Drive-by Astoria #12: A Woodsy Scene on Marine Drive

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Marine Drive

Being built on a hill, Astoria provides numerous views like this one, and being in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), the views are usually green, even before the rains start after summer. I took this photo along Marine Drive not far fron where the bridge crosses to Washington. There may be Blackberries in there. . . .

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Colorful Flowers at the Co-op

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 25, 2012

Outside The Astoria Co-op on Exchange Street

I thought I'd post this cool box with colorful flowers in a brief break from my "Drive-by Astoria" series. 

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #11: Houses on Young's Bay

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Still on Young's Bay Bridge almost to the Astoria side, we get a good view of Astoria's cool wooden houses along Marine Drive at the base the Astoria hill. The pilings with lintels (?) are left over from a dock. There was also a beautiful red boathouse (which I never saw) and net shed where people could be seen mending nets. Gill net boats were often tied up there as well. The building was blown down in a storm in about the 1970s. If anyone can describe more about Astoria's lost features at this location, please comment or send e-mail. That's Florence Avenue starting its trip up the lower part of the hill. The tall hill with the Astoria Column on top is out of sight on the right. 

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #10: Two Bridges

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Highway 101

For any non-locals who wonder what the relationship is between Astoria's two largest bridges, this photo shows it pretty well. Coming from Warrenton, we're approaching the part of Young's Bay Bridge that lifts on the rare occasion that a taller boat needs to go underneath. After you hit the traffic circle at the end of the bridge, a couple of blocks takes you to a traffic light. Go straight and you're headed for downtown Astoria. Turn left onto the bridge and you're on your way to Washington. (See map.)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #9: Saddle Mountain

Astoria-Warrenton, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

On Young's Bay Bridge

Crossing Young's Bay back to Astoria, the passenger gets an unobstructed view of Saddle Mountain. I've hiked to the top, but not recently. Here are other views of Saddle Mountain from earlier posts. Scroll a bit and you'll see the mountain's top.

The white patch in the water is a flock of birds - maybe seagulls? It looks like Canada Geese in the foreground. 

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #8: A Sign with Boats

Warrenton, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Highway 101 

Here we've crossed the Young's Bay Bridge and have stopped at Rite-Aid. I took the opportunity to snap this photo in the other direction. I don't know if the sign is brand new or if I've just missed it until now, but it looks pretty shiny. It shows the harbor at Hammond, just down the road along the Columbia River. The museum, near the harbor, has been posted at other times, although I've never been there when it was open.

Thanks to those who were concerned for my safety and asked if I'd been taking the pictures while driving. No, I wasn't. Lee was driving, and I was the passenger with the camera. I still have a few fun shots to show you of the trip back.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #7: Crossing Young's Bay

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Young's Bay Bridge

Sorry about the discoloration through the windshield, but this is what it looks like crossing from Astoria to Warrenton. We're coming down off of the drawbridge hump and the longest part of the bridge is still ahead. It gets pretty bright out there between the two reflecting expanses of water. The Columbia River is on the right beyond the mouth of Young's Bay (see yesterday's post) and on the left the bay will soon narrow into Young's River. 

This bridge has appeared on the blog in more romantic guises here, here, and here. This is actually Highway 101. It enters Astoria (behind us) and quickly takes you across the much larger Astoria-Megler Bridge to Washington.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #6: Small Boat, Big Sky

Astoria,Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Young's Bay Bridge

As we rounded the traffic circle onto Young's Bay Bridge, I spotted this boat. It's a bit sleek-looking for around here. I had just been commenting on Livorno Daily Photo's blog that boats looking a certain way were rarely seen here, and then I saw this similar shape. The yacht on Livorno Daily is way more elaborate, though. Take a look.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #5: Sleeping under the Bridge

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Marine Drive

It looks like the bridge is sitting right on top of the Holiday Inn Express. Not exactly, but it's very close! Some of you may remember the series of photos I took from the hotel in 2010. One of the images was my favorite "Astoria Daily" photo of the year. Here is the rest of the series:

. View from the Lobby

. Gull's-eye View of the Cannery Pier Hotel

. Trolley from the Top

. A Point of Land with Benches

. Ship and Bridge: A Classic Astoria Scene

We've come down from the Bond Street hill to the intersection of Bond Street and Marine Drive. Does anyone remember the sign on the marquee from when the hotel was first built? It said, "Where Sleeping  under the Bridge is. . . . " and I can't remember the rest of it! The sign disappeared after awhile. Maybe somebody thought it was politically incorrect?

(Aha! Michael E. McDaniel found it on TripAsvisor. The sign read, "Where sleeping under the bridge is a good thing." Thanks, Michael!)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #4: "Oasis on Bond Street"

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Bond Street Hill / Columbia View Apartments

Here we are at the top of the Bond Street hill. When I first came to Astoria from Colorado in the summer of 2001, there were about 6 or 7 apartments available in the entire city. Only the one in this building seemed remotely livable, and when I walked in I thought I'd found Heaven. It was affordable, it was clean, it was spacious, the building was secure, it had an incredible view of the river AND a back deck! 

