Reliving Movies along the Oregon Coast

That place seems familiar! Wait, so does that one!

The Oregon coast and, in particular, the area around Cannon Beach and Astoria, kept sparking memories for me of scenes from movies that I had watched many years ago.

The iconic Haystack Rocks on the shore of Cannon Beach took me back to The Goonies, a 1985 movie about a group of misfits who uncover a group of thieves looking for a buried treasure. The ensuing chase is as good now as it was when the movie first came out. (We watched the movie again just to make certain.) If the Haystack Rocks do not spark the memory for visitors, then a visit to the Oregon Film Museum in Astoria, Oregon, may help. Visitors enter the jail cell where the first scenes of the movie are played out.

Cannon Beach and Astoria also feature filming sites for Kindergarten Cop starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The downtown area of Astoria was featured in both movies. In fact, the movie map provided by the Oregon Film Museum on their website (https://astoriamuseums.org/explore/featured-movies/#movie-map ) can give visitors a tour of many specific locations.

These two cities and the areas surrounding them offer much more than filming sites for movies. Cannon Beach is a laid-back town with lots of shopping and dining options. The Cannon Beach History Center and Museum explains a great deal about the Lewis and Clark expedition and proudly houses the cannon that was found on the beach in 1898—thus, the name of the city, Cannon Beach. Walking along the beach near the Haystack Rocks is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, or even a evening. At night, bonfires spark across the beach as friends gather to celebrate the close of another day.

Between Cannon Beach and Astoria is Ecola State Park, the site of filming for both movies and a great place to hike. From the park, visitors can see Terrible Tilly, the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, located off the coast on a rock outcropping. The lighthouse gained its nickname from the rough seas surrounding it and the multiple deaths that took place during its construction. (It served as a columbarium, a place that contains niches for urns holding cremated remains.) The forests may seem eerily familiar since they were featured in some scenes of Twilight.

Astoria is a large, bustling city with much to do—walking the riverfront, admiring the boats, shopping, eating, and pausing to watch the antics of the California Sea Lions. Options for excellent food, especially seafood, are numerous. In addition to the Oregon Film Museum, which is housed in the old Clatsop County Jail and is now on the National Register of Historic Places, the Flavel House, a historic home built in 1884 for Captain Flavel and his family, is now a museum highlighting the Victorian era. These sites are easily walkable, but visitors need a car to see the 125-foot Astoria Column that boasts a magnificent view of the town, the Columbia River, Young’s Bay, and the ocean. (Buy a balsa wood glider to sail from the top of the column.) Further from downtown is the Lewis and Clark National Park where visitors can walk into the recreation of the fort that Clark designed. The costumed Park Ranger gives an insightful look into the travels and tribulations of the partners during their exploration of the area. The park also has an interesting museum and many opportunities for hiking.

Whether you want to relive special movie moments, hike, or just enjoy scenic beauty, the coastal area between Cannon Beach and Astoria, Oregon, is a treasure worth discovering.

– Candace Ahlfinger has loved traveling since she was little and has always been on the go whenever possible. Now she is retired and gets to do what she loves best… TRAVEL! Whether it’s traveling with her wonderful husband, or our children and grandchildren, traveling is a great experience that enriches her life. Because she always enjoys reading and hearing about others’ travel experiences, she wants to share her travels with the Ellis DownHome readers. 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here