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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2020)
4 The Columbia Press December 18, 2020 Take a holiday lights tour to beat the blues If coronavirus restrictions have you feeling blue for the holidays, it’s time to step out. Astoria-Warrenton Cham- ber of Commerce and the Oregon State University 4-H and Extension Office came up with a plan: a self-guided hol- iday light tour. There are separate tours for Astoria and Warrenton. “While a lot of the fun each year is had while exploring the neighborhoods to see what might be found around the next corner, we thought we’d take some of the guess- work out this year and com- pile a map of these holiday displays,” the groups wrote in an introduction to the tour. “Once you’ve toured the sites in Astoria and Warren- ton, head over to Seaside and check out the Holiday Lights Tour from their chamber, too.” They recommend loading the family in the car, doing some holiday shopping, grab- bing some take-out food and finishing the day with a tour of lights. In Warrenton, the cham- ber’s official starting line is Main Street Market, open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at 191 S. Main Ave. • Head north to the four- way stop where you’ll find the Lighthouse Park in its full holiday regalia. • Continue north two blocks to the Warren House, where Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press The house at 78 Birch Court includes lots of stand-alone deco- rations. you can enjoy a synchronized holiday light and music show by tuning the car radio to 95.7. Make a U-turn and wait in line. A donation box is on the front gate; proceeds ben- efit Spruce Up Warrenton. •Proceed forward and turn right on First Street, cross North Main Avenue and turn left on Birch Avenue. Make a right on Harbor Street and another right on Birch Court to see the house at 78 Birch Court. • At the end of the street, turn left on First and then up two blocks to Cedar Court, where most of the houses are decorated. • Backtrack to First Street and continue west, go around the curve and turn left on Elm Avenue. 82 S.W. Elm A choreographed light show awaits at 745 Peacock St. is next on the list. • Turn right onto First Place and then left on Gardenia Av- enue. Follow the curve and then turn left at the stop sign, which is Juniper. Many houses in the 300 block are decorated. Turn around and head back to Second Street, where you’ll turn left. • The next house is at 1009 S.W. Second St., which is on the right. “We trans- formed our home with a dash of gingerbread to create our own version of a gingerbread house,” the owners write. • Turn left on the first street you can (Jade Place) and visit 340 S.W. Jade, which will be on the left. • Continue south on Jade to Kalmia and turn left, then right on Juniper. • The Curtis Home, which includes reindeer watching over the manger, is at 510 S.W. Juniper. • From here, you’ll head out to Hammond. Just continue south on Juniper to Ninth and turn right. Make another right on Ridge Road. Drive a couple miles, pass the KOA, and at Hammond’s four-way stop, turn left on Pacific. Go left on Seventh Avenue and left on Peacock Street. Continued on next page