My visit with a neurosurgeon about my neck was not so productive,

but I DID manage to have a great time in Astoria Oregon in spite of that...it's a lovely small riverside city, which is just a stone's throw from the Pacific Ocean and Columbia River Bar   CLLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO BIGGIFY IT!
First thing to do, is to climb up a fire escape and notice differences in adjoining architecture:

Then, I stopped at Vintage Hardware and picked up a BIG brass kickplate off an old door to use in my new little welding studio (no pix, sorry).  On the way from there, out in from there, I spied the most bestest 48 (or so) Ford Panel rat rod EVAH parked in front of Gimre's shoe store!

aint THAT a peach though!  DAMN!  I searched all around for the owner to see if he would trade (LOL@JOE!) for a 1998 ray gun truck!  No luck.

So onward with my travels.  I needed to go out to Home Depot and Costco which are very near each other.  I have long whined about not being a good cafe' near this shopping mecca.  NOW there is, and I am here to tell you, it is a delicious and comfortable place to eat!  They have local craft beers and a full bar too (which is nice for some, but not me.  Sorry, I neglected to get any shots of the inside of the UPTOWN CAFE', but here is one from the roadway that runs from Home Depot to Costco.  It is in the little section with Staples (Office Depot? I forget they look the same to me), the Dollar Store, and more.  TRY IT1

Then, having done my medical chores, a small amount of shopping, belly full, I headed toward home again.  Back up 101 to Astoria, then across the big bridge to the Washington side and onward to my wonderful funky little home near the beach not far from Ocean Park, Washington USA.