So much for couples to do in Astoria, Ore.

Dane and I LOVED our trip to Astoria, Ore., in August 2015. We stayed at the Cannery Pier Hotel right by the Astoria Bridge and took this photo behind our dinner spot, Breakwater Bistro.

I love my husband. My husband loves food. 

He is more than a homebody than I am. But when Sunset Magazine recommends a foodie destination in the Pacific Northwest, I can most of the time talk him into tagging along.

In August 2015 Dane and I made the two-hour drive from the Olympia area down to Astoria, Ore. It was sunny, fun, romantic and beautiful. Here is what I loved the most.

1) Bow Picker Fish and Chips - tuna is delicious! Yes we stood in line for 30 minutes (and we got there early). The chips were frozen then fried, but the fish was not greasy and I could not tell it was tuna. Yum!

2) Trolley! I could have ridden it all day. This is the best way to tour the city. The older gentlemen who drive and tell stories of the area were entertaining. Plus it's $1 per person and dog friendly.

3) Columbia River Maritime Museum - spendy but good for couples and families. Working everyday at a museum, I like to check out others for inspiration. Loved the history and stories of our local heroes - the U.S. Coast Guard. Plus I enjoyed learning Robert Gray was the first person to successfully cross the Columbia River bar. All roads always lead back to Aberdeen, y'all. Dane LOVED this museum and is now convinced he needs an even more dangerous job - to be a bar river pilot or to join the Coast Guard.

4) Cannery Pier Hotel - this is where we stayed our one night and it was awesome! Beautiful room, free cheese, crackers and wine at 5 p.m. and we sat on our little balcony and watched huge cargo ships go by on the river. Amazing. Plus the room TV played local historical films about the salmon and tuna industry and building the hotel. This nerd loved that!

5) A Manhattan cocktail at Breakwater Bistro - within walking distance of our hotel. Love the live piano player, white table linens, views and food and drink. So romantic. Prices were decent for an upscale spot. 

6) Sunset at Astoria Column - the column was under construction but we drove up to the top anyway to take in the sunset. Inexpensive and memorable.

The view from the Astoria Column on Saturday night. 

7) River walk - free! Perfect walk on a beautiful morning.Nice, paved path along the downtown waterfront. Got pooped on by a seagull, but Dane came to my rescue. This path is also great for runners, cyclists, families and dog walkers. 

8) Farmers Market - spent an hour smelling and buying hippie soap and lotion, bought a beautiful photograph of Yaquina Head lighthouse from a surfer dude and a custom dish towel with a print of the Astoria bridge. Dog and family friendly for sure. 

9) Fort George Public House - loved the atmosphere and Divinity beer. Slower service so don't be in a hurry. Dog friendly on the patio. Not as kid friendly, but there were LOTS of families there with young children. 

10) Flavel House - I'm a sucker for gorgeous old homes. This one was built by the first official Columbia River bar captain. Didn't feel haunted, but was full of original artifacts. Hard to imagine a real family living there. Kind of spendy, but good for history buffs. 

We packed a ton into our Astoria weekend. We really lucked out with the weather, 75 and sunny. This was a great spot for doers to vacation. There was so much to do at all times. But, I would have been happy just riding the trolley all day.

We spent an hour on the waterfront trolley. We saw the "Goonies" House, learned the history of the area and enjoyed the views of the river.

We walked for about an hour Sunday morning on the River Walk. Behind me is a Columbia River Bar Pilot Boat that had been used by our amazing U.S. Coast Guard.

This is the view from our room at the Cannery Pier Hotel.

Dane and our beer sampler at Fort George Brewery.

Loved that the old building had been a car shop for many years and had survived the biggest fires in Astoria history.