Tillamook OR to Washington

Fog again first thing this morning but sun comes out.  Just ten minutes drive away we arrive at the Tillamook Cheese Factory and there is heaps of parking for RV’s, we are early so take our pick.  The self guided tour is interesting, you can see from the mezzanine floor right down into the factory, huge blocks of yummy cheese being processed, cut, wrapped and packed in front of your very eyes.

The cheese tasting was two lines of people funneled along each side of the tasting tables, five or six different samples but apart from the jalapeno one they were pretty much the run of the mill flavours - Cheddar, Colby, Sharp White, Smoked etc.  Yesterday they had the Colby Jack I was after, but I bought some anyway (it is good) and Kim choose the Four Year Aged Sharp and a standard White Sharp.  The gift shop was pretty cool, lots of stuff which would go with cheese, including local wine!

Me and my new BFF Tilly from Tillamook

Kim driving theTillamook Combi

Then the ice cream counter!  I lucked out big time, the 'salted butterscotch' is too soft for the single waffle cone I order (not being overly greedy you understand) so I end up with the waffle basket filled to the top with the most delicious ice cream – yum!  Just about broke me - but I did manage with a little of Kim's help! Nobody bought the huge $38 bowl of all 30 flavours while we were there, but I would say that would be impossible without an army to help you eat it.

With nice round tummies we get back on the road and head north on US 101 along the coast.  We drive through Seaside and past the motel we stayed in on our bike trip, got some photos.  It’s a pretty town.

Further north just through Astoria is the very long bridge/causeway into Washington, we remember this well from the bike trip too, it is pretty amazing.  There are road works on the bridge so we sit for a few minutes feeling the structure shake – a lot! 

GPS position showing us about 1/4 way across bridge, the high bit!

A small portion of the bridge to WA

We have started climbing the bridge

Over the top and down the other side

We try our luck at a couple of State Parks but the first has only one site but too many trees for us to get into it cleanly, the second has two large church groups taking up all 508 sites, and we finally get into Cape Disappointment SP, just over the Washington state line. We choose a beach site and the beach which is long and sandy, is just behind the coach.  The fog rolls in and we go to sleep to the sound of the waves thundering onto the sand.