Our trip to Ilwaco, WA

On Friday DeWayne and I took a short trip across the Astoria bridge to Ilwaco, WA to visit a diabetic shoe clinic at a pharmacy there. I spent two weeks with a cousin, Alberta Kary, in Ilwaco. It is located on Baker Bay about 2 miles from the mouth of the Columbia River. We spent hours playing on the beach among piles of driftwood making imaginary houses and playing with shells and little pieces of driftwood. Ilwaco is about ten miles East along the Columbia River from the Grays River/Rosburg area where my Hanhi grandparents lived after Grandpa built a house and established a farm. He fished and farmed and Grandma ran the house and farm while he was fishing and took care of all the animals and the garden. They had five children while they lived there. It is fun living in the general area where I was born and grew up. DeWayne says I lived where he wanted to for 45 years, so it was my turn to live where I wanted to live.

The Young's Bay bridge from Warrenton into Astoria.


The south slope of Astoria from the Young's Bay bridge.


Huge cruise ships go under this portion of the bridge, and giant tankers and cargo ships.


The highest part of the bridge.


Going up to the top.


This portion of the Astoria bridge is close to the water with a small area at the end for small boats. Large boats and ships have to use the channel under the high part of the bridge by Astoria. The bridge is four miles long.


Left to Ilwaco and right to Grays River, and Rosburg where my Hanhi grandparents built their first house and farm in the early 1900's. They lived there when my mother was born in 1910.


Going through a tunnel to Ilwaco. Tunnels are very common along the coast.


This old school was built in 1924 and is not currently in use.


Old houses on the main street/highway.


This old building held several businesses. Ilwaco has very few new buildings.


Our goal--the pharmacy with the foot clinic.


Going back over the bridge to Astoria.


Entering Oregon.


One of the boat harbors along the Columbia River.


We stopped for lunch at KFC.


Here DeWayne is sitting by Colonel Sanders at KFC.


One of the red buildings on the Columbia River. Many were to repair gillnets or were fish canneries. Now they are restaurants, bistros, gift shops, etc that cater to tourists.


Several buildings are built right under the Astoria bridge.


This store was here when I rode through Astoria with my parents as a small child. It has been here since 1920. Look at the false front which was used to make a building look larger.


The old Liberty Theater was once used for movies. It has a beautiful baroque interior that has been completely restored and is now used for concerts, plays and lectures.


Log trucks are found going down the main streets of all the towns along the coast. Three passed by in the 15 minutes I waited in the car while DeWayne was having the jeweler put a new battery in my watch.


This is the Wells Fargo bank in one of the old landmark buildings.


Commercial Street is the main business street in downtown Astoria. Here is where you find J.C. Penney, JoAnn's Fabric, Wells Fargo Bank, the Liberty theatre and a host of little independently owned restaurants and shops.