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!

Beach Day

Jake took the day off on Monday and we finally made it out to the beach! It was gorgeous. The coast here is quite different from the northern California beaches we grew up with and especially from the San Diego beaches we've most recently come from, but it is oh so beautiful in it's own way. Definitely more dramatic, more breathtaking. Dense, green forest surrounds the beach on cliffs, working its way down to meet the shore; large rock formations jut out of the water, some of them formed into arches -- very Pacific Northwest. I am so thankful that we get to live near the coast once again. It takes us just over an hour to get there now as opposed to the 5 minutes it took in San Diego, but really I am not complaining. It makes for the perfect day trip. And the drive itself is beautiful too so it's all worth it.

Joshua and Daniel were beyond excited to be at the beach again. It had been a whole year, poor guys.


These are pictures of one happy baby. He spent the whole time crawling around in the sand, exploring. It was so neat to see his baby excitement as he experienced something so new.