Astoria from the top down

The Astoria Column was built in 1926 as a monument to the development of the Pacific Northwest. It has become a piece of history in its own right. Standing high above Astoria on Coxcomb Hill, the column features 14 painted panels which portray 22 scenes from Oregon history. Inside the column, 164 steps lead to the lookout at the top. It's a tiring climb, but on a good day you can see far up and down the Pacific Ocean beaches.

When you're in Astoria, it's just a short hop over to Fort Clatsop, which is now part of the new Lewis and Clark National Park. It's not the real Fort Clatsop, of course, but it's a decent replica.