A display shows a U.S. Coast Guard ship on rough seas at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria.

 
Every year I preach the gospel of the winter coast, and every year I return to find it empty. This year I decided to take a full week to explore from Astoria down to Newport, storm watching, sightseeing and documenting my journey.
 

GLORIOUS WINTER SUN

I arrive in Astoria to a sunny afternoon, the sky a certain cerulean that only comes this time of year. The mighty Columbia River rolls past, freighters cruising by in the distance.
 
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