Gorgeous costal views! The light house is much bigger in person. Its manned by coastguard personnel…read moreonly. There are several picnic benches you can stop and rest at to take in the view! Packing in a picnic would be awesome! It was especially interesting to see all the boats out at sea! Its a very special spot.

Cape Disappointment is the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast of America and the…read moresouthern most lighthouse on the coast of Washington state. It is located within the Cape Disappointment State Park so you'll need a Washington State Discovery Pass to visit. As of this review, the cost to purchase a one day pass is $10 or $30 for an annual pass. The pass can be registered to two separate vehicles, but can only be used on one vehicle at a time. It can be purchased at the park entrance booth, or if the machine is working, from the self serve kiosk at the parking lot nearest the trailhead. The machine was not working the day I visited. Parking can be a challenge at the trailhead as there are only a small number of spaces and they can fill up quickly. The rolling trail to the lighthouse is 0.6 miles, roundtrip with about 150' of elevation gain. It's rated as an easy hike but there are some moderately steep (but paved) sections on the final approach to the lighthouse. The rest of the trail is dirt and can be muddy at times. If you're wondering how such a picturesque location received its name, it was due to Captain John Meares' experience there on July 6, 1788 while trying to seek shelter from the turbulent waters where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. Meares wrote, "Disappointment continued to accompany us...we can safely exert that no river San Rogue exists." It was out of that frustration that Meares christened the cape, "Cape Disappointment." The views, scenery and history are all great reasons to visit this place...you won't be disappointed by Cape Disappointment!

I've probably seen The Goonies movie about 50 times in my life. While in Astoria, we decided to…read morecome by to check out the house. It was pretty easy to research and map out how to get here. It's in a neighborhood on a private driveway. Be sure to not park in their driveway or the neighbor's spot. You can park in the neighborhood somewhere and walk up. There's a sign at the bottom of the driveway too, the owners know people will come by to take photos etc, so they aren't bothered by it. Just be respectful and you'll be fine. For any inconvenience, they put out a donation bin if you want to drop a few dollars for coming by. Cool to see the house that I admired as a little kid. Glad to have come by to snap a few photos and see it in person. We walked the neighborhood too, we were out of there in like 20 mins. Childhood memory fulfilled.

Some new folks bought The Goonies house a few years ago & embrace the pop-culture significance of…read moretheir property, so it's time to up them back to 5-Stars. Yay! My original review stands now with the home under its latest ownership, so please refer to my very first review of this place for more info.

The Column is such a treat. The stairs to the top (164 steps) take you to an observation deck that…read morehas amazing views of Astoria. It is $5 to park and well worth it! Buy a wooden glider for $1 at the gift shop (or find some on the field below!) If you are scared of heights you will likely be a little nervous at the top (like me), but I stay near my trusted column and enjoy mys of immensely. We love being friends of the column!

Do not go up the column if you have a real fear of heights. You will not enjoy it and will probably…read moremake it less enjoyable for those around you. That being said, if you are cool with climbing a crap ton of stairs in a damp and moldy environment, I say do it. Its a must! The drive there is nice and parking is plentiful. Be sure to pay for parking (it helps to maintain the attraction) in the gift shop, which has some cute items for purchase. We had a great time and met some really cool people. Enjoy!

The "Goonies Rock" is no where near Astoria like the movie makes it out to be. No matter what, it…read moreis absolutely worth the drive. Parking is non-existent because you have to walk down a pathway between two houses to get to there, I mean of course there are probably areas North or South of the actual rock but I am not aware of them myself. We were lucky and able to find a spot directly across the pathway that just happened to have someone pulling out. Walking down that pathway, I took a video and love how it shows the beauty of the area just opening up. It was more than I could have wished for after growing up loving the movie Goonies and was delighted that we got there when we did. Tide was out, so the dreamy tide pools that you see associated with the northwest coastlines were accessible and all the wonderful wildlife that live within them. Also, we were able to watch the sunset, which was cloud covered but who cares. While walking around, it first started with just rolling up my pants, so then having a misstep and one of my shoes getting soaked so then I was like, oh well, off with the shoes and walk around freely to be able to go rock to rock or wade around to get to the numerous tidepools. All worth the super cold feet later on in the car. There is just something about seeing everything in the wild vs in various zoos or aquariums. It was by far my favorite part of our trip to Portland and something I'd love to revisit again, regardless of the distance and drive back.

