Saturday Morning - ahh, the weekend! How is this day any different than any other vacation day on the Oregon coast? It’s not. Another gray day with the temperatures in the mid to upper 50ยบ F temperatures. The ocean pounding away at the beach with a mesmerizing roar. A fire in the fireplace. All is right with the world. Mark prepared bacon, fried eggs and toast with orange juice for the late morning meal. Cereal with fruit and bananas were also on offer. This was a wonderful, lazy day.
We spent the afternoon chatting, and, when the weather cleared a bit, Ann and Deb walked on the beach. Deb had so been looking forward to her beach walk and her anticipation was justified. She collected a few rocks for her collection back home and thoroughly enjoyed the stroll. She noted however that the climb back up from the beach seemed more strenuous than she recalled.
We worked on the million piece puzzle, snacked for dinner, and watched some television between snoozes. The day ended as it began, quietly and lazily.
Sunday morning breakfast was hot oatmeal with berries, bananas and some of the remaining sourdough toasted and slathered with marionberry jam. Very Tasty. Determined not to let the day descend into another of restful indulgence, we broke camp and piled into the rental car to explore. This time we headed north towards Lincoln City. We stopped for lunch at the Wildflower Grill, a local dining favorite. Deb ordered the Wildflower soup and salad, Don opted for Fish & Chips; Ann chose the fish tacos so that she could sponge some of Don’s fries. Mark thought he was ordering the Wildflower soup and sandwich combo, but ended up with a large cup of soup, a ham & swiss on a po’boy roll and chips. All the menu stated was Wildflower soup of the day. When we inquired, we learned that the soup of the day, every day, was clam chowder! As our tasting of clam chowder continues, this was not the best. A bit more bland than some we have tasted. Overall the meal rated well, though.
As we departed, the weather remained clear, allowing us a chance to pause and admire all the wildflowers and shrubs planted along the walkway to the restaurant; towering flowering pea, a vibrant plant our phones identified as falling stars or Valentine flower, and one of the largest lavender bushes we had ever seen. A beautiful display. We continued northward, our destination being Tillamook and the Tillamook Creamery.
Tillamook is famous for its ice cream, dairy products and cheese. This verdant valley fed by the Tillamook river, is perfect for grazing dairy cattle, providing wonderful milk for all things dairy. The Tillamook Creamery is a co-operative venture, with all the dairy farmers providing the raw milk for its products. In the mid 1850’s the farmers of Tillamook, having more milk than they could ever use, began to make cheese and butter but found it almost impossible to get the products across the mountains to the Portland for disbursal. So they built a boat, running three or four vessels before finally creating one that could complete the journey - christening it The Morningstar of Tillamook. A replica drawing of the sailing ship now adorns every package of Tillamook product.
The creamery facility is also a wonderful visitor center where one can overlook the creation of the cheese, following the process from overhead galleries with explanatory signage. There is even a mocked up area where children can nurse mechanical calves with a bottle, and attach milking equipment to a large demo cow’s udders. Don and Deb procured large ice cream cones to sample, Mark took more than his allotted share from Deb’s cone as he was instructed to hold it for a moment, and Ann went wandering off to see if they had a product to indulge her lactose intolerance (they did not!)
We returned to Salishan with our purchased samples, and changed (sort of) for our 7:45 dinner reservation. Our dinner destination was Tidal Raves restaurant in Depoe Bay, a wonderful seafood restaurant with views of the bay. A blackboard listed all the seafood and the nearby towns from which it was sourced. Don & Ann both chose a halibut served over house made gnocchi, the halibut sourced from the town of Newport. Deb and Mark chose a grilled chinook salmon served over a blue cheese potato gratin, the salmon sourced from Coos Bay. Don & Ann each picked a N/A IPA beer while Mark enjoyed a glass of St. Innocent Pinot Noir and Deb had her first trusted me prepared dirty martini of the trip. A delicious meal.
By the time we left, closing the restaurant, the rain had returned. We arrived home safely and worked the million piece puzzle for a bit before retiring after another wonderful day on the coastal plain.
