Tillamook, Oregon

After a relaxing week in Newport, OR we pushed down the road about 70 miles to Tillamook, OR.  This town is along one of the bays and it got its start when the settlers realized that it was a very good place to raise cows for dairy purposes. The mild temperatures and consistent rain made for green and abundant grass which led to happy cows which led to a lot of milk produced to make one of the best cheeses and ice creams in the country.  We visited the Tillamook Cheese Factory on our first day in the area and we were so happy we did.  I had a grilled cheese sandwich, Gary had a mac and cheese and then we both had a single scoop waffle cone from their visitor's center.  SO YUMMY!! We learned a lot about the factory.  They started around 1850 and the sailboat they have on their logo is a representation of the fleet that would take their product from Tillamook to Portland as a favor starting around 1855.  They decided to add the ship to their logo to return the favor.  Today the factory is a cooperative made up of 90 different farms in the area.  They greet about 1.3 million visitors a year.  It made us very happy to know an  American business is alive and thriving.  :)

Our week in the area was busy but still relaxing.  We visited the lighthouse on Cape Mears but the highlight of that area was the Octopus Tree which is a Sitka Spruce.  The tree is around 250-300 years old and nobody is sure if its shape is due to training by Native Americans or by nature.  We walked the beaches of Netart and Oceanside where we found a number of Agates. On the way back to Tillamook, we found a shellfish farm where we found oysters for sale straight from the farm!  It was just this little room where a young girl was busy sorting and counting the oysters.  We asked all kinds of questions and then decided to purchase 2 dozen oysters, one of each kind.  We went home and Gary watched a video (thank goodness for YouTube!) on how to shuck an oyster.  We had oysters for dinner which was Heaven!!  We also visited the Air Museum which is on a Naval Air Station for blimps.  There were many airplanes and mock ups of different invasions throughout history.  One highlight for me was seeing a Naval plan that my big brother flew when he was a flyboy for the Navy.  One day we decided to drive down the road for about an hour and we visited Canon Beach.  The town is so quaint and charming but very busy with tourists.  The beach area is wonderful with the highlight being Haystack Rock.  I think I could spend more time in the area but only if I rented a house right on the beach. On the way to Canon Beach we stopped in Rockaway Beach.  It is a little town right along the coast line where the most noted detail is that the original Pronto Pup (corn dog) was invented in 1941.  Hard to imagine such a significant food could come from such a small town. We decided to travel a bit further down the road to find a Costco but in transit we found that there is a National Park!  It is the Lewis and Clark National Park.  It covers the area where Lewis and Clark traveled and discovered with the help of Sacagewea.  We decided to picnic within the park and then walked a little trail that led from the sea to the fort that was built to spend the winter in.  It was a relaxing and scenic walk while I regaled Gary with my stories of me playing the role of Sacagewea in my 4th grade play about the history of the state of Idaho. :)

A highlight for me was spending my birthday in this area.  We always give members of our family free reign on our birthdays.  We get to do what we want and call all the shots for the day.  I chose to take a steam engine train ride along the ocean and then go to Tillamook Cheese Factory for a double scoop, chocolate dipped waffle cone dish!!  :P It was a good day.  :)  I think we will definitely come back to the Oregon Coast at some point in our travels.  It is a very relaxing and tranquil part of the country.