June 12, 2015. Northern Oregon Coast

CAMPGROUND: Fort Stephens State Park.  Even though it is a state park, we have electricity and water hookups. We are close enough to town that we get a little TV. Huge place with 300 campsites. Decent bathroom. Grill and picnic table. $29/night. 4 stars

LOCATION:  Astoria, Oregon in northwest Oregon.

WEATHER: very nice. Cool. Highs in 60

We drove north from Rockaway Beach about 75 miles to Astoria.  Another drive with beautiful views of the mostly rocky coast.

We were able to get one of the last sites at this campground, and couldn't get a site for tomorrow night.  School got out here today, and it seems that everyone is out camping.  

I have been babying along a pot of basil and thyme.  It rides in the backseat when we drive, and I take it out when we arrive somewhere.  Today, I set it on the picnic table to get some sun, and bragged to George that it seemed to be doing well.  Just then, a squirrel jumped on the table, chewed off a big stem, spit it out, and ran away!  

We drove into Astoria, a real harbor town.  We went to Buoy Brewpub for lunch.  It is in a former fish processing plant, right on the water.  We watched ships go by.  

We had local oysters on the half shell.  Big and salty.  Yum.  The presentation was very nice....on a bed of blue rock salt.  Yes, the red rye IPA was tasty, too.  

We drove around the city, looking at the old Victorian homes.  Astoria is built like San Francisco, really steep hilly streets.

DINNER:  We stopped at a seafood market and bought a fillet of cod.  I made a recipe with Japanese soba noodles, grilled cod with garlic and ginger, in a sauce with tomatoes, napa cabbage, cilantro and my poor basil.  Very tasty!