Suggestions for Fort Columbia, WA area?
 

On a lark, we booked a vacation rental in Fort Columbia, Washington in mid-summer. (Thanks to a recent poster who mentioned Washington State Parks as a great resource)!
We are looking forward to relaxation, pleasant views, porch-sitting and hiking - but we really don't know what to expect since we have never been to this region.
Current plan:
** Fly into Portland,rent car, visit friends
** Explore Astoria (stock up on groceries?)
** Check into the rental house at Fort Columbia, spend maybe 5 nights
** Random explorations before returning to Portland airport a couple days later

Has anyone stayed in this area? Suggestions of things to see and do? Any restaurant suggestions? How far will we be from stores/ cafes/ other enjoyable sites?
Would appreciate any ideas for active adults.
Thank you!

You are in a great area for day trips.

South you can visit Cannon Beach and some of the northern Oregon coast areas (down as far as Tilamook is easy.)

East you can explore the lower reaches of the Columbia river. There are some very interesting historic towns on the WA side, and some excellent scenery.

North is really cool - the Long Beach peninsula and Willapa Bay have incredible long beaches, the very cute town of Oysterville at the north end of the peninsula, fab wildlife/birding around the bay itself, and two world-class restaurants - The Ark in Nahcotta and the Shoalwater restaurant at the Shelburne Inn in Seaview (close to Long Beach.) Plus, like Seaside (OR) Long Beach has the basic taffy shop/seaside penny-arcade stuff for those that like it.

West (and a little north) is Ilwaco, a very cute fishing port with a great lighthouse and coastal rock-view beach at Cape Disappointment State Park.

Farther west is very wet, but the views out over the Columbia Bar (big, big water) are always fascinating.

Great off-the-beaten area. Enjoy!

Wow, thanks for the tips, Gardyloo. An off-the-beaten path is just what we're after. Is there hiking in the area, too?
The Long Beach Peninsula sounds great.I appreciate the restaurant suggestions and all the rest. How long a drive from Fort Columbia to Oysterville?

Do you think 6 days is too much?
Is rain likely? We live in a hot summer climate. Will general layering be the clothing advice?

Sure - hiking all over, but there's not much high country, but some excellent coastal walks.

Fort Columbia to Oysterville (guessing here) is 45 min to an hour.

Is 6 days too much? Can't say. Speaking personally I wouldn't stay longer than 3 or 4, but YMMV.

Will it rain? Maybe. Bring layers? Sure, why not? Also bring kites - Long Beach is serious, serious kite country. There might be fishing opportunities too, in the river or out on the blue.

Or else bag it early and head east to the Columbia Gorge, windsurfing HQ of Planet Earth, maybe through the Gorge to the dry side (check out Maryhill Museum and Stonehenge up at Goldendale.) Or head to Mt. Hood for serious climbing. Within a couple/three hours you have a world of things to see and do.

Well, you must eat at the Columbian Cafe at least once for the experience. Also, because it will rock your tastebuds. But get there early (close to opening) or be prepared to waaaaaait.

http://columbianvoodoo.com/newsite/cafe.html

Any place they've got a half-human, half-alligator specimen's got my vote. And all of their junky old-time machines got my quarters...For a genuinely odd Ripley's-Believe-It-Or-Not good time, check out Marsh's Museum:
http://www.marshsfreemuseum.com/pages/home.html

Gardyloo, thank you for all the tips for Long Beach Peninsula - amazed to hear about the good restaurants, and we are looking forward to exploring this area.

Wabashcannonball, thanks for the Astorian tips. I laughed so hard when I checked those links. Now we absolutely have to visit those spots!

elnap29, I replied on your other post, but let me just add here that I loved exploring Fort Columbia as a kid and the location is fine for travel to Astoria or Cannon Beach to the south or the Long Beach peninsula to the north. For info on LB peninsula, http://www.funbeach.com/

And wabashcannonball, thank God! Someone here on Fodor's who appreciates Marsh's! Scene of my mis-spent youth :D

FWIW, Mt St Helens is about a 3 hour drive from where you will be. Might be too much for a day trip, but if you get tired of the beach after a few days, it's definitely worth going to see.

Ha. Yeaah, Marsh's isn't really Fodor's target demographic, is it?

More of a Lonely Planet attraction.

Hey, Wabash - I appreciate the suggestion. We like the unique, wacky, and different. For example, a memorable stop for us was the "Alien Bookstore" in Sedona. Truly folks from another world; thus a 15-minute conversation we will never forget!

In which case you should definitely check out the Lunar Boy Gallery in Astoria - http://www.lunarboygallery.com - for consistently funky and fun exhibits and merchandise. A friend of ours just had a successful show there.

Thanks for another rec. Keep 'em coming.