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Astoria motss.con
Aug. 7th, 2023 11:59 pmFRIDAY
I planned for us to leave the house about 10 AM, so I got up around 7:30, packed, showered, and dressed. Gary had nodded off in the recliner downstairs and came to bed around four AM, so I let him sleep in. I prepared us breakfast of bacon, cheese omelets, and English muffins. It was ready just around the time Gary came downstairs. After breakfast, Gary decided he needed to mow the front lawn (rather a postage stamp in size, but a bit gnarly nevertheless) before we left, and so we ended up leaving about quarter to eleven. As a result we hit major traffic in Seattle, a bit better than usual in Fife approaching Tacoma, and a bit worse than usual through Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
By the time we reached our favorite restaurant in Lacey, Shari's, I was rather desperate for the bathroom. We had a nice lunch: I ordered a burger and soup, while Gary ordered a sandwich and fruit. After lunch I plotted the remainder of our course on Google Maps, and we followed US 101 out of Olympia to pick up the route to the coast which we'd taken on previous trips to Ocean Shores: WA 8 to US 12. We made the left turn at Montesano to pick up the Raymond Cutoff (WA 107) back to US 101 (which does a full 180 degree turn around the Olympic Peninsula). After passing through Raymond, we continued south until the road reached a dead-end at the west end of WA 4. Instead of taking the right to follow 101, we went left on 4 and picked up WA 401 a few miles east, which deposited us back at 101 at the north end of the Astoria-Megler Bridge. We crossed the bridge and followed the loop ramp to the junction with US 30.
A left turn and a couple miles of city driving took us to the Hotel Elliott. We parked in the city lot adjacent to the hotel; there were many signs warning that the lot, as well as the surrounding streets, would be closed on Sunday for the market. At the front desk, we checked in and received a map showing where to park on Sunday as well as a little card letting anyone know that we were registered at the hotel and to call them if we were about to be towed. We retrieved our baggage and belongings and settled in at the hotel briefly.
At 6:30 we gathered at a nice Italian restaurant called Fulio's, around the corner from the hotel, for the foodie dinner. We shared a plate of antipasto and a plate of grilled vegetables, along with bread and oil and vinegar for dipping. We had two bottles of Montepulciano wine with dinner; the second was a bit pricier than the first as that first bottle was the last of its brand in stock (but it was also a better wine). I had the crab penne with Alfredo sauce, which was quite good. For dessert several of us had tiramisu (like the deserts miss the rain...) and Gary had spumoni. After dinner we all went to the hotel and checked out the rooftop patio until it got dark, and then we all went to our respective rooms to bed.
SATURDAY
Gary and I had breakfast in the hotel dining room. Kathryn joined us for conversation, but on her way in I overheard the desk clerk admonishing her that she was being aggressive.
We ascended to the roof deck to join Max's Zoom call. At first it was just the three of us, but eventually Robert, John, and George met us on the roof. We were having technical difficulties with the external webcam so I switched back to the laptop camera. While we were doing that, the desk clerk came upstairs and escorted Kathryn from the property, based on complaints from other guests at the hotel as well as their personal disagreement from the morning. We stayed on the call for about an hour and then agreed to meet at the Astoria Column. On our way out of the hotel, the desk clerk apologized and told us she was under strict orders not to allow "guests of guests" into the hotel based on Kathryn's behavior. This meant that Chuk and David, who were making a day trip, weren't allowed to join us on the roof.
Eventually we all met up at the Column. Chuk remained at the base but the rest of us all ascended the spiral staircase to get pictures. A nice young black dude took our group picture atop the column. As Gary and I were preparing to descend, an older gentleman told me he was the great-grandson of John Jacob Astor, for whom Astoria is named and who, he said, commissioned the Column. When we reached the base, we briefly conversed about whether his claims were plausible; considering Astor drowned on the Titanic in 1912, I think so. We explored the grounds beneath the column, and Gary and I picked up our souvenir fridge magnets at the gift shop.
From the column we went to lunch at the Astoria Brewing Company. While we waited outside for a table, we explored the riverfront pier and watched the trolley go by. I had a pulled pork sandwich and a local cider. We had a long and wide-ranging conversation over lunch.
