We’ve enjoyed a very pleasant stay here. From our campsite we can take a short walk and sit on a swing under a gazebo and have a beautiful view of the waves rolling onto the beach.
One highlight of our visit was the self guided tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory. As we walked along the second level we read the history of the factory and learned about the making of cheese. Just below us on the other side of a large glass wall we could see the workers processing and boxing cheese on the floor below. At the end of the tour we tried several of the free cheese tasting samples. We especially liked the cheese curds and bought some to take home. Then we purchased some of their excellent ice cream to eat right there in the cafe.
Sunday after attending worship we drove out to Cape Meares Lighthouse. We took the short but interesting Ranger led guided tour of the lighthouse and was able to go up to the light itself and see how the glass was cut to reflect the 60 watt light that was amplified to be seen 20 miles out to sea. Unfortunately, it was quite foggy so we couldn’t see very far out to sea but we enjoyed seeing the waves on the rocks near the shore and watched the fog move around the rocks further out. We also took the short hike to see the Octopus Tree. The trunk is huge and there are several branches going up but no main center branch, very interesting!
We visited Cape Kiwanda with it’s wonderful beach at Pacific City several times and enjoyed each each visit. When arriving at the beach you can either park in the lot or drive down on the beach. The haystack rock, “Chief Kiawanda Rock,” is impressive and can be seen for miles. Part of the beach attraction is the huge sand dune that was always full of people climbing up and running or sliding back down. An unusual thing about this beach is that dory boats are allowed to launch and return here. While we were watching one dory came running toward the beach and when it started getting shallow they lifted the motor and slid up on the beach. Another was going out, they backed down to the waterline and two crewmen pushed the boat out in the waves until the motor could be lowered and they could head out.
Munson Creek Falls outside of Tillamook was a pleasant surprise for us and our good friends of many years, Ron and Theresa Corwin. Following the sign we turned down Munson Creek Road that turned into gravel and became very narrow. The road ended in a parking area. From there we hiked back a 1/4 mile trail to the 319 foot falls. It is beautiful, tranquil and well worth the drive and the walk.
All the Oregon coast is beautiful and this area is no exception.