Experience the Columbia-Pacific

Before sunrise, ship traffic is already moving on the Columbia River. A silhouette against the day’s first light, one cargo vessel sounds a low hum as it drifts beneath the Astoria Bridge, guided closely by a Columbia River Bar Pilot’s tugboat.
From a window on the riverfront, a child reaches for a pair of binoculars and scans over the ship’s markings and letters.

Miles away, at the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, birders pack their binoculars too, in hopes of spotting the rare western snowy plover. Already, a double-crested cormorant is airing out its wings, and a great blue heron is wading in the mist.

In Cannon Beach and Manzanita, people awake to the churning sea. They walk the city blocks as coffee shops and art galleries open their doors. One pair of hikers watch a herd of elk as they enjoy breakfast before heading out to Saddle Mountain, where they’ll climb to the summit to see panoramic views of the river and ocean.

So, another day begins in the Columbia-Pacific region, this place of many waters between Willapa Bay and the Nehalem River.

The stories in Our Coast Magazine and Coast Weekend are windows into the days and lives of people who call this place home, from oyster farmers to U.S. Coast Guardsmen, historic figures to contemporary musicians, artists, educators, and business owners.

History remains alive and influential here, as told through the stories of this land’s first inhabitants, the Chinook and Clatsop-Nehalem people, in historic buildings and homes and in growing collections of artifacts displayed at the region’s many museums.

Sometimes, these stories and places are comforting reminders that days past looked much like ours, filled with work, creativity, and a sense of wonder.

Even after dark, the hours here yield to the rhythm of the tides. On the beaches of Seaview and Ilwaco, clammers switch on their headlamps, still determined to search the outgoing tide for their limit of clams during a dig. Behind them, the evening’s last light is the rotating flash of North Head Lighthouse.
Night across the region brings music, plays, dinner,s and beach bonfires. Under clear skies, people set up tripods on the sand for stargazing. After the day is done, it’s time to find someplace to call home, for a night or for many, and watch a new day begin. Wherever it might take you, we’re glad you’re here.