes from Pacific Northwest history such as the discovery of the Columbia River and the exploration of Lewis and Clark.

I'm on the left

Yup there are 164 steps to the top!

When I reached the bottom I promptly went to the gift shop and bought a button that said I had made it up the 164 steps of the Astoria Column. It was one of the best dollars I have ever spent!

The Astoria Column is a unique piece of Oregon tourism and I highly recommend going to visit it if you ever find yourself in Oregon and along the coast. It's worth the trip. Well until next time when I will be exploring Fort Stevens.... Happy Travels!!