We decided to go to Fort Clatsop, a short drive along the Lewis and Clark River south of town, after lunch. The main visitor center was undergoing construction, so we had to park a short distance away and follow a trail through the woods to the reproduction of the original fort (which, after restoration, burned down in the early 2000s). We sat through a demonstration of the many uses of the cedar tree before proceeding to the visitor center to see the exhibits.
After the fort, we split into two parties. Gary returned to town with George, Robert, and John (Emma didn't come to the fort with us), while Chuk, David, Kathryn, and I went to Sunset Beach, about 15 minutes' drive across the peninsula from the fort. Kathryn rode with me since Gary wasn't coming to the beach. Google Maps wanted us to approach the beach through a gated community instead of parking where the signs directed, which led us on quite the wild-goose chase. Eventually we parked in the proper place and walked through a gap in the dunes where properly-equipped vehicles could actually drive onto the beach. Chuk and David had already been there a while and we met them on the other side of the dunes. A pickup truck had gotten mired in the sand, while another truck with monster tires and belching black smoke stopped to assist. We stood in the surf for a few minutes (Chuk hung back a bit further), got some pictures, then headed back to town, arriving just after five.
We decided to meet at seven for dinner, karaoke, and a drag performance at Xanadu, the new gay bar in Astoria. I returned to the room and napped with Gary until it was time to get ready for dinner. I had dirty rice with pork-belly nuggets and the local cider Back to Black. I sang "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by the Crash Test Dummies and "Heathens" by 21 Pilots. Chuk was the only other member of our party to sing. In between sessions of karaoke, a local drag queen performed "Le Jazz Hot" and "Chicago" from Victor/Victoria, a number from Sunset Boulevard, and a couple other numbers. It was a fun evening and we got to meet the proprietor, Jeff, who also operated the karaoke machine and the spotlight for the drag show. We headed back to the hotel about nine-thirty, and Gary and I watched TV until we fell asleep.
SUNDAY
We returned to the Xanadu for brunch at ten. I had a flight of four different flavors of candied bacon (pepper, brown sugar cinnamon, raspberry, and orange) with biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs. Brunch was served in a little breakfast nook with a counter and booths. Jeff came over and had one of the waiters take a picture of him with the group.
Most of the folks were leaving today so we decided to meet at Cape Disappointment State Park on the Washington side of the river. We kept Alan, who was driving up for the day from Corvallis, informed and he met us at the park. Parking was difficult; both Gary and I, and George and Emma, managed to get spaces in the designated lot, but Robert and John (with Kathryn) had had to park in the overflow lot and walk the third of a mile uphill. Alan was lucky to find a spot in the ADA lot. When Gary and I had ascended the trail from the main parking lot, we took a breather in a large shelter beside the ADA lot, and had a conversation with a fellow from Stony Brook, NY who had parked there. Since Gary and I had arrived first, we spent some time on the outside overlook getting pictures of the river mouth and the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. After some time we realized everyone else had gone into the visitor center, so we joined them inside. We toured the exhibits for a couple hours, then went outside for pictures before going our separate ways: Robert, John, George and Emma headed for Seattle, while Alan gave Kathryn a ride back to Astoria.
We four met again at the sushi bar on the corner next to the hotel. The food was excellent and we had a nice conversation. After this late lunch/early dinner, Alan returned to Corvallis and the rest of us returned to our respective hotels for a nap. In the evening we returned to Xanadu for drinks and a light nosh. While we were seated at the bar, a nearby dude was taking selfies and posting to his buddies "hey look, I'm in a gay bar!" The lady next to him on the other side pointed him out to the bartender and he was summarily bounced. It was otherwise a very pleasant evening, and we wrapped up around nine and returned to our hotels.
MONDAY
We three gathered at a cafe on the block behind the hotel for breakfast around nine, and Gary and I parted ways with Kathryn outside the Elliott; she was to catch a bus later in the afternoon to return to Portland. We checked out of the hotel and got on the road at 9:45. We refueled at the Safeway in Aberdeen and picked up some drinks and snacks for the road back, then had lunch at Duffy's. Over lunch I planned to purchase plane tickets to San Francisco from my phone to use up the remaining credit from the Christmas trip, but it turned out you could not do so from the Alaska app, and I ended up texting the airline and cancelling the reservation, resolving to do it when I was at home on the computer. From Aberdeen we took our regular route home: US 12 to McCleary, WA 3 to Kingston, and the ferry to Edmonds. We arrived home about quarter after five.
