It looks like a road trip kind-of-day with clear blue skies and cool temperatures. It may be what we like to call a “Five Peak Day” where you can see the tops of five mountains. We might head towards the coast and to the city of Astoria that I like to call “Goonies Town” where the movie was made in 1985. There’s a film museum located in the old jailhouse that has a tribute to Oregon-made movies, as I once again lazily reference Wikipedia: “The first documented film made in Oregon was a short silent film titled The Fisherman’s Bride, shot in Astoria by the Selig Polyscope Company, and released in 1909.[3] Since then, numerous major motion pictures have been shot in the state, including F.W. Murnau’s City Girl (1930), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Animal House (1978), Stand by Me (1986), Free Willy (1993), and Wild (2014). Portland – Oregon’s largest city – has been a major shooting location for filmmakers, and has been featured prominently in the films of Gus Van Sant, namely Mala Noche (1985), Drugstore Cowboy (1989), My Own Private Idaho (1991), and Elephant (2003).”

I think that the most recognizable local film gem is The Shining (1980), with exterior shots of Timberline Lodge. The city of Astoria also hosted other recognizable productions like Short Circuit (1986). Benji The Hunted (1986), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (1990), Free Willy (1993), Free Willy II (1994), and The Ring 2 (2004). However, I guess we’ll be delaying our trip there in favor of Fort Vancouver, a much closer destination. My wife has a walking date with a friend later this afternoon and is concerned that the drive to Astoria won’t get her back in time. This is one of the biggest benefits of retirement – flexibility. If it doesn’t happen one day – the next day will do, as well – as long as there is still a tomorrow. This becomes a growing concern as you get older. 

According to my friends at Wikipedia, “Fort Vancouver was a 19th-century fur trading post that was the headquarters of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Columbia Department, located in the Pacific Northwest. Named for Captain George Vancouver, the fort was located on the northern bank of the Columbia River in present-day Vancouver, Washington. The fort was a major center of the regional fur trading. Every year trade goods and supplies from London arrived either via ships sailing to the Pacific Ocean or overland from Hudson Bay via the York Factory Express. Supplies and trade goods were exchanged with a plethora of Indigenous cultures for fur pelts. Furs from Fort Vancouver were often sent to the Chinese port of Guangzhou where they were traded for Chinese manufactured goods for sale in the United Kingdom. At its pinnacle, Fort Vancouver watched over 34 outposts, 24 ports, six ships, and 600 employees. Today, a full-scale replica of the fort, with internal buildings, has been constructed and is open to the public as Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.”

With the Animal Rights Movement, what was once a thriving Pacific Northwest industry is now a highly controversial issue. The fur and leather trade that was so essential to the lifeblood of existence and the growth of our area is by many standards a frowned-upon commodity. All those expensive mink and custom leather coats that I bought from my client back in Indianapolis are currently subject to red paint. Several we have given to Goodwill and the rest simply take up closet space. With all the beef and pork we consume, we’re already not a friend to the animal activists, let alone dining in a fur coat. I understand the concerns, but none of us could have ever survived without the warmth and nutrition that animals provide. Today, will be a step back in time, as we learn more about life without a retail store nearby. I couldn’t find any movies that were filmed there, but I will certainly think of Lewis & Clark on this road trip.