My parents were my ride to a wedding that I was the photographer. None of us had visited Astoria Column before, so we arrived early to enjoy the tourist attraction.
My dad surprised me by climbing the 164 steps to the top of the column, happy to take on the challenge. Though I managed to snap photos of the view, my palms were sweaty looking over the edge.
The winding staircase was dizzying on the descent but had a beautiful symmetry to it. Every 20-30 steps, there was a plaque naming people who reached that point.
I’m glad they were able to ride with me to the coast. We don’t often get to travel together so I treasure each opportunity I get.