I planned for us to leave the house about 10 AM, so I got up around 7:30, packed, showered, and dressed. Gary had nodded off in the recliner downstairs and came to bed around four AM, so I let him sleep in. I prepared us breakfast of bacon, cheese omelets, and English muffins. It was ready just around the time Gary came downstairs. After breakfast, Gary decided he needed to mow the front lawn (rather a postage stamp in size, but a bit gnarly nevertheless) before we left, and so we ended up leaving about quarter to eleven. As a result we hit major traffic in Seattle, a bit better than usual in Fife approaching Tacoma, and a bit worse than usual through Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
By the time we reached our favorite restaurant in Lacey, Shari's, I was rather desperate for the bathroom. We had a nice lunch: I ordered a burger and soup, while Gary ordered a sandwich and fruit. After lunch I plotted the remainder of our course on Google Maps, and we followed US 101 out of Olympia to pick up the route to the coast which we'd taken on previous trips to Ocean Shores: WA 8 to US 12. We made the left turn at Montesano to pick up the Raymond Cutoff (WA 107) back to US 101 (which does a full 180 degree turn around the Olympic Peninsula). After passing through Raymond, we continued south until the road reached a dead-end at the west end of WA 4. Instead of taking the right to follow 101, we went left on 4 and picked up WA 401 a few miles east, which deposited us back at 101 at the north end of the Astoria-Megler Bridge. We crossed the bridge and followed the loop ramp to the junction with US 30.
A left turn and a couple miles of city driving took us to the Hotel Elliott. We parked in the city lot adjacent to the hotel; there were many signs warning that the lot, as well as the surrounding streets, would be closed on Sunday for the market. At the front desk, we checked in and received a map showing where to park on Sunday as well as a little card letting anyone know that we were registered at the hotel and to call them if we were about to be towed. We retrieved our baggage and belongings and settled in at the hotel briefly.
At 6:30 we gathered at a nice Italian restaurant called Fulio's, around the corner from the hotel, for the foodie dinner. We shared a plate of antipasto and a plate of grilled vegetables, along with bread and oil and vinegar for dipping. We had two bottles of Montepulciano wine with dinner; the second was a bit pricier than the first as that first bottle was the last of its brand in stock (but it was also a better wine). I had the crab penne with Alfredo sauce, which was quite good. For dessert several of us had tiramisu (like the deserts miss the rain...) and Gary had spumoni. After dinner we all went to the hotel and checked out the rooftop patio until it got dark, and then we all went to our respective rooms to bed.
SATURDAY
Gary and I had breakfast in the hotel dining room. Kathryn joined us for conversation, but on her way in I overheard the desk clerk admonishing her that she was being aggressive.
We ascended to the roof deck to join Max's Zoom call. At first it was just the three of us, but eventually Robert, John, and George met us on the roof. We were having technical difficulties with the external webcam so I switched back to the laptop camera. While we were doing that, the desk clerk came upstairs and escorted Kathryn from the property, based on complaints from other guests at the hotel as well as their personal disagreement from the morning. We stayed on the call for about an hour and then agreed to meet at the Astoria Column. On our way out of the hotel, the desk clerk apologized and told us she was under strict orders not to allow "guests of guests" into the hotel based on Kathryn's behavior. This meant that Chuk and David, who were making a day trip, weren't allowed to join us on the roof.
Eventually we all met up at the Column. Chuk remained at the base but the rest of us all ascended the spiral staircase to get pictures. A nice young black dude took our group picture atop the column. As Gary and I were preparing to descend, an older gentleman told me he was the great-grandson of John Jacob Astor, for whom Astoria is named and who, he said, commissioned the Column. When we reached the base, we briefly conversed about whether his claims were plausible; considering Astor drowned on the Titanic in 1912, I think so. We explored the grounds beneath the column, and Gary and I picked up our souvenir fridge magnets at the gift shop.
From the column we went to lunch at the Astoria Brewing Company. While we waited outside for a table, we explored the riverfront pier and watched the trolley go by. I had a pulled pork sandwich and a local cider. We had a long and wide-ranging conversation over lunch.
