It rained during the night but we awoke to clearing blue skies. It took a while for the sun to reach our campsite and extra time to get the tent dry enough to pack. Eventually, we got packed up and headed down the Olympic Peninsula under clear blue skies. Our plan was to pick up US Route 30 in Astoria and say farewell to the Pacific Ocean as we head to Atlantic City and the Atlantic Ocean.

Since we needed a restroom break, we stopped at a Visitor’s Center on the WA side of the Columbia River. The volunteer there spoke so well about the Columbia River Maritime Museum and the Astor Tower in Astoria that we decided to stop. The Museum was everything she said it would be. It had displays and information about finding a Northwest Passage and the exploration and settling of the Pacific Northwest. Astoria is where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific.

The turmoil and turbulence created by the mighty river meeting the equally powerful ocean makes navigation a major hazard for shipping and requires experienced pilots to help the ships navigate into the ports of Astoria and Portland. The river also deposits a vast amount of silt at the mouth of the river creating a very large sandbar that is constantly changing and that adds to the hazardous navigation. A bar pilot is required in addition to the regular pilot just to navigate over the bar. These pilots are required for all ships entering and exiting the river.

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The pilots must know from memory the entire waterway they will guide the ships thru – the coastline, depths and locations of all the buoys. In short, they need to know everything that will affect navigating the river. There was a video that showed how dangerous and difficult it was for the river and Bar pilots to get off the pilot boat and get onto the big ships while both vessels are moving!

The museum also had an interesting exhibition about the cannery industry. It began in 1860s with salmon canning, and peaked in the 1880s. When salmon were less plentiful, the canneries turned to tuna. Eventually, a combination of over fishing the Columbia River and competition lead to the demise of the canneries. The last one closed in 1980.

By the time we finished the museum it was time to find lodging and dinner. (When we are only stopping for 1 one night we motel it.) It takes to much time to set up & take down a campsite for the night. We found a microbrewery/pub in a former cannery. It was fun eating on a pier being serenaded by sea lions and knowing that a former cannery had been repurposed. (The cannery had apparently been owned by Bumble Bee tuna.) There were other businesses in the building including a place that sold live Dungeness Crab and a diving shop.

After dinner we went back to our motel room with a view of the Columbia River. There the sea lions continued to serenade us through the night. (The closed window and air conditioning did dull the “entertainment”.)