Tillamook, Washington

I’ve looked forward to seeing Tillamook for a long time. I’ve heard many stories from other fulltime RVers about this beautiful area, and was excited to get here. I  l-o-v-e Tillamook cheese….especially their extra sharp white cheddar cheese.  (Thank you Connie Anderson for introducing me to sharp white cheddar when we took that canoe trip outside of Bushnell, FL. )  I am a big fan of Nick Russell’s Gypsy Journal blog and Laurie Brown’s blog, Semi-True Tales of Our Life on the Road and both wrote about Tillamook when they came through here this summer.  It gave us a lot of info on this area.

We are staying at Big Spruce RV Park in Netarts, just outside Tillamook.  It’s a Passport America campground, so we are only paying half price, $11 + $2 tax.  That’s very good for this area where most campsites cost $23-49 per night.  Plus it is convenient to travel to the outlaying areas.  The campground isn’t anything special, with only 5-6 sites available as most are permanent residents or highway workers staying here.  But the owner and residents are very friendly and accommodating, easily giving recommendations of places to see and eat.  Plus they have a strong wifi signal and we have good cell service.

The day after we arrived we took a trip around the Tillamook area visiting the Three Capes Loop, Cape Meares lighthouse and its Octopus Tree.  Then, of course, we went to Tillamook Cheese and Blue Heron French Cheese. 

It’s been 31 years since I’ve seen the Pacific Ocean - I lived in San Diego for ten years. The Pacific Ocean is so magical to me. I love to watch the crashing waves.

At Cape Mears lighthouse there is also the Octopus Tree.

Quoting from the sign, “The forces that shaped this unique Sitka spruce..have been debated for many years…. The tree measures over 46 feet in circumference and has no central trunk. Instead, limbs extend horizontally from the base as much as 16 feet before turning upwards. It is 105 feet tall and is estimated to be 250-300 years old.”

This photo of Jim and I will give you a prospective of how big the tree is.

   

We drove to Oceanside for lunch at the recommended Roseanna’s Restaurant.  This is a cute little town with houses climbing up the side of the hill - reminds me of Jerome, Arizona, in that manner.

Houses on the hillside	Roseanna’s right on the water-notice the rocks in the background
View from our table	My cioppino with shrimp, clams, halibut and salmon…yummo!

Then we drove into Tillamook proper and visited the two cheese factories.

    

Both were interesting, but the Blue Heron French Cheese factory was more versatile in it’s products although they are best known for their Brie. Unfortunately, you can only buy it in Tillamook or via mail order.  Watching them package up the Tillamook cheese sure provided a glimpse at some very boring jobs.  Of course we bought some cheese.

 

It was a long but very enjoyable day and we got home in time for happy hour.  Of, yes, the puppies were sure happy to see us return!

We continue to have problems with our truck, again not starting after being on the road for a long time. We also surmised that it usually happens when we are pulling the RV.  We are trying to find someone who knows enough about diesels to be able to fix the problem.  We’ve now had the truck into three separate dealerships and no one can identify the problem - nothing shows up on the diagnostics.  It will start after the engine cools down, but it’s a nuisance to keep the engine running while fueling or going grocery shopping after a drive around the countryside.  So we will move next week back up to Warrenton/Astoria area and stay at the Fort Stevens State Park and get the truck into yet another Chevy dealership.  We will make sure they do a thorough check of the fuel injectors as Jim feels they need to be replaced.

So for now, I hope you enjoyed the photos of the area and will check in on me again. 

Remember, you are loved.