We decided to go to Fort Clatsop, a short drive along the Lewis and Clark River south of town, after lunch. The main visitor center was undergoing construction, so we had to park a short distance away and follow a trail through the woods to the reproduction of the original fort (which, after restoration, burned down in the early 2000s). We sat through a demonstration of the many uses of the cedar tree before proceeding to the visitor center to see the exhibits.
After the fort, we split into two parties. Gary returned to town with George, Robert, and John (Emma didn't come to the fort with us), while Chuk, David, Kathryn, and I went to Sunset Beach, about 15 minutes' drive across the peninsula from the fort. Kathryn rode with me since Gary wasn't coming to the beach. Google Maps wanted us to approach the beach through a gated community instead of parking where the signs directed, which led us on quite the wild-goose chase. Eventually we parked in the proper place and walked through a gap in the dunes where properly-equipped vehicles could actually drive onto the beach. Chuk and David had already been there a while and we met them on the other side of the dunes. A pickup truck had gotten mired in the sand, while another truck with monster tires and belching black smoke stopped to assist. We stood in the surf for a few minutes (Chuk hung back a bit further), got some pictures, then headed back to town, arriving just after five.
We decided to meet at seven for dinner, karaoke, and a drag performance at Xanadu, the new gay bar in Astoria. I returned to the room and napped with Gary until it was time to get ready for dinner. I had dirty rice with pork-belly nuggets and the local cider Back to Black. I sang "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by the Crash Test Dummies and "Heathens" by 21 Pilots. Chuk was the only other member of our party to sing. In between sessions of karaoke, a local drag queen performed "Le Jazz Hot" and "Chicago" from Victor/Victoria, a number from Sunset Boulevard, and a couple other numbers. It was a fun evening and we got to meet the proprietor, Jeff, who also operated the karaoke machine and the spotlight for the drag show. We headed back to the hotel about nine-thirty, and Gary and I watched TV until we fell asleep.
SUNDAY
We returned to the Xanadu for brunch at ten. I had a flight of four different flavors of candied bacon (pepper, brown sugar cinnamon, raspberry, and orange) with biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs. Brunch was served in a little breakfast nook with a counter and booths. Jeff came over and had one of the waiters take a picture of him with the group.
Most of the folks were leaving today so we decided to meet at Cape Disappointment State Park on the Washington side of the river. We kept Alan, who was driving up for the day from Corvallis, informed and he met us at the park. Parking was difficult; both Gary and I, and George and Emma, managed to get spaces in the designated lot, but Robert and John (with Kathryn) had had to park in the overflow lot and walk the third of a mile uphill. Alan was lucky to find a spot in the ADA lot. When Gary and I had ascended the trail from the main parking lot, we took a breather in a large shelter beside the ADA lot, and had a conversation with a fellow from Stony Brook, NY who had parked there. Since Gary and I had arrived first, we spent some time on the outside overlook getting pictures of the river mouth and the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. After some time we realized everyone else had gone into the visitor center, so we joined them inside. We toured the exhibits for a couple hours, then went outside for pictures before going our separate ways: Robert, John, George and Emma headed for Seattle, while Alan gave Kathryn a ride back to Astoria.
We four met again at the sushi bar on the corner next to the hotel. The food was excellent and we had a nice conversation. After this late lunch/early dinner, Alan returned to Corvallis and the rest of us returned to our respective hotels for a nap. In the evening we returned to Xanadu for drinks and a light nosh. While we were seated at the bar, a nearby dude was taking selfies and posting to his buddies "hey look, I'm in a gay bar!" The lady next to him on the other side pointed him out to the bartender and he was summarily bounced. It was otherwise a very pleasant evening, and we wrapped up around nine and returned to our hotels.
MONDAY
We three gathered at a cafe on the block behind the hotel for breakfast around nine, and Gary and I parted ways with Kathryn outside the Elliott; she was to catch a bus later in the afternoon to return to Portland. We checked out of the hotel and got on the road at 9:45. We refueled at the Safeway in Aberdeen and picked up some drinks and snacks for the road back, then had lunch at Duffy's. Over lunch I planned to purchase plane tickets to San Francisco from my phone to use up the remaining credit from the Christmas trip, but it turned out you could not do so from the Alaska app, and I ended up texting the airline and cancelling the reservation, resolving to do it when I was at home on the computer. From Aberdeen we took our regular route home: US 12 to McCleary, WA 3 to Kingston, and the ferry to Edmonds. We arrived home about quarter after five.