The Astoria Column is a 125-foot-tall landmark on Coxcomb Hill in Astoria, Oregon, built in 1926 to celebrate the discovery and settlement of the West.
You can climb the 164 step spiral staircase to the observation deck, where you have panoramic views of the Columbia River, Pacific Ocean, and surrounding mountains.
For a dollar you can buy a little airplane, carry it to the observation deck and launch it. The view was fantastic but I think what got me to climb those 164 steps was the idea of launching that little airplane and watching it glide to the ground. Mine caught the breeze and floated along back and forth before coming to a nice landing in the middle of the parking lot. I did retrieve it, but I wasn’t going to climb those 164 steps to watch it fly again.
That is all from Astoria, as we continue wandering slowly towards home.