Cheese and lighthouse, that's a good day!

June 20 – We woke to a chipper morning!  It was 47 when I got up and 51, I think, when Bill got up.  It was supposed to only be in the 50’s all day.  I put on long jersey pants and a t-shirt and had my jacket on the ready!  Bill wore his usual shorts and t-shirt and a heavier jacket than normal.

Tillamook Creamery

First stop was Tillamook, OR where the Tillamook Creamery is.  We were pretty early and they have a huge parking area.  In the back they designate for Rv’s and large vehicles.  We pulled right in.  Behind us was another big lot for overflow.  The tour here was much better than the one at Bob’s Red Mill.  First there is a timeline about the history of the company, then there’s education

40 pound blocks

about the breed of cows they get their milk from and what the cows are fed and how they are milked, etc.  Then upstairs both sides are huge windows looking down into the various departments.  There are plaques telling what they are doing and above the equipment are signs naming the job, task or equipment.  We could see them processing curds and the 40 pound blocks being cut and packaged, along with what happens to the rejects.  Very interesting and educational.  When you leave there you get in line in the sampling area.  There are 5

What can I say, it was fuller
before I took the photo

cheeses and 1 curds.  The little cups are small but you can pick which you prefer.  Of course there’s a gift shop where they sell ALL of their products and lots of other items.  Then in the huge mall area there is in ice cream shop on one side and a café on the other.  Bill had ice cream but it was too early for me.

We left the RV parked there while we took the truck and

Cape Meares

went into town and out to Seaside to see the Cape Meares Lighthouse.  It is the shortest lighthouse in Oregon.  It’s quite lovely, but it’s small.  The view of the ocean was gorgeous and the sun was out with still a nip in the air.  We saw a deer as we walked back up to the parking area and it was rather tame as it would give a look

as a group of us gawked at it but just went back to eating.  The drive out there was a bit treacherous, and they actually have the road closed right after you turn into the state park where the lighthouse is.  Seaside is a community that is literally on the shore and up the side of the cliff.  The waves were big in that area.

We had lunch back at the RV and then we continued our trek south.  Not the most pleasant road to drive on as it’s a continual up and down, left and right, curvy 2 lane road.  They do have pull outs and I was nice “once” and pulled out to allow the 7 vehicles behind me to pass and then there was road work and we all got backed up in the slow down!  We drove through Newport where there are 2 lighthouses but we decided to get to the campground and maybe go back. 

We found Whaler’s Rest with no difficulty, and it’s an Encore and Thousand Trails park.  Bill went in to check in and they could not find our reservation.  He came back for me and I showed them the email confirmation and with the number and they still couldn’t find it.  Finally they saw that for some unknown reason it was listed as Lake Eola Sams and then Bill’s name.  They had our packet ready!  The sites where we were parked are woody and rather close together.  We did snag a pull through with a concrete pad but it’s a little unlevel front to back.

By the time we got set up I really didn’t feel like driving 20 minutes back tonight so the plan is to leave the RV packed and ready and go in the morning, then come back for the RV.  We have until noon to leave. 

We rested and relaxed a while and eventually I made supper of stewed chicken in broth that I thickened about like in chicken and dumplings, and served it over the Bob’s delicious biscuits with a side of steamed cabbage.  Then we had Bob’s cookies for dessert.  We will be sad when all of Bob’s food is gone!