Tillamook, OR, Wednesday, 9/15/21

Marlene and I discovered early on that RV parks were full, all of them, no availability.  She and I were on the phone for over an hour one afternoon, collaborating on where and when, and where we could find a place to stay.  It was very frustrating.  Used to be, in mid-September, that state parks and RV parks were a whole lot emptier when summer was over.  Not any more.  Well, we worked it out, though we'll have to jink around a bit.  All four of us have been astonished at the number of recreational vehicles on the road these past few days.  Every style, size and color, make and model, RV's are on the move.  Including ours.

We set out early enough from Umpqua to drive Hwy 101 up the Oregon coast to Tillamook, notorious for its cheese.  Hwy 101 is not a freeway, much of it is windy and two-lanes ... and slow-going, but it's always a scenic drive.  These bridges (above is the Siuslaw River Bridge) are to admire!  Many were built in the 1930's, and  have an Art Deco style.

We passed several lighthouses, but didn't stop at any this time.  We've visited every one in past trips.  I can't remember which one you see above.  Check out the guano rock below the lighthouse -- yowza! 

A tunnel or two.

Big Creek Bridge, also erected in the 1930's, is another fine example.

Always the ocean on our left. 💗

This one is my favorite, and maybe I'm not alone on this.  The Yakina Bay Bridge at Newport, Oregon, opened in Sept 1936, using more Art Deco and Art Moderne design motifs, as well as some gothic architecture.  They don't make bridges like this anymore!

We tried to stay together, Cliff and Marlene, and me and Jimmy, in our vehicles, but occasionally we were separated.  I was driving at this point and they'd stopped for gas, so I pulled over across from this mighty fine-looking barn to wait for them ... and I took it's picture!

Our destination was Blue Heron French Cheese Company, another Harvest Host location.  Like our Umpqua HH site, we were parked on a large grassy area, but this time we were joined by a slew of other RV's.  My camera didn't like the dark sign against the light grass, but if you look closely you'll see Tergel and Smartie parked at left just above the white fence post.  Cliff and Marlene parked behind us, out of sight.  We'd fought wind all day, including right here, so they wanted shelter from the wind and found it behind us!

What else would we do after leveling and putting out our slides?  Check out the cheese store and the farm animals.  These birds, peacock and guinea fowl, were hunkered down so they wouldn't blow away!  Two very fat pigs, several donkeys and llamas, a couple of alpacas, geese, and chickens were penned near the cheese store.  (I wanted to choke the rooster that fired up the next morning at 4:30!!)

Big goat (right)!!

After finishing our Blue Heron Cheese stop, we piled in our vehicles (one car, one truck) and drove to the Tillamook Creamery.  We've been here once or twice before, but we're always game for cheese!

It is interesting to watch the cheese-making process at the ten big windows set up for our viewing.  I don't believe the above photos are in order, but, no matter; you get the idea.  The workers' shirts used to have cute cheese sayings, but they're gone, more's the pity, replaced by standard issue garments.

This pic is a small representative of the entire store you go through after watching the cheese-making.  Everything under the sun, including many cheese varieties not seen/sold in stores, is for sale in this place.  We bought a very sharp cheddar and a small container of maple and candied pecan frozen custard.  Now we're talking smooth and DELICIOUS.  To die for.  Really.  Think I'll have a tiny dish right now. 😋