We finally made it home, safe & sound. But while we were away there were many sights to be seen. We took a visit to the Cheese factory of course.
We toured the facility through Tillamook cheese wrapper colored glasses:
Actually there were just lights that made some pictures appear as though we were. But I think they did it on purpose.
It was weird because all the factory workers stared at us as though we were weirdos for watching them at work, but don't they get that everyday??
My favorite worker was the one who had to tear open the newly wrapped cheese and throw it in a tray. The process was quite interesting, but my favorite part was: Cheese samples!! Here I am eating cheese:
No real cows, but a display of the milking machine:
and Flo the bull that reminded me of the painted cows seen all over NYC when I traveled there back in 2000.
Just up the road we stopped to do some more sampling of cheese AND wine this time. I can never get enough free stuff!
There was a petting farm outside, and another thing I can't get enough of is animals. I fed my new friends, goats 1 -6 and the fluffy chicken:
Then we hit the road again. There were so many beautiful stops along the way.
This is a weird picture. I really like it and then I don't. I have a really bad half smile, but there is just something about it.
The hunt for the Lemon Tree in Cannon Beach was on after that. We asked the locals and even searched the local yellow pages but to no avail. We were given many a recommendation so we decided on Norma's in Seaside.
Josh pulls an LL mid-slurp.
It was absolutely delicious. They've won many "best of'" awards for their chowder and I can see why.
We drove back to Cannon Beach for the night and set up camp (plugged in) at the Sea Ranch. A cool little camp with a creek running through, green everywhere, and cute little bunny rabbits! They were my other Oregoney friends, Fluffer, Wabbit, Blackie and Butterscotch.
We attempted fishing once again, but I've determined its just not our thing. I didn't plan to eat the little fellers I just wanted to catch something other than a branch & a cold!! Oh well.
The fun didn't end there - oh no.
A stop at the Largest Spruce tree in America.
Next we drove to Portland but we were quickly running out of time. (We had already extended our RV reservation by a day - and the drop off time by 5 hours).
So we drove through quickly. Saw a great view of the city from above:
Said hi to Elmo @ the Children's Museum,
and an old choo-choo outside the freight museum.
We dropped off the RV that night and had a great Japanese dinner at Misako's in downtown Eugene.
YUMMY.
The next week was spent chillaxin' @ mom's. There isn't anything I'd rather do with my time off than nothing at all. And that's basically what we did. It seems as though that's what everyone does in Oregon during winter. If it's raining (and it's always raining) we stayed inside.
Mom/Tonya/Blondie's Greenhouse & Blueberry fields
I did hang out with Midnight & Chance whenever I would wander outside.
Not without a big-fat wet one from Sir Chance-a-lot
Josh spent a lot of time in Grandpa's barn.
This is Josh heaven. 15 of each and every tool ever made, tons of old cars and motorcycles, lifts and I don't even know what else.
Chance & I wandered around in the rain and mud.
I found all sorts of treasures, so to speak. All the weird, quirky items, such as the old record albums
The coke machine and table setting
The bicycle frame and computer monitor wing
I like this picture of Chance and the old Dodge truck full of engine blocks
One night we stayed with Steve in his new apartment in Junction City. Quite the place. Oh my geez, you wouldn't believe -- a train goes by his apartment every single morning @ 2:30am. And it is slow, probably going 20 mph I would guess. You hear and feel every single car pass with a loud clink-clank. I don't know how he does it.
The tracks from the front door.
Josh had his hair cut @ the local barber. They thought I was nuts for taking pictures.
We went out to the local bar - where we encountered Mr. Big Nose. WOW. Steven warned us that he had seen this guy with a huge nose that frequents the place. Sure enough he was there. I still can't get the image out of my head.
We watched Sin City that night - this guy has gotta be his twin, only yellow.
The next day Steve gave us a tour of Eugene. We ate lunch on the Willamette River which was beautiful. Had awesome Tillamook cheese burgers and Bloody mary's.
Then we drove up to Skinners Butte. There was a really cool rock/mountain that people climb.
The top of Skinner's Butte offers a birdseye view of Eugene.
The Willamette River runs through it.
And down the other side of it was the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House.
While in Oregon, we celebrated KDs, Harrys, Tonyas & Lauras birthdays. Here is mom with her mini-Chance.
We went out to McShanes that night for some fun on Tonya's Birthday.
Of course, must represent the PINK.
The following night Josh showed of his skills with a Chicken Marsala and Fettuccini Alfredo dinner for the whole gang. Yummers! Everyone was very impressed.
And we finally had to go. We drove late through the night and hit snow. I danced in it for a moment and we plowed through. It did get scary at first; there was a jack-knifed big-rig, which we had to swerve around and we slid when we tried to break. That got my heart racing.
We drove into the morning and stopped at a "Hot Spring" we saw a sign for on the road. Now, tell me if I am wrong, but isn't a Hot Spring natural? I thought it was out of the ground.
The water was sourced that way but came up through pipes into bath tubs. This place was straight out of the movies.
But that didn't stop us. It was really refreshing after driving for 10+ hours.
Heres' one more cool picture I took on the road.
And that is all. Until the next trip or other blogworthy event.
