Astoria

The mighty Columbia River meets the Pacific at Astoria, the oldest city west of the Rockies. It is named for John Jacob Astor, owner of the Pacific Fur Company, whose members arrived in 1811 and established Fort Astoria. In its early days Astoria was a placid amalgamation of small town and hardworking port city. With rivers rich with salmon, the city relied on its fishing and canning industries. Settlers built sprawling Victorian houses on the flanks of Coxcomb Hill; many of the homes have since been restored and are no less splendid as bed-and-breakfast inns. In recent years the city itself has awakened with a greater variety of trendy dining and lodging options, staking its claim as a destination resort town. But it retains the soul of a fisherman's town, celebrated each February during its Fisher Poets Gathering.