Northern Oregon coast

A rainy morning prevented us from exploring the northern coast as much as we might have liked but it still was a rewarding drive. The highway swerves inland and along the coast and the two lane road was filled with Sunday traffic. As we drove north we passed many cows and dairies while the morning mist lifted from the nearby hills. Tillamook county produces 25 million gallons of milk each year, much of which is made into cheddar cheese.



In Tillamook I pulled into the Blue Heron Cheese Factory, as I had read it was quite nice, and it was. There was a petting zoo, restaurant and plenty of items to buy. The small baquette was perfect to accompany the cheese I bought at the last creamery. I was a little surprised their cheese curds were made in Wisconsin. I later learned their salad dressings and mustards are the best!


Soon we arrived at the one I regretted not visiting last time, so I decided this was the day. The self tour was quite interesting and they do make their curds, so I left with the smallest bag I could find.




Yes, they both had free samples and isn't this cute?


Further up the road we made a little detour through downtown Cannon Beach, so named for a cannon that once washed onto the shore from an 1846 shipwreck. It seemed to be just a road parallel to the highway, as is often the case, with small streets lined with houses jutting down to the water. The siding on the houses often remind me of Cape Cod but when they want to attract tourists their shops are brightly painted. There are less than 2,000 people here and the place was quite nice.


Seaside as 7,000 residents and is the oldest beach resort in Oregon. We wanted to ride our bikes on the 1.8 mile promenade that parallels the ocean but stayed in the dry van instead. This is the first place I ever saw the Pacific Ocean a few years back. This area is where Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery reached in their 1804-1806 expedition. They were nearby at Ft. Clatsop but some of the men were sent here to boil saltwater to get some much needed salt to preserve their meat.


The town still has an older appearance along the narrow, congested streets that dead-end at the beach.


We reached the Columbia River and I knew I would drive over a bridge, but what a bridge!


But first the draw bridge...


Alas, this is one wide river and I see a foggy, rainy Washington!