After the table
A guide to spending
Thanksgiving
weekend outdoors
BY ANDY CAMERON
Once the feasts are fi nished, dishes are
clean and naps have been taken, families
deal with the same question every Thanks-
giving weekend.
“What should we do now?”
While some businesses may be closed,
the great outdoors is always open. Here
are a few diff erent ways to spend a holiday
weekend on the North Coast.
Find feathered friends
Though many species have migrated to
warmer climates, the North Coast currently
harbors a myriad of resident and transient
birds.
The community-driven online por-
tal, eBird, managed by the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology, lists a real-time report of spe-
cies currently found in the area.
Intrepid birders willing to brave the
weather will fi nd Dark- eyed Juncos, dun-
lins, surf scoters, Great Blue Herons and
plovers. Ideal spots for viewing include
Seaside Cove, the western terminus of the
Astoria Riverwalk, Willapa Bay Wildlife
Refuge and the Twilight Eagle Sanctuary
east of Astoria.
Take a hike
Inland hikes may be overtaken by snow,
mud and raging creeks, but the North Coast
off ers numerous chances to hit the trail and
experience nature in a secluded setting.
Hikers can easily fi nd an excursion fi t-
ting of the day’s goals, be they focused on
exercise, relaxation or aimless explorations.
Local favorites include the Cullaby
Lake Trail, the Coff enbury Lake Loop at
Fort Stevens, the Fort to Sea Trail at Fort
Clatsop and the Discovery Trail linking
Cape Disappointment State Park and Long
Beach. The latter features the added bonus
of pit stops featuring public art.
Photos by Andy Cameron
A cormorant yawns while perched on a Columbia River piling.
Spin up an appetite
In a long weekend best known for
caloric consumption, a bike ride off ers the
See Page 5
The
Illahee
Apartments
A heron remains still as it waits for fi sh to
swim by.
Herons are quite skilled in catching fi sh. They
stand motionless until a fi sh comes by and
stick out their long neck to seize their prey.
As good as it gets
in Downtown
Astoria!
1046 Grand Avenue
Astoria, OR 97103
503-325-2280
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Beachgoers are likely to fi nd a variety of
treasures along North Coast shores.
Fort Clatsop will be open every day, including Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.