Astoria, OR (actually Hammond)

Today, Labor Day, was a short, 120-mile day from Portland to Astoria using route 30 along the shore instead of the interstate. It took nearly three hours because much of it was single lane. The state of Oregon has bicycle lanes on essentially every road. We even saw two cyclists on an interstate, though I doubt that they were legal. The campground is a KOA in Hammond just outside Astoria. It is the northwest corner of Oregon. We arrived, set up, and went touring. We visited a couple of scenic and quaint coastal villages south of here, Seaside and Cannon Beach. They are much too quaint to tour them enroute with the bus. They are both full of shops and galleries, not unlike Camden, ME. Seaside is the terminus of the Lewis and Clark expedition, so I have included a picture of their statue. Cannon Beach is known for its iconic Haystack Rock, hence another picture. We had a late lunch in Seaside at Doogers seafood restaurant and grill. I started with a dozen oysters on the half shell. They were the best I have had in years. They were briny, fresh, large, and plump with an almost buttery smoothness. I then decided to try the salmon fish ‘n chips just for the halibut. Guess what? I should have had the halibut. You have to use a white fish for fish ‘n chips. Besides, it’s a waste of a good piece of salmon to fry it.
After lunch we wandered around and found a neon Red Sox sign in Seaside, OR. Cannon Beach is just a little further south, and that Haystack Rock is quite a sight. The fourth picture is rather undistinguished, but a few of you thousands (?) of readers out there will take note of the site number we were assigned here tonight.