We decided we wanted a relaxing day, so rather than wake at the crack of dawn, we got up at a leisurely pace, and left mid-morning, intending to make some stops along the way. We checked out Stub Stewart State Park, a new-ish state park within an easy drive from Portland. We mostly saw trailers, but there is limited space for tents. It's so new that the trees haven't had time to fill in yet, so it's pretty open. Nice cabin area, though, ideal for a GS troop outing or family reunion.
From there, we headed to Gearhart, did some shopping en route, checked out a cranberry farm, and had lunch at the McMenamin's on the golf course there. Glad we decided on indoor seating; it was showery the whole time.
On to the main attraction! OMG, what fun! We parked at the designated parking lot at the Port of Astoria and boarded a shuttle bus to take us to the fairgrounds, where the festival was being held. The first thing we noticed was that almost everyone who boarded the bus had a wine glass - empty for now - in hand. Some were even wearing them in "holsters" around their necks. Hmmm... The bus' atmosphere was quite festive, with people laughing and carrying on from the start. The shuttle driver had clearly done this gig before; she was very peppy, and kept telling us repeatedly to remember that we were on the Crab Bus, not the Halibut, Salmon, Shrimp, or any other seafood route. She must have reminded us a dozen times during our short ride, and joked that we needed reminding because we might not be as coherent on the way home. Hmmm...
We arrived at the festival, and entered the huge tents where the event was being held. There were booths featuring wineries, hand-painted wine glasses, art, jewelry, fudge, artisan cheeses, gourmet foods, and much more. The big thing was tasting wines from the many wineries represented, and the preferred approach was to have your own wine glass that was refilled - repeatedly - throughout the day/evening. (Ah, thus the wine glasses on the bus!)
First order of business: buy glasses. We could've just drunk from the plastic cups provided for those who were glass-less, but what's the fun in that?! The festival offers an annual commemorative glass, but the hand-painted glasses were much more interesting, so, we proceeded to visit the various booths offering them. After much research, we decided on generously-sized glasses with big, bold, red crabs and starfish on them.
Next on the agenda; have some wine. So many wineries were represented, we chose to seek out some with whom we were unfamiliar, and try something new. Larry started with a big, assertive, peppery red, while I went for a smoother blend. These booths offered, for a fee, tastes, glasses, bottles, and cases. I started with a glass, but soon learned to get a taste first, then a glass of what I really enjoyed. Don't ask me what we drank; I can't remember, after tasting so many!
Throughout the event, we would occasionally hear the crowd let out a big, resounding whoop that spread throughout the tent's expanse. After a few instances, I asked someone what it was all about. "Oh, that means someone dropped their glass." Sure enough, we started paying attention, and realized that each "whoop" was preceded by the sound of crashing glass. It seemed to become more frequent as the hour got later.
While we held securely onto our glasses, we did a bit of shopping. We brought the kids back some caramel Cosmic Corn. Though it tasted like it, this is not popped corn, but it's ground and extruded, then baked with its flavorings. Crunchy, flavorful, and very tasty! And, we discovered, it didn't get stale. We snacked on it for several days, and it still tasted fresh. I do love "gourmet foods", so I also bought a soup mix, dip and seasoning mixes, and several flavored oils and marinades, and can't wait to try them out - or give them as gifts. My favorite purchase, though, was the crab hat I wore in the spirit of the day. Sold by the Astoria High School Booster Club, it's a crazy, red, eyes-on-stalks rendition of a crab that will be perfect for future festivals - and Crazy Hat Day at school!
In the interest of checking everything out, we wandered into the adjoining tent where there was a stage with ongoing live music, and more food and drink. There, the Kiwanis Club offered a crab dinner plate featuring steamed crab, cole slaw, baked beans, and french bread. Our intent was to wander a bit, and then have the crab dinner , but there were so many other fun foods offered, we ended up noshing on a variety of yummy morsels. We sampled the requisite Dungeness crab cocktail, smoked razor clams on a stick, to die for crab melt on Garlic french bread, and fried Willapa Bay oysters. All of which we ate while listening to the band and watching people dance.
We were intrigued, too, by the crab-cracking technique employed. Raised as crab-crackers, this was a new approach to us. No wimpy stainless-steel hand-held crackers were in evidence here. No, instead, they distributed 8" long pieces of 1"x1" wood. Diners placed the crab leg/claw on one piece and gave it an unceremonious whack with another. Very effective! At the end of the evening, the wood was collected in 5 gallon buckets for use the next day.
We stayed until the band played its final note, gathered our purchases, and headed for the Crab Bus shuttle stop. It was a wild ride back, with a rowdier bunch than we started out with, for sure. One of the last things we heard before the bus stopped at our parking lot was the sound of breaking glass, after which we all let out a big "whoop"!
Next year (because this needs to be an annual event) we'll be ready. I'll wear my crab hat, and we'll have wine glasses in hand.
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