Today’s coastal adventure had us road tripping north on US101 to Astoria, Oregon, the last town on the Oregon side of the Columbia River. That immense bridge that spans the Columbia between Oregon and Washington is always impressive and Astoria itself is a quaint fishing town as well as bustling harbor.
But what I was really hoping to take in were the remains of the Peter Iredale shipwreck located in Fort Stevens State Park. The storms of the winter of 2024/2025 pulled a lot of sand away from the hull of the ship, so viewing it is especially impressive! We planned our outing around a low tide so I could get close and capture what’s left of a magnificent four-masted sailing ship that ran aground in October, 1906. The ship was owned and named for a British businessman. The Peter Iredale was sailing from Mexico to Portland when it met its end in stormy seas. No crew were lost but the ship was soon buried in sand and unable to be salvaged. Photo credit: Wikipedia
We spent some time wandering around Fort Stevens State Park. Fort Stevens was an important military installation at the mouth of the Columbia River. There is a lot of history to explore in the park where much of the military installation is preserved. And we also took in the South Jetty of the Columbia and a wildlife preservation area where I spotted a juvenile bald eagle landing in a tree just above me.
Fabulous pictures! I loved seeing the shipwreck and the eagle! Magical each in their own way.
Good times, Cathey!