Astoria, Oregon: Astoria Column

Be sure to visit the gift shop near the end of the parking lot before heading into the column. You can buy a balsa-wood glider for just $1.00 and toss it off the top of the column. I wish I had known this before climbing all those stairs empty-handed.

Don't forget to buy your 75 cent glider from the gift shop!

Absolutely stunning view from the top. But be prepared for a walk, as there is no elevator in the Astor Column. Well worth a stop -- the murals are just beautiful.

Volunteers often man a trailer at the base of the column, where you can see information on how the column was built.

More entertaining is that you can buy toy balsa-wood airplanes that you are allowed to launch off the top of the column. The column is on a high, windy hill so your place may glide quite a ways before landing.

There's a stunning view from the Astoria Column, a civic landmark atop Coxcomb Hill in Astoria. A spiral staircase winds 164 steps to the top observation deck. Entry is free; there's a $1 parking fee. Even from the hilltop base of the tower the view is great. The hill overlooks the city of Astoria, the four-mile span of the Astoria-Megler bridge, ship traffic on the Columbia river and the river's confluence with the Pacific Ocean. The column was built in 1926 and the beautiful mural of local history that spirals around the exterior was recently restored.