Haystack Rock is one of those major landmarks of the Oregon Coast. The ancient monolith has been…read moreseen in films, media, etc. and is surrounded by a few smaller sea stacks nearby. Haystack itself is 235 feet tall and when the tide is low, you can walk out all the way to the rock. The reason you want to do that is because there are tide pools surrounding it where you'll see all kinds of sea life such as starfish, anemones, crabs, and more. It's also a popular spot for birding because of the varieties of birds who make a stop around here too. If you visit the tide pools, you MUST learn the etiquette of doing so to ensure that the delicate ecosystem is maintained. Check the tide charts to find when it'll be low and make for good viewing. There's an organization called the Haystack Rock Awareness Program that does events throughout the year, so check out what they're up to. There are parking lots around town but none right here (as there might be at other costal lookouts, like Devil's Churn or something). You might get lucky finding a spot on the street but there are residential streets around here so be cognizant of that, and respectful.

This is based on a 2-night stay at a the F-Loop. *Access to…read morenature: 5 stars. The lake is amazing. Multiple access points to the beach, including the ability to drive onto the beach. Absolutely stunning views. *Privacy in campgrounds: 1 star You will enjoy no separation from neighboring campsites. Enjoy dinner with all other surrounding sites staring at you! Plus, if tent camping, you can hear the neighbors whisper. *Cleanliness of campsite: 5 stars Not a piece of trash in the campsite. Was well cleaned. *Location of restrooms/showers: 4 stars Took less than 2 minutes to walk to the restrooms/showers located in the center of the loop. *Cleanliness of restrooms: 3 stars Not good, not bad. Floors haven't been swept in a long time. Everywhere is sticky. *Cleanliness of showers: 1 star F-loop showers were NASTY. Fishing lure in the drain, hair on the walls, gum stuck to the floor, diapers left inside. WEAR SHOES WHILE YOU SHOWER. E-Loop showers next door were much, much more reasonable. *Noise: 1 star Quiet hours are from 10pm-7am. However, it is not enforced. Every single other camper quieted down around 10pm. Except for one exceptionally loud group who continued to be loud and obnoxious until midnight. We were harassed by this group but didn't have a problem with anyone else. CALL THE PARK ASAP if you are having issues like this early in the day because they don't patrol.(503)861‑3170 x 21. *They sell wood and ice at a reasonable price with a drop box for cash payment. *Is less than a 15 minute drive to Fred Meyer. *There is a giant playground and they were offering Junior Ranger "classes" for kids. *Bike, Kayak, and Paddle-board rentals were available.

Clean park with great hiking trails. Fairly clean restrooms. Drove down to the beach and took the…read moredogs to see the Peter irondale. This camping trip they had a free concert on the lawn by the battery. I love that the golf carts drive by to bring you firewood for a standard $7 fee. Terrible reception and cellular in the park. Overall great trip with lots of sunshine.

Just a PSA for people like me who are visiting Aberdeen and think the ship will be where it is…read moremarked on the map. The address is just for the home port of the Lady Washington and it travels around many months out of the year on the West Coast. Don't be like me and drive around the port for 10 minutes looking for a ship that isn't there! You can check https://historicalseaport.org/to see it's current sailing schedule. Would love to see in person one day.

The Lady Washington is a 20th century replica of the original 18th century ship. Chances are that…read moreyou've seen this ship in one of her film appearances: - The Interceptor in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - The Enterprise in Star Trek Generations - Captain Hook's ship on Once Upon a Time While the Star Trek Holodeck Arch is long gone, it was still a thrill to board this tall ship and imagine what nautical travel must have been like in the 18th century when the Lady became the first American ship to make landfall on the West coast of North America & the first American ship to travel to Honolulu and Japan. If you ever get a chance to tour or sail aboard this tall ship do it! "Computer, remove the plank!"

