Watching the Ships Roll In
One of the most memorable things to do in Astoria is to watch ships roll slowly up and down the mighty Columbia River as your mind wonders what type of goods aboard and their faraway origin to their final port.
Astoria is in the Northwest corner of Oregon where the mighty Columbia River current dissipates into the Pacific Ocean. Treacherous sandbars and unpredictable currents make this one of the most dangerous channels in the maritime world, and this is also where the Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa sits 600 feet into the river. The hotel’s unrivaled location provides guests a fascinating glimpse into life on the river, and there is no place more romantic to watch sunrise and sunset with the beautiful Astoria-Megler Bridge as a perfect accompaniment.
On any given day, ships of all sizes make their way up and down the river, and up to 10 ships can be found at anchor in the river along Astoria waterfront, waiting for berths to open upriver. The hotel design and layout provide guests viewing everywhere on the property. But nothing compares to a private show in the guestrooms with a lit fireplace with a view from the cozy window seat, private balcony, or watching everything unfold snuggled in the luxurious bed.
The hotel provides guests a daily report of vessel traffic with information on inbound and outbound ships along with pertinent info such as time, name of ships, flags they sailed under, previous and destination ports.
Ship viewing makes it easy to relax and take it all in because it is so mesmerizing. No matter what plans you make while here, even if you plan to do nothing, there is always an unfolding story to be discovered on the Columbia River.