Filmmakers are among the many
admirers of Astoria; a number
of movies have been shot in the
community, including
Kindergarten
Cop
,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
III
,
Short Circuit
,
Free Willy
and, most
famously,
The Goonies
(
you can visit
the iconic house and jail in town).
27
rails
to
trails
◆
spring/summer.13
destination
I
t’s late August in northwestern
Oregon, and a brilliant blue
sky has opened over the port
city of Astoria. A familiar
“
ding ding, ding ding” chimes
behind you as a red trolley car
ambles by, the conductor waving
a smiling hello. Overhead, the
Astoria-Megler Bridge, the
largest truss bridge in the world,
arcs out across the Columbia
River toward the hazy hillsides
of Washington State. Seagulls
perch atop wooden pilings
from old canneries, sea lions
pile on top of each other for a
space in the sun and deep-sea
freighters barrel through the
sparkling channel. The scene is
yours to savor, because at your
feet is the
Astoria River Trail.
Stretching the entire length of
the city’s waterfront, the rail-
trail is your avenue to local
restaurants and breweries, fish
processors, museums and dozens
of attractions in between. You’ll
want to stroll every inch of it.
X
Destination:
Oregon
STORY AND PHOTOS BY KARL WIRSING, RTC