Saturday we went to the Columbia Maritime Museum in Astoria (one of the freebies for being a member of the zoo).  It was a very interesting and informative museum.  It’s amazing the conditions that boaters (commercial and casual) have to navigate here. And even more amazing is what the Coast Guard goes through to save boaters in trouble.  Apparently, the area where the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River meet is one of the most dangerous waterways in the world.  In addition to the museum, we were able to board and tour a retired light ship.

After the museum we enjoyed a nice lunch at Rogue Public House.  A pretty cool place right on the water in Astoria.

After lunch (and a stop at home, hahah) we headed south to Cannon Beach to check out the sandcastle competition.  There were a lot of people doing the same as us.  We were able to check them out and get a few photos.  We did not stay around for the final products due to Mother Nature.  We had our raincoats, but not our rain pants or shoes so below the waist we got soaked and covered in sand!