Tillamook and beyond

Oregon had many scenic moments.  Many.  Too many to count.  Honestly, it is so green and vibrate that it feels like a whole other country (namely Canada) I was wide eyed the whole time.  At one point I thought I was going to cry.  Literally.  We had planed to go to the coast and had to drive through the thickest most amazing forest. 

We stopped at a nice spot and did a quick detour hike through the thick ferns and ground cover.  It was a rain forest.  Everything was huge, the trees, the ferns, the flowers.  All oversized and incredibly green.  Layers of moss covered every surface and the trees towered high above seemingly endless into the sky.  The kids ooo'd and ahh'd in amazement and I had to join in.

Once we made it to the coast we drove a little north to Tillamook bay (with a side stop at the Tillamook factory to try some squeaky cheese!) and drove up along just north of Tillamook bay into The Barview Jetty park.  We parked and walked a short distant to the soft sand.  There was a strong northwesterly coming in the early evening.  It was exhilarating and deafening and I loved it.  The ocean is where my heart is.  I am use to the southern California beaches though, full of rocky pebbly sand and toned tanned beach bodies frolicking in the surf.   How assaulting!  This was a stark contrast.  The wild grass and reeds grew right out of the sand, just like I have seen of pictures of the east coast beaches.  It was new and exciting, I was actually stoked to see tall grass growing at the beach, don't ask me why.

Vast expanse stood before me, the wide foreboding sea, and the thick expanse of forest butting up right against the ocean. 

I was entranced by the beauty.  It was all too much.  The soft wind-blown sand melting under your feet.  The calm lapping waves of an ice cold sea. 

The squeals of delight coming from my soaked kids each time a wave threatened their feet.  This was it. Cue the tears.


I had this overwhelming feeling.  I never wanted to leave. I would make my home here by this driftwood and jelly fish, thank you very much.

I didn't want to go back to the car and drive to the hotel we had for three more nights.  It felt like home, only a home I had never known before.  Maybe I was falling in love (is that why I inexplicably quoted Sleepless in Seattle?) with Oