Tillamook and the coast

We decided to head to Tillamook and check out the cheese factory there. We had to stop at our favorite lookout spot on PCH and take a few pictures and enjoy the view.  There was a lot of traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway since it was Labor Day weekend. We were following the directions given by the GPS on the phone and ended up pulling off the highway and taking back roads for about 30 miles before getting to Tillamook. It was beautiful!  I wasn't enjoying driving in the heavy traffic anyway but the idyllic farm lands interspersed with heavy forested areas was so lovely.

The cheese plant was huge! We were used to Gossner's and Cache Valley Cheese. We took the short self-guided tour which included a cheese tasting and then we were able to look down on the plant where they made and packaged the cheese. It was very interesting. The gift shop was huge and they had a clearance on some packages of cheese, crackers and jelly so we decided to get those for our lunch rather than buying something at the snack bar. They were delicious and we enjoyed sitting outside eating and enjoying the pleasant weather. Of course, a trip to a huge dairy like that isn't complete without ice cream so we got some yummy cones before we left.

We were so tired (and past due for our daily nap) so pulled off at another lookout spot (where there were monoliths in the distance in the ocean) and fell asleep in the car for a little while. We both needed a bit of a pick me up before the drive back into Portland.  There were more pelicans in the area along with some other birds in the distance that we weren't able to identify. It was a peaceful spot for a short snooze.

Headed back to Portland and checked in at the same Best Western that we've stayed at twice before. They recommended a Chinese place down the road and so we went there for dinner. Meh. It was okay but not wonderful but filled us up. Went back to the hotel room and played a few rounds of Farkle before reading and heading to bed. We'll see the kids tomorrow finally.

Beaches and birds

It was finally time for us to head to Oregon to visit with Matt and Sherlyn. We'd seen them in May in California but it still seemed like a long time to me. I planned our flight out early so we could take advantage of the whole day. I knew Matt and Sherlyn would be working on Friday, and then they had a wedding to attend on Saturday so I made plans for us to spend some time in Seaside, Oregon before heading into the big city.

We got a late start in the morning and when we entered the airport behind schedule there was the longest line I've ever seen going through security. There was nothing to do but wait and hope. I still can't believe we made it through in time. Whew! We arrived in Portland around 10AM and then rented a car and headed to the coast to Seaside. We didn't know anything about the area but just wanted a new place to explore.

We stopped at the Osprey Cafe for lunch and boy was it ever yummy! I had a mac and cheese with fresh mushrooms and three types of cheeses. We shared a bowl of delicious Hungarian mushroom soup and Doug had a corn cakes, chicken, black beans, etc.  We walked down to the beach after eating and Doug was amazed by the Marion berries growing wild everywhere. (Later in the trip we noticed a sign for lawn mowing and blackberry bush removal!) It was a bit overcast but the beach was beautiful.

We were tired from getting up early so decided to see if we could check in early at the Quality Inn. We were able to and so laid down for our first nap of the trip so we'd have some energy for later in the day. I had read that birding was great in the area. We excitedly set off to the first place only to find it in a very dodgy part of town with a homeless encampment at the entrance of it. We turned around and moved on. I just didn't feel comfortable there. We finally found an estuary and climbed down the steps to the beach there. We saw a great egret that was beautiful. The egrets in Utah are about a third the size of this magnificent bird. There was a colony of brown pelicans across the water a bit. We only have white pelicans in our area.

Headed back into town and walked along the promenade a bit (a cement walkway with views of the beach and ending in the center of town with a monument to Lewis and Clark depicting their time there). Went to Dooger's for dinner and I had an awesome filet mignon wrapped in bacon with sweet potato fries. Doug loved his crab cakes. We wandered through the (tourist trap) town, bought some salt water taffy and ice cream cones, and then headed down to the beach to watch the sunset.  We saw thousands of some sort of bird circling over the ocean. I wish I knew what they were. There were a lot of people there playing volleyball and all sorts of beach games. People had fires going and it was just generally a happy and relaxed feeling there. A man had made an awesome mermaid out of sand. It was fun strolling hand in hand with my sweetheart. It was a long but good day.

And they’re off...

Once again it’s a warm August day and once again part of my heart drove away; this time Derek, Shelby and Zoë to their new adventure in Rochester, New York.  It’s been just a year since Chad, Anney and Finley left for their new home in Tucson. I’m beginning to hate August!!

Doug had a bunch of stuff in the truck to take down to Murray for them. The bulk of their belongings have been in the storage unit in Murray and that’s where they were going to load up the moving truck. Derek and Shelby loaded up their new Honda CRV too. I stayed here with Zoë so that she could have a nap and not be under foot during the truck loading process. She woke up sick on Tuesday morning and was still under the weather. I finally left about 4:30 with her in Derek and Shelby’s other car, which was also loaded with stuff.  Zoë was not happy about being packed into the car seat with stuff all around her and still felt lousy so it was a hard trip, especially with the rush hour traffic. She was happy as long as I was singing to her so for 60 minutes I sang every children’s song I could think of to keep her happy.

We got to Murray just as they finished loading the truck. They were going to spend the night with Kelli and Randy and then get up and go early in the morning. Kelli and Randi are going with to drive the moving truck. Ashlee, Shelby’s wonderful sister, is taking Zoë on the plane with her back to Maryland where they’ll pick her up in 4-5 days when they get there. A five hour flight with an active toddler sounded better than 5-6 (or more) days in the car with a whining active toddler!

Soon it was time to say goodbye. I’d already been crying on and off for days so wasn’t surprised to start sobbing again as I hugged Derek, Shelby and Zoë goodbye.  I’m excited for their new opportunities and glad that they’ll have this time to grow closer together but I’m still sad and will miss them tremendously.  This is just so hard.  Three sons now in three different states and Doug and I alone here. I’m not looking forward to holidays alone and not having family for Sunday dinners is going to be tough too.  I’ve said before that my family is everything to me so I’ll just have to find ways to keep those bonds strong even though we’re separated.  In the meantime I think I’ll have a good cry!