It took awhile to get to the location from where we were staying but the scenery was well worth it…read more The lighthouse was located below the parking with a couple of trails to get there. It is the smallest/shortest lighthouse on the Oregon coast and they were offering a tour. The area surrounding the lighthouse included a trail to the Octopus tree which was worth seeing. There were areas you could stop and look at the coast which was quite stunning. The only downside was that the rest rooms were closed and there were porta potties including one that was unstable plus the doors didn't lock so it was a bit of a challenge. We were glad to have stopped and enjoyed the scenery.

Awesome, awesome place! Absolutely breathtaking views. A short drive up the road to the paid…read moreparking lot and you will find yourself immediately met with wonderful views. Roughly paved walkways will lead you to even more breathtaking views, including that of the light house. I am not sure I would be able to do it, but I did see one group pushing someone in a wheelchair towards the lighthouse. So many viewpoints to checkout, with each one offering a bit of a different perspective. Additionally you can take a dirt trail up a bit to the restrooms, and even further up to see the Octopus Tree. Make the short drive form Tillamook and check it out!

The city of Astoria, Oregon will forever be linked to the classic 1980's movie, The Goonies. It was…read morehere in this coastal port city where many of the scenes were filmed. So if you are a fan of The Goonies, here are places around Astoria that are worthwhile for visiting.... Check out the Oregon Film Museum. It's $6 entry and a quick 30 minute stop. Outside the museum is the front facade of the jail cell where the Fratelli's brother escaped at the start of the movie. And...you'll notice the black Jeep Cherokee parked outside the museum which was the actual model they used in the film. So cool! The museum is out of date and a preservation of history and the 300+ films made in Oregon. Don't expect much out of the experience. It's a mom and pop type of museum, but still very worthwhile if you're a Goonie. Right beside the Oregon Film Museum is the Flavel House Museum. This is where Mikey's father worked as the museum's curator. When the boys were riding their bicycles down the street readying to search for One Eyed Willie's fortunes, they say hello to Mikey's dad as he's raising the American flag here at the Flavel Museum. You can take a tour inside, but I just took a photo outside of it. Next, drive a few miles down the road to Mikey and Brandon Walsh's actual home from the movie. Granted, it's not accessible inside as it's a real residential home in a real neighborhood. Still, they allow you to walk up to the house for photos and possibly do the "truffle shuffle" if you're daring, lol. The address is... 368 38th Street Astoria, OR 97103 Btw...they ask you to park a little bit away from the house and be respectful of the properties when walking through the neighborhood. Although the house has recently been painted, you could definitely sense it being the same home to the actual one from the film. This has no connection to The Goonies film, but going to the summit of Astoria at the Astoria Column is a nice way to spend some time. You can climb to the top of the 126 foot column for views from high above. It showcases scenic surroundings of the Columbia River and the bridge connecting Washington and Oregon. It's just a $5 entrance fee. You can spend an hour or two here. For me, getting a photo with the Welcome to Astoria sign was something interesting. For my first visit to town, I wanted to make sure that it was official and in the record books, lol. There are two signs at both ends of town. They can't be missed if you drive a little towards the outskirts of the downtown area. Astoria isn't a big city and just a few miles total in length. Finally, in the heart of the downtown walking area you could visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum or simply stroll around Astoria and take in the sights along the waterfront. More Goonies stops 30 miles outside Astoria... - Cannon Beach - the ending scene of the movie where One Eyed Willie's pirate ship sails away in the distance. - Ecola State Park - scene where the Fratelli's hideout was located. It was called the Lighthouse Lounge. It was built for the film, but taken down afterwards. Overall, I had a wonderful time getting to relive my Goonies childhood here in Astoria, Oregon. The flashbacks were surreal. It was a great escape away from reality and back to simpler times. Of course I had to rewatch the film when I returned home. Thank you Astoria, Oregon for preserving the history of The Goonies.

Astoria is one of my all time fave cities. And definitely my fave one in all of Oregon! So much…read morehistory and nature surrounding you here. It sits on the Columbia River bar which is a fascinating body of water in and of itself - with a long history of turbulent violence, earning it the nickname "Graveyard of the Pacific". Astoria is Oregon's oldest city (founded in 1811) and the first permanent American settlement west of the Rockies! It even has a sister city in Walldorf, Germany! The town boasts a beautiful bridge and a tall column on a hill that you can climb for some incredible views. The maritime museum is not to be missed - and be sure to do the Riverwalk too! There are info signs all over the place telling you fun tidbits of the city's history. And of course you can't miss all the fun locations from the 80s classic The Goonies! The people are all very friendly. Lots of great restaurants as well. Don't miss out on Pier 39 for the BEST morning coffee EVER at Coffee Girl with incredible views surrounded by all that history! The city is surrounded by state parks and tons of natural areas and hiking trails as well for when you've exhausted all there is in Astoria itself. It feels mostly safe - there are some homeless in the area but they're not aggressive. I've been here several times and will undoubtedly be back!!

Very cute experience. There really isn't any parking, but if you go up the road a bit past the…read morebridge, there's a turnout to make a u turn. You can theoretically pull over and walk down for photos. It's free and cute. Kids would love it.

Okay when i saw this on the map I thought it was a small bridge and then I saw it and was in shock…read more This spot is clearly a spot people stop for, even though there is not much of a place to stop, and was surprisingly on the road to our airbnb we were staying at. It is a free little spot to stop and there are no signs you will just see if when you get there because it is a bridge covered in troll dolls! It is said that when you visit you should leave the trolls a gift or something so when we went back the second time to actually get out and see it and not just drive past we brought 2 little hershey's kisses we had from the wedding. If you are looking for a super quick fun little spot to see of a bunch of colorful dolls in the middle of green tall trees then give it a shot - it only takes a couple of minutes.

One of the better preserved old forts on the west coast. You can explore the fort's various…read morebatteries and buildings (not all are open to the public), as well as walk along scenic trails. Be wary of disc golfers though! Nice visitor center with a lot of historical information.

Fort Stevens is the campground for people adverse to "roughing it". There are seemingly more RV…read moresites than "traditional" tent camping ones, complete with electrical and plumbing hookups. Not to mention rentable yurts and cabins, (hot!) showers, (relatively) clean restroom facilities, and even a firewood delivery service, right to your campsite! Fort Stevens is also massive: miles of hikeable/bikeable trails, sandy beaches, a lake with a boat ramp, a shipwreck, a disc golf course, a military history museum (and gift shop), and several abandoned military installations and batteries to hike and explore. There's more to see and do here than can be experienced in a single camping trip, and after more than a half dozen visits to the park, I'm still discovering new secrets! Also, keep an eye on the various post boards around the park, in which special events, such as storybook readings, put on by the Friends of Fort Stevens, occur on many a summer night. As I mentioned earlier, this is camping only in the loosest sense of the word, in that you're sleeping outside (well, if you're not in an RV, yurt or cabin). The campsites are relatively small, and close together, but that is also part of the charm, particularly for children: they're all but guaranteed to make some new friends during your stay here, as there will be rugrats running around, skating, riding bikes, exploring, and likely yelling and screaming all around you, for as long as the daylight persists. Intimacy and privacy does not exist here. There are better places to camp in the Pacific Northwest, particularly for those who desire privacy, serenity, an escape from noise and the presence of others, and a place to commune with and be surrounded by nature (and nature only). Those places exist, but Fort Stevens is not one of them. Despite all that, I have a sentimental attachment to this place, thanks to childhood memories of camping here in my youth. Now, I'm hoping to impart similar memories on my children. Fort Stevens may not be *for* everyone, but it *has something* for everyone. If you can't see that, go get lost in the woods elsewhere.