Munson Falls and Tillamook (say cheese!)

Roger here...  It was time to get some cheese to go with our wine.  Where to go?  When I think of cheese, I think of Wisconsin, but also Tillamook.  Tillamook is only 20 miles south of our location near Manzanita, much closer than Wisconsin.  

Delayed gratification is a sign of a mature mind.  Being very mature we drove past the cheese factory and stopped a few miles down the road to do a quarter-mile hike to Munson Falls.  Jay's head added a splash of gray to the otherwise green growth beneath the towering pines and giant Sitka spruce trees that enveloped us as we walked.

The sounds of splashing water enhanced the lush growth.

These shamrocks were the size of silver dollars.  

After passing a moss ladened tree, the falls came into view.

After a while, it is difficult to conjure up new adjectives to describe the scenery that we see.  Suffice it to say, these jaw-dropping falls were well worth the short walk and the longer car ride up a bumpy road.

Nancy offered to take a picture for a young lady and her three cute girls.  The lady reciprocated for us at the end of the trail.  Do you think we look hungry?  I think we were hungry.  Let's go get us some cheese!

Our first Tillamook stop was at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company.  It was in this expansive showroom  that we sampled a variety of brie, bleu cheese,  jams, and salsas.  We actually skipped the wine tasting area.  Pretty yummy.

A mile down the road, we arrived at our ultimate destination, the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  This place is the 10th most popular attraction in the state of Oregon.  There were certainly plenty of visitors on the day of our visit.

We walked up a flight of stairs to view the automated cheese production below, and then wandered through the gift shop that was filled with kitchen gadgets that Dianne could not resist.   Exhausting work, for us.  We required sustenance.  There is a picture of me sampling the various cheeses, but I did not include it because it looks as if I have been sampling too many cheese samples. 

I do, however, have a nice shot of Dianne enjoying some Tillamook ice cream in a double-dipped cone.

We are likely to make a second trip here, but first we have to empty out some of the contents of the fridge.

Our next post will document a quick trip to Cannon Beach, and a great beach walk filled with tidal life, bald eagles, and scurrying adults on tricycles.

We do not have a pet picture today, but for those pet lovers among you, I want to assure you that the dogs have been loving their lengthy (leash-free) romps on the beach every morning before we go exploring with our friends.

Here is another sunset picture from Manzanita Beach.