Visit Oregon like a Goonie
The Goonies is one of my all time favorite movies. It made me (a country kid from North Carolina) fall in love with the Pacific Northwest at a young age. I used to think the coastline from the movie was straight up magical. When Mikey held up the skull key and we saw the restaurant, the lighthouse, and the rock, I knew one day I’d have to be there. Our beaches in North Carolina are all flat and sandy. The idea of rocks and mountains at the beach seemed like a dream. And when the kids rode their bikes through the town of Astoria, it felt like the perfect small town.
When I was last here in 2018, I was told that the owners of The Goonies House had no interest in accommodating the hundreds of thousands of people who pilgrimage to Astoria each year to the altar of the Goondocks. The sign posted at the bottom of the hill warned everyone to not approach the house or the police would be called. But at some point since the pandemic began, a new sign appeared that simply said “Ok to Walk Up.” The last time I was here, I could only get a picture of the sign. This time I got to stand in front of the house and do the truffle shuffle.
The town of Astoria isn’t quite what it was in the time of the movie, but many of the places are real in the city, not just movie sets. Right by the house at the bottom of the hill is the Astoria Coffee Company, which now occupies what was a convenience store in the movie (only in the deleted scenes). You can see it on the right side of the road. I always grab some coffee when I’m in town, but unfortunately as a coffee shop, it bears no resemblance to the store it was in the movie.
There’s also the County Jail, now the Oregon Film Museum. When I visited the museum on a prior visit, I got to stand in the cell that Jake Fratelli busted out of, and see some of the props from the movie. It’s an inexpensive museum and worth the stop if you have time. And definitely get a picture with Mama Fratelli’s Jeep.
Another quick scene from the opening credits of The Goonies is Chunk smearing pizza and a milkshake at LC Bowl, a bowling alley that feels as old as the movie. I didn’t get a chance to strike any pins, but I did take a look out of the window for a police chase. And just as quick of a scene as the bowling alley, the Flavel House makes its appearance as the museum Mr. Walsh is the curator for.
My friend Jordan and I honored the beach race from The Goonies by driving out on the beach ourselves. You can’t actually drive out on Cannon Beach, but you can just up the road at Sunset Beach. We took the Jeep out on the sand onto this mostly empty beach, with no one to race, unfortunately.
Cannon Beach is definitely the highlight of this trip. The best view is from Ecola State Park, which is where the set for The Fratelli’s restaurant was built. It’s where the boys matched the skull key to the coastline. And it’s where the adventure into the underground cave towards The Inferno and the treasure of One Eyed Willy begins. Haystack Rock is beautiful from Ecola State Park or standing on the beach itself. If you can catch it on a clear sunset, you’ll really experience a moment.
All of this is basically a day trip from Portland. It’s an easy drive to Cannon Beach and Astoria. And it’s worth it if you’re a fan of The Goonies like I am. Also, if you’re a fan of these photos, every single one was edited with my A1 preset. I name all of my presets after Astoria, and it felt timely and exciting to visit Astoria so soon after releasing my first preset. Check it out here.