Jack’s Country Store contains all manner of secret nooks and crannies that are fascinating to explore.
Cannery Row and can feel a little rough, especially if you’re traveling solo, but it has loads of unvarnished appeal. Peek into Time Enough Books if you need some beach reading while you’re here. A little further south, at Chinook Point, you’ll find Fort Columbia State Park, a historic military complex on a 593-acre day use park you’d never guess was there if you just drove past the exit on Highway 101. Built between 1896 and 1904, the U.S. Army fort buildings and batteries on the site guarded the mouth of the Co- lumbia River until 1947. It became a state park in 1950, and now boasts more than 6,000 feet of pretty shore- line along the river. Originally, the area was home to the Chinook Indian Nation; it was later explored by the Lewis and Clark crew and Capt. Robert Gray, and in 1843 the first permanent settlers north of the Colum- bia settled here.
These days, the remarkably well-preserved and surprisingly elegant military buildings can be rented as vacation houses throughout the year, comfortably accommodating four to 12 guests. If you’re just visiting for the day, you’ll need a Discover Pass, which you can buy on site ($10 for the day, or $30 annually). Pick up a map for a self-guided tour at the interpretive center; guided hikes in the area are available on request in July and August.
Back on the Oregon side of the border, the hidden gems are just as intriguing. In June of 1942, a Japanese submarine fired 17 shells at Fort Stevens, which stood guard at the mouth of the Columbia River. The shelling caused no damage, and the fort was decommissioned in 1947. It’s now pre- served inside the 3700-acre Fort Stevens State Park and can be visited along with the park’s military history museum (museum hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. summer and fall, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. winter and spring). The park is 10 miles west of Astoria off Highway 101. Lovely Astoria is filled with delights, but one thing travelers might overlook is a red marble obelisk on 15th Street, between Franklin Avenue and Exchange Street, just a couple of blocks from the city’s Heritage Musesum. The obelisk marks the site of Astoria’s first post office – the first post office west of the Rocky Mountains, established in 1947.
Used-book hunters have it made on the coast. Not only do most antique shops include great stashes of pulpy paperbacks, but there are also some excellent bookstores devoted to used and rare treasures. Two of these on the Oregon side are Buck’s Book Barn in Seaside and Jupiter’s Rare & Used Books in Cannon Beach. Intrepid travelers with a taste for fine food will find a nice surprise hidden away behind a Cannon Beach
coffee shop. The Irish Table is a restaurant-pub occupying a former storage room behind the Sleepy Monk coffee house. Its low profile and brief opening hours mean that it escapes the notice of many passersby, but it’s adored by those in the know, so reservations are recommended. (It’s only open for dinner, starting at 5 p.m.) The intimate space has great atmosphere, with furniture built from recycled floorboards and one long table made from a huge piece of driftwood. The menu consists of traditional Irish fare that leans Northwest (veggie shepherd’s pie, lamb stew), but it’s a major step above standard pub fare.
Photo above is Jack’s County Store; photo at right is Treasure Cove. 14 OUR COAST
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