Tillamook

Jake took the day off of work on Wednesday too and we headed to the coast once again, this time to Tillamook (just a ways south of where we had been).There's a large dairy there where you can sample their cheese and ice cream. It was lots of fun (and tasty, too!)

Here's a shot of a part of the cheese factory. It was pretty neat and kept us all interested for quite a while. Careful not to distract the workers or the cheese might fall off the conveyor belt... :)

Of course a trip to Tillamook would not be complete without stopping by the Octopus Tree! According to the sign this tree has no central trunk -- it's really weird. No one is sure if nature caused the tree to grow this way or if the Native Americans in the area encouraged it somehow. It is 200-300 years old, so no one who might know is around to ask.

A short hike down from the O.T. is the Cape Meares Lighthouse. It was neat to go inside and the view was stunning. Joshua expressed disappointment that the lighthouse wasn't taller but the sign assured us that the lens it houses is the most powerful there is, so apparently size doesn't have to matter.

We have fallen in love with the Oregon coast!