Trip to the Coast

This morning started out fine. Chris got up early to prepare his signature Belgian waffle recipe. They turned out delicious, as usual, a real treat to start the morning, especially with real maple syrup. Yum! Then we all got our things together for our trip to the coast.

Shawn drove, and we all fit in her Yukon, including Coach! Coach is a large dog, but pretty well behaved. She did annoy Annie a bit by trying to lick her! Our first destination was the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We took the self-guided tour and sampled their cheeses, and of course we bought some. We especially like their extra sharp cheddar, and we found some Tillamook fudge too.

This facility used to run two lines continuously, but now runs only one line for one shift. Most of the packaging and shipping has moved to facilities in Mountain Home, ID, and Salt Lake City, UT. Fifty positions were eliminated when this change was announced, a real shock to a small city that has relied on the cheese factory for generations.

After we left Tillamook, Shawn drove us to Cape Meares State Park, where we saw Oregon's shortest lighthouse and the amazing Octopus Tree.

After a picnic lunch at the park, we headed to Shawn's parents' home near the little town of Neskowin on the Oregon coast. The house overlooks the Pacific Ocean and has grand views from porches and windows everywhere.

After we met Sandy (Shawn's mom) and Ken (her stepdad), we got a grand tour of the house, which is amazing. Our bedroom is on the lower level. Chris and Shawn are staying in an upstair bedroom with a loft for Annie.

Later we took a walk along the nearby beach.

Sandy fixed lasagna for dinner: two pans, one vegetarian and one with meat. Both were very good.

After dinner we watched a movie Sandy had recorded, Citizen X. It was fascinating, but also very creepy. It's the story of Russia's most notorious serial killer, and I have horrible images seared on my brain. The saving grace is that the movie is also about the dedicated detective who finally tracked the killer down.