Astoria

 Bill and I took a little mini vacation to Astoria. We stopped at Jewel Meadows where herds of elk stay throughout the year.

 We saw this juvenile eagle on a piling as we came into Young's Bay.

 The bridge across Young's Bay

 We stayed at our favorite hotel, the Cannery Pier.

 It is right next to the Astoria Bridge that connects the state of Oregon to the state of Washington.

 A Great Blue Heron is often seen on the dilapidated pier next to the hotel.

 I've never watched a Heron go through so many gyrations :).

 He must have really had an itch!

 Huge ships passed by our window throughout the time we stayed (the hotel sits right out over the water). This one is a Hulk Carrier.

 Pilot ships take the marine pilots from their ships to the shore. Unfortunately, due to increased security, foreign pilots are no longer able to come and go as they please.

 Another Hulk Carrier

 Fishing Vessel

 Tug boat...

 pulling a barge

 Another tug boat pulling a barge

 Coast Guard

 Another tug and barge

 Tug boat

 Hulk Carrier

 The fog slowly creeped up the Columbia

 An ethereal world

 This cruise ship came in so quietly we didn't even know it was there!

 A Panamax Carrier (it is the longest and widest ship able to go through the Panama Canal)

 Flavel House (there is another Flavel House that belonged to George Flavel, a well known bar pilot; this home belonged to his posterity)

 Unfortunately the home has a bit of a sinister story behind it. It looks like a haunted house, and has accumulated more than a million in fines as it sits in disrepair.

 I like this cafe in town. They make wonderful homemade bread!

Here is a sample loaf of herbed bread :)

 We went to Cape Lookout on the way home, and I snapped this beautiful view.

 We also went to Cape Kiwanda where I snapped the cape in the mist. You can hardly even see Haystack Rock. Our little vacation was a wonderful break for both Bill and I. We need to make time for such things as this!