After an epic visit to Astoria/Fort Stevens State Park, I wasn’t sure what more the coast of Oregon could offer. Tillamook/Cape Lookout did not disappoint!
Driving into Tillamook, I had strong tugs on the old heart-strings for multiple reasons. One, the last time Kim and I were in this area, we were with our dear friends Jeff Wilcox and Stephanie Russell. Jeff has since died of Brain Cancer, and we still miss him dearly. Two, the place has a similar feel to Vermont, where we’ve had several great trips over the last few years.
Tillamook County is on an alluvial plain, where no less than 5 rivers converge. It’s an interesting flat area in the midst of an otherwise hilly (mountainous?) region. It’s also a hotbed of dairy farming (much like Vermont). and it’s been alluring to talented cheese makers for almost two centuries.
Cape Lookout is a beautiful State Park just South of Tillamook, on a point jutting out into the Pacific. (interesting that Merriwether Lewis refused to call it the Pacific because he claimed it was never peaceful). Oregon State parks are sweet! I guess at this point I’m a sucker for Douglas Fir trees (and the mushrooms that grow under them!).
Here is a gallery of the highlights of our time in this area….. hiking cape lookout (6 miles total), exploring Oceanside beach (tide pooling, jade and agate hunting), and touring the Tillamook Cheese Factory.
Online mushroom research to confirm Kanes find. The big one was “chicken of the woods”, but too many maggots, so we pitched it. 🙁
The Douglas Fir forests here along the coast are perfect for mushroom hunting. Kane found these Chanterelles in the campground. So proud of the fact that another camper was excited about Kane’s find, and he gave her a mushroom (without prompting from Kim).
The most incredible sauteed mushrooms ever. Chanerelles. 3 TBS olive oil, 3 TBS Butter, 3 cloves garlic sliced. Tiny bit of salt right at the end. WOW
Typical of the non-muddy (first 1/2) of this hike…. so nice!
First vista off of the Cape Lookout trail hike. Reminded me of Waikiki beach from the volcano.
This tree didn’t scare me, but the cliff to the right sure did. (you can’t really appreciate it from this pic, 30 foot drop)
Stumbled upon a couple of these guys on this hike. Alaska had lulled us into a false sense of “no snakes”, mostly because they don’t have any there. (nor poisonous spiders or ticks).
Happy Hiker, properly layered.
Looking for good ones for Daddy to smash later.
Very representative of this area, it is sooooo gorgeous.
Snack time at the end of the hike! We’re eating our share of Kind and Granola bars! Kane is sad, because 5 minutes earlier, I slipped in the mud and totally smashed our mushrooms (all of them). We had found some nice Chanty’s and Boletes on this hike.
Periodic Vistas to the south from Cape Lookout hike. At times, I felt like we were at a Caribbean island.
View of Oceanside beach from our parking spot.
Shout-out to the Jeep!
Cool tunnel from one beach to the next. Impassable during high tide BTW.
I’m the laggard, they’re already finding Jade (I can hear Kane howling in the distance)
Looking for Jade at Oceanside beach.
A Jade, an Agate, and a bit of sand (if you look close)
So very happy with her find.
Typical view if you look down at the Oceanside beach. We found cool Jade chunks and Kat found Agates.
Typical Oregon coast – ho-hum. 🙂
Anemone in one of the tide pools.
Chunk of jade right in the rock at the edge of a tide pool.
Reminds me to appreciate the simple things in life. We loved this time at the beach.
Some keepers!
I could eat her up, sometimes!
Turns out, Kat REALLY likes finding Jade. She announced later in the day, that in addition to potentially being a vet, she’s seriously considering going into Jade mining.
Someone who came before us to this place, stacked these rocks in this little waterfall. I could not resist.
Don’t try this at home. This is a re-enactment done by professionals. Kane had found a piece of foam that looked like a rock. He ran up behind us, shouted, and beaned his mother with it. It was so funny! At least it was funny the first time, after he hit us 4/5 times, it got old. He gets that from his old man (riding a good thing into the ground and auguring in).
Tides rolling in, time to go!
Taking inventory of the booty.
Are you ready for some cheese!?!?!?
That is one handsome cow, but don’t mind the extra mouth nor the extra set of arms on that farmer… they are legit.
Huge blocks of cheddar, coming out of aging to be chopped and packaged. Love the automation… most of human intervention was quality control.
Rennet (enzyme harvested from intestines of un-weaned calves) We’ve confirmed that it is indeed used in cheese making, and this was the first 55 gallon vat of it for proof. Sorry sympathetic vegetarians!
Kat spent the next 30 minutes picking the cookie dough out of her’s with a straw. Kane was sad… after he ordered the Rootbeer float, he got a sample of the “White Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream”, he was begging to change his order…. but we had already paid and they started making his float. I have to agree, it’s totally backwards to let you sample after you order and pay??!!!
Baby you can drive my false-front, mini cheese van.
