What's New with an Old Oregon Coast Town

Published 08/30/2010

Astoria's neighborhoods are full of interesting, ancient sights like this.

(Astoria, Oregon) – Numerous interesting developments are popping up at the very end of the north Oregon coast. Astoria will be celebrating its 200th birthday next year, as a new fish market takes over a chunk of the waterfront, a new hotel readies itself, and the ancient trolley goes high tech, among other things.

New Seafood Market at Pier 11 Features Music. Joining the Pier 11 Steak House and Wet Dog Café / Astoria Brewing Company, Hanthorn Crab Company's new seafood market hopes to add to the excitement on the waterfront near 11th Street since opening in June. The fresh Dungeness crab, Willapa Bay oysters, steamer clams, Chinook salmon and halibut, much of which is caught on co-owner David Wolf's 52-foot fishing boat, never stay at the market longer than three days before they are snapped up. The fish mongers’ aim is to make the market fun for all, testing 50 different smoked seafood recipes, cooking up fresh crab outside the building and performing tricks with empty coolers to entertain hungry customers.

New Hotel Coming to Riverfront. A new Hampton Inn & Suites at Astoria's Pier 38 on the Columbia River will open with more than 80 rooms for travelers eager to visit this vibrant and burgeoning coastal destination. From the doors of this new luxury hotel, it will be easy to take in the town's working waterfront and thriving cultural community, including boutique art galleries, internationally acclaimed museums, old canneries converted into restaurants, and more around every corner.

Trolley Enters New Millennium with GPS Tracking. The Astoria Old 300 Riverfront Trolley added GPS tracking in June 2010 to better serve riders with up-to-the-minute information. This restored 1913 trolley runs for 2.6 miles along the Columbia River in Astoria while the conductor provides interpretation of the area's history and attractions. For only $1, passengers can catch the trolley anywhere on the riverfront between Basin and 39th streets. The new GPS tracking system makes it easy to know the trolley's location and direction along the waterfront any time it's running.

October Brings Run (or Walk) On Water to the Great Columbia Crossing. There's no other chance to cross the Columbia River on foot than during the 29th annual Great Columbia Crossing. This 10K trek across the Astoria-Megler Bridge, the longest truss span bridge in North America, takes place Sunday, October 3. Don't miss the spectacle of 3,000 runners and walkers making this annual pilgrimage across the Columbia River from Washington to Oregon.

Sunday, October 3, 2010 – at Astoria-Megler Bridge crossing the Columbia River. Cost : $30/$20 adult/youth early registration, $35/$25 adult/youth registration after September 15

Visit www.oldoregon.com/events or www.greatcolumbiacrossing.com, or call the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce at (800) 875-6807 for more information.

Save the Date: Astoria Turns 200 in 2011. The oldest American settlement west of the Rockies is celebrating its 200th birthday in a big way next year. To honor the historic significance of its founding in 1811, Astoria will host events throughout 2011 including multicultural festivals, movie tours, historical re-enactments and lectures, musical performances and more. Events kick off the weekend of May 20-21, 2011, with Chinese Dragon dancers, Native American trade re-enactments, a classic movie series at the Columbia Theatre and, of course, birthday cake.

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