Lewis and Clark and the Goonies

I’m a pretty cheap date, and most of my “wants” are just to have Jesse pull over to the side of the road for me to get out and get a picture. I really wanted to see the beach from the end of the movie Goonies, I have good memories of watching it as a kid, with my college roommates and with the boys in Bermuda a couple of years ago and I just wanted to see the cool rocks that were on the beach as well. That was in Cannon beach, and it was a pretty easy on/easy off stop. Except there was an amazing fabric store right next to where we parked. I went in for 10 minutes and told myself that if I didn’t get out of there quick, I was going to bust the bank. There would go my cheap date status!

We also drove right by Micky and Brandon’s house in Astoria. You know, where they find the map in the attic. Put a check mark on that as well. No luck in finding One Eyed Willie or the Fratelli’s but that’s ok, I don’t want them to find me either.

Along the drive, we start to notice that we’ll be passing a National Park – the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park-Fort Clatsop. Of course, we pull over, learn all about the Fort and get Woody his junior ranger badge and get our picture and walk to the Fort and then have car sandwiches and continue on our way.

We drove up the Columbia river to visit some extended family, and as we did there were container ships lined up 10-12 deep. The Columbia is a big shipping channel that leads to Portland and beyond. We’re not traveling to Portland on this trip, but I’d like to see their bay sometime!

We stopped to see Jesse’s Great Uncle Mark Tischer, that was fun to see the Tischer name again! Mark and another brother of Jesse’s Grandpa Reuben Tischer moved out to the Pacific Northwest after high school and stayed here, raised families and they all stayed out here because they loved it here! It was a nice visit, and that night, we had supper with a cousin of Jesse’s dad, Lee Tischer and his wife Diane. We were staying near Lee’s place and our campsite is directly on the Columbia River. Container ships pass less then 50 yards from our camper! Last night we looked out and saw a riverboat paddlewheeler, all decked out in lights and that was one of the coolest things ever. Not to be outdone, Woody got a captain to honk its horn at us today! Very exciting in Cathlamet, Washington! (MT)