ASTORIA-WARRENTON -- More than a century of water-logged history sits on the beach at Fort Stevens Park on the Oregon Coast.

The shipwreck of the Peter Iredale on Clatsop Spit is one of the most popular  attractions in the area.

The Iredale, named for its British owner, ran aground Oct. 25, 1906, and has been whittled by waves since.

The four-masted barque had sailed from Salina, Cruz, Mexico, and was en route to the Columbia River when it encountered “heavy squalls” and a “thick mist,” according to a transcript from a naval court hearing later that year.

ASTORIA-WARRENTON -- There’s nothing like seafood, wine and sunshine to bring out a crowd.

Thousands yesterday came to the Oregon Coast for the 29th annual Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival, sponsored by the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce.

On the second day of the three-day fest, the parking lot at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds was full within hours.

A quick survey of licence plates showed an almost even split between Washington and Oregon state.  Others came from Missouri, Nevada, Idaho, and California.

Crowds gathered at area hotels for big, yellow buses to shuttle them to the fairgrounds. Six shuttles, with names like “the tuna bus” and “sturgeon bus” were busy all day ferrying festival-goers from hotels, motels, KOA and other campgrounds, and the Lewis & Clark RV Park.

With 200 booths -- about one-quarter Oregon wineries -- a beer tent, food tent, and crab dinner hall, the festival is truly a moving feast.

ASTORIA -- A trumpeter sits alone on a bench at the waterfront, playing a sweet tune to an audience of gulls, ducks and one puzzled seal.

It’s a precious moment on an overcast Sunday, when the forecast calls for yet another week of rain along the Columbia River.

Visitors disembarking from Astoria’s restored 1914 trolley pause to listen before the musician leaves for a gig at the Wet Dog Cafe nearby.

In the showers that follow, watching the river from the cafe’s big windows seems like the most cosy place in town.

You will Witness a real live coast guard helicopter rescue; Listen to Highline fishermen explain all aspects of their fishery in front of actual fishing boats; and to Cheer on the men that risk their lives to bring us seafood as they compete in several fun and often grueling competitions.

The theme this year for the oldest festival in the Northwest is "Celebrating 100 year Anniversary of the Port of Astoria"

The Astoria Regatta has been a tradition since 1894 and has something for everyone. All five days of fun revolve on the activities on or near the great river of the west, the mighty Columbia River.

Musical events abound this year, with nightly concerts to fit any taste in music. Regatta Square with Kiddie land, a Salmon Bar-B-Q, a Car Show, Ducky Derby, Historic Home Tour, street dance, fireworks, sailboat races, concerts, classic cars, softball, ship tours and great food, including a pancake breakfast, Shanghaied in Astoria, ship tours, trolley rides, museums, shopping, boat rides, great restaurants, lots of fun along the Astoria waterfront and, of course, the 2011 Grand Land Parade.

As the the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies Astoria offers a rich history for you to explore. Astoria is situated on the Oregon Coast near the mouth of the Columbia River and was named after the American investor (and first millionaire) John Jacob Astor. His fur trading company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1810. Astoria was incorporated in 1876.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1805-1806 at Fort Clatsop, a small log structure south and west of modern day Astoria. The expedition had hoped a ship would come by to take them back east, but instead endured a torturous winter of rain and cold, then returned east the way they came. Today the fort has been recreated and is now a national monument.

Read an Indiana Gazette article by Bob Fulton about his visit to Fort Clasop : FORT CLATSOP: Space limited at Lewis and Clark’s quarters

by Foster Church for the Oregonian

Only the ribs of the sailing ship Peter Iredale remain. But the remains of the ship, which ran aground near Hammond in 1906, still atttract throngs of visitors, many with their cameras.

Hammond on the far coast of northwest Oregon offers glorious views of the mouth of the Columbia River and a tranquil, out-of-the-way atmosphere. But the real reason to visit is to experience two ruins from the past: the wreck of the Peter Iredale and the vast remains of Fort Stevens. Either is enough to furnish dreams with bizarre images for months.

Smokin' on the Columbia will be in Astoria, Oregon on May 15-16, 2010

Chicken, Ribs, Tri-Tip, Salmon and more...

The Pacific Northwest BBQ Association's 2nd annual Smokin' on the Columbia is a state-wide chili cookoff and barbecue with proceeds benefitting the United Way of Clatsop County.

This past Weekend, my Hubby and I took off for a few days to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary in Astoria on the Oregon Coast. Astoria was named for John Jacob Aster who was a founding member of the Pacific Fur Company which established a trading post on the site that is now Astoria in the early 1800's. Astoria is located on the mouth of the Columbia River as it joins the Pacific Ocean. We haven't been to Astoria for a long time and it was just a really nice break and great fun to explore. We stayed at a relatively new Hotel, The Cannery Pier.