The building actually has five floors. It has three on the street side, but since it's on a steep slope, there are two more floors down once you get inside. My apartment was the only one on the bottom floor, which was strange, because it didn't feel like a basement. One side of the apartment was dug into the hillside, which kept it from getting hot in summer, and the other side perched high above Marine drive and the shipping channel. It's one of the coolest places I've ever lived. The title of this post is what Erby called the place. She was the very efficient and friendly caretaker when I lived here.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #3: A Finnish House

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Bond Street Hill

This recently-painted house on Bond Street is in the Finnish style, lacking the Victorian elements seen in yesterday's post. Pat asked if Astoria was originally a Finnish town. Not entirely, but there were a lot of Scandinavians here working in the fishing industry - catching fish making boats, repairing nets and other equipment, and working in the canneries. Fishing was a huge enterprise here in earlier decades, and much of the tuna you ate as a kid probably came from Astoria.

We're getting higher up on Bond Street now, and the hills in the background are across the Columbia river in Washington. Those wires that are a photographer's nemesis around here are also prominent.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #2: Bond Street Buildings

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

West Bond Street

I love Astoria's houses. Almost every one has some sort of unique architectural detail, whether it be windows such as these with the long panes at the top, or simply the way the elements are combined. It looks like a small Victorian to me. I know our Finnish houses here are more austere and flat. What I don't know is what happened when the two styles met. Maybe this is it. The top story is pretty plain.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #1: The Corner at 8th and Commercial

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 16, 2012

Yesterday was sunny and beautiful, and for a change I was a passenger with her camera out. Some of the shots I got were kind of fun. The perspective was different, the angles unpredictable, and the composition could either be nice or insane. When I looked at the photos, I realized this is how many of us see our town. As of today, I think I'll do a short series of "Drive-by Astoria" photos. It might also be fun for those who haven't been here for awhile to feel like they're really back for a visit.

Here we are coming up 8th Street from Marine Drive, turning left onto Commercial. Looking west you can see the post office steps on the right and the Clatsop County Courthouse on the left.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

The Seagull Feeder

Astoria, Oregon ~ August 20, 2012

Someone is feeding seagulls along the River Walk on the bank of the Columbia River.

Do you think anyone is hungry?

We actually have seagull toys and pins at Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Cutting the Whitecaps

Taken from Dismal Nitch, Washington ~ August 24, 2012

Here's another photo from the afternoon at Dismal Nitch. It's not as blue as "Blue but Not Dismal," because I'm closer to the subject, although it's still quite a distance. This is the low part of the bridge as it approaches Washington. Where it passes under the bridge, the shipping channel hugs the Astoria side of the river, so this part of the bridge doesn't need great height.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Come on In

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 9, 2012

Here are a couple of signs you'll find inside the front door at 10th and Marine Drive seen in Tuesday's post. The white banister runs across the top of the wide stairway leading to the basement; stairs begin just to the right of the photo. Someone has created an indoor-outdoor feel around both the front and back entrances that I find very pleasant and inviting.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Antiques

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 12, 2012

I've always liked this antique building that sells antiques on Marine Drive. I'm not sure if it's open for business. I think it's been closed for a very long time, but if anyone knows, I'm interested. I could try to notice next time I go by. If I remember, it used to look closed even when it was open.

I like the details, like the odd-shaped windows and those things with the flowers. Deco decor, I would imagine. The front door, such as it is, is around to the right on Marine drive. What you see here is a paved alley.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Wellness and More

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 10, 2012

This building at the corner of Marine Drive and 10th Street holds many surprises: Waves of Change Wellness Center, Reiki, Reflexology, Tai Chi classes, a wine cellar, an art gallery, a quilt shop, a bakery, and downstairs is an old jail cell with a bunk - imported from some other building. I've missed some of the names, but it's a cool place. Go on down the old wooden stairs to the gift shop. It's nice down there!

To sign up for Tai Chi, just give Angela a call.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

A Couple of Classics

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 10, 2012

I'm not a classic car fan in the "fan" sense, but it was very cool to come out of a shop on 10th Street between Marine Drive and the river and see these brightly-colored throwbacks. One of the things that irks me about modern cars (besides their exorbitant prices) is that so many of them look alike to me. Where is originality of design? Where is nonconformity?

I think I recognize the aqua one as a Ford, but maybe someone will identify the yellow one for me. There must be a show of some sort nearby, because I saw three or four more classic cars coming off the bridge from Washington. I think those dumb-looking rims have to be modern. What's the deal here? As for the shapes and colors, what a nice way to brighten the day.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

End of Summer

Astoria, Oregon ~ August 27, 2012

I found this end-of-summer color blooming near the corner of 10th Street and Marine Drive. It was a beautiful day, just about right for me - balmy and not too hot. It sounds strange to say that one reason I moved to Astoria was for the weather, I am not good in the heat. But I've found a number of people here who feel the same way. I think all of us enjoy the sunny days, though, when we aren't having one of those rare Astoria heatwaves. I know that I do. A sunny day in Astoria can be absolutely glorious - and we appreciate them for sure. This year we are sympathizing with so much of the country and the world that is suffering from drought. In Astoria, the rains have come.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Blue but Not Dismal

Dismal Nitch, Washington ~ August 24, 2012

Dismal Nitch, Washington, was dismal for Lewis and Clark, but not for most visitors, who enjoy glorious views east, west, and back across the river to Astoria. Everything looks blue here. My lens had to cope with four miles of reflective river between Astoria and the visitor turnout where I stood to take the photo. 

They're painting the bridge, which makes for interesting drapery. Christo could possibly be envious! 

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.