The scene from atop Coxcomb Hill in Astoria merits the short drive.

There are more ritzy, glitzy destinations in Oregon.

But you can’t beat Astoria if history, natural beauty and waterfront funk are up there on your list. They’re up there on mine, especially now that I’ve taken the time to explore this, the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies.

The most dramatic thing about Astoria is the setting. Founded on the south bank of the Columbia, within spitting distance of the river’s mouth, the little town combines a rough-edged maritime charm (downtown and the waterfront) with a more sedate Victorian feel in the residential heights above. Think scaled (way) down San Francisco with a salmon-packing sensibility.

Add the threat of rain (pretty much a constant this time of year) and some seriously scudding clouds off the Pacific, and there you have it: Astoria at its blustery, briney best.

The settlement of Astoria was established as a fort in 1811 by John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Co. The Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery wintered nearby a few years earlier. According to chatteringmagpie.com and the County of Clatsop, the port grew rapidly, quickly gaining a reputation as a ”wide open and corrupt town, second only to San Francisco in sin and moral decadence.”

So naturally, Astoria boomed, swelling to 30,000 residents by the early 1900s. But commercial salmon fishing and forest products fell on hard times; Astoria’s population now stands at something fewer than 10,000 people.

Poking around the riverfront and strolling downtown, it was nice to know the pertinent little historical details. The first U.S. post office west of the Rockies was established here in 1847, and the first U.S. customs house on the West Coast followed two years later. Oregon’s first white woman, Jane Barnes, served ale in this brawling port o’ call, from which inebriated customers were said to have been routinely ”shanghaied,” only to wake up on a sailing ship bound for who knows where.

That kind of thing gives a place backbone and, at the least, gives tourists something more than saltwater taffy to chew on.

There’s a lot to do in Astoria.

You might start on the paved Astoria Riverwalk to get an up-close look at the still-viable waterfront or take in the Columbia River Maritime Museum. The official Oregon state maritime museum houses an extensive collection of Northwest nautical artifacts and takes visitors from the days of dugout canoes to the mighty ships going by right outside. Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 6 through 17. Contact: 503-325-2323.

The Astoria Riverfront Trolley, a refurbished 1913 streetcar, carries passengers along the Columbia waterfront for $1 a person on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the off-season.

My favorite attraction was the Astoria Column atop Coxcomb Hill, an off-beat but spectacular paean to the history hereabouts.

Built by Ralph Budd, president of the Great Northern Railway, in 1926, the column is festooned with 14 25-foot-long scenes depicting the history of white settlers in the region, chronologically from bottom to top. With 164 steps scrolling up the column’s interior, if you’re not winded by the time you reach the advent of the railroad and the coming of the settler, you’re probably at least a little dizzy.

The 360-degree view from the top is worth every hard-won metal step. There’s a sizable reach of the Columbia below, a smaller chunk of the state of Washington across the river to the north, mist-shrouded mountains to the east and south, and to the west, the most dangerous river bar in the country and beyond that, Hawaii I’m thinking…

The column is open every day from dawn to dusk. Admission is free; parking is $1. Contact: 503-325-2963.

After climbing the column, we were hungry, but not stuff-our-faces-famished. Josephson’s Smokehouse, on the main drag, Marine Drive, was just right. In retrospect, we sure know how to pick ’em. Located inside an old wood plank building with a balky door, Josephson’s specializes in smoked seafood. Like most everything else in this town, Josephson’s is steeped in history. Current owner Mike Josephson’s grandparents started the business more than 80 years ago. Try a hunk of the wine maple salmon or the hot smoked albacore. The clam chowder is pretty special, too.

From Bend, it took us about five hours to reach Astoria. You can either take U.S. Highway 26 through Warm Springs, over the Cascades, through Portland (the route passes right by Powell’s City of Books), over the Coast Range to Seaside, then north about 15 miles to Astoria, or you can bypass downtown Portland and shave time off the drive by jogging over to Interstate 84 and rejoining Highway 26 west of the city. Another scenic option is to take I-5 north to Longview, Wash., cross the bridge spanning the Columbia back into Oregon at Ranier, and follow Highway 30 west into Astoria.

There’s plenty of affordable lodging available in the area during winter, from quaint Victorian bed and breakfasts to motel rooms.