Oregon Day Trip: Astoria + Cannon Beach

There are countless day trips to take within a few hours of Portland—east to Hood River, cheese tasting at Tillamook Creamery—with only one day to explore outside the city it was hard to decide what to do. After polling several Portland Lyft drivers (seriously, so friendly in Portland) we landed on Astoria, Oregon.

Bowpicker Fish & Chips is a MUST-DO while in Astoria. I cannot overstate this. When we pulled into town one of the first things we noticed was an absurdly long line behind an old boat sitting in a parking lot across from the Columbia River Maritime Museum. With a line this long, you just know they must have something worth trying. It became clear that this little boat is renowned in the area as we chatted with people from all the neighboring towns (sometimes hours away!) who drove to Astoria just to have lunch from Bowpicker. They only make one dish—fish & chips—but they do it impeccably. The day we visited they were using fresh caught tuna, lightly battered and fried, served with thick cut steak fries and tarter sauce. Easily the best fish & chips I've ever had—mild, meaty, and perfectly fried with no excess grease. Worth every minute of the hour we spent in line.

Food trucks are old news! Make way for the food boat.

Astoria Column is worth a stop for amazing views of the Columbia River and entire surrounding area. Even without climbing to the top of the column, we enjoyed spectacular views simply from the park site and parking lot. 

View from the base of Astoria Column

Cannon Beach is less than an hour from Astoria and provided an entirely different experience. Cold, windy, and cloudy, the bleak climate only added to the otherworldly landscape of this beach. The massive Haystack Rock caught me by surprise as I approached the beach, looking almost like an alien ship has landed. We took dozens of photos, explored the tide pools, and watched people frolicking in the sand in sweatshirts like it was a hot sunny day. It was completely out of this world!

Seriously spooky and surreal. Hi, Noah!

Sleepy Monk Coffee gave us a needed caffeine boost before driving back to Portland. I hardly ever drink coffee and even I thought their latte was extra delicious. The perfect treat to warm up after the windy beach.

A little chilly, but I'm loving it!

Reppin' my Astoria pride, after living in Astoria, NY for 10 years.