It has been 3 months since we bought Near the pier using our house to get a huge mortgage to fulfill my dream. Thanks to my husband getting on this journey with me. I have loved travel since I was little. I was young, no money but lots of time. I used to work many part time jobs, save enough money then I bought a ticket to somewhere in the world I have never been. I will search online and book a hostel, starting with 12 mixed dorm room. Still remember my very first hostel in Berlin. I was scared but at the same time excited. Other travelers are sweet but they got so drunk at night, I couldn’t sleep. But the cost of the bed is cheap and the hostel seems so many times better than any star hotel. They are run by passionate people. Travelers hangout in the living room share their day and stories. Most of the time, you will get to know some new places that are not in the travel book. I fell in love with hostels. One time, I saved up more money, booked a female only dorm room, only 4 girls this time. The hostel is so funky, the entrance is from a tree like Alice in wonderland. You then go down and down and all log furniture and a piano in the common sitting area. This was in Budapest. After a whole day of walking, I was tired, bought a bag of pasta and a can of tomato sauce. That was my dinner for 3 nights. But it tasted so good with everyone playing music and singing in the common area. I will never forget that day. I met some interesting and very nice people.
Now back to Near the pier. I came to Portland in 2004. Visit many places, climb Mt. hood, Adam, St. Helen, sisters, and other peaks. “Astoria” never came across to me til 2018 December. We want to get away to close by small town. We decide to go north and find Astoria on the map. Booked a place from airbnb (I have 2 kids now). Walking in the city during Christmas week, even it is cold but it was so memorable with all the lights and decor in downtown. All the detail, architecture of the buildings. So much care with design and respect to the city. I have never seen anything like this. I instantly fell in love with Astoria. Usually you don’t get good food in a small town, you get average food in a cute diner except Astoria. So many good restaurants with creative ideas and passion. Especially breweries, there are so many exceptional beers in Astoria it is unbelievable. And of course, we have to come back in summer and even better. My kids love to bike along the riverside and we basically just walk and walk and walk everyday. There is so much in this little city.
So finally 2 year later in 2020, Franklin street station bed and breakfast is for sale and it is within our range. We bought it! And after 3 months of shopping and decorating each room. Inter-leave with my kids schedule. Driving hours and hours to collect unique pieces and antiques for each room. I want it so badly and I want it to be different. I don’t want the same look in each room. I don’t want modern decor. I want a feeling of relaxing and traveling back in time where we build furniture by hand and craving in wood. I like to show my kids what a dial phone is, what an old tube radio and record player. So each room is uniquely decorated by heart and radio. A different radio in each room which brings the sound back to our life. The voice that we miss on the internet and the imagination of sound lost in the modern world. Here is some peak of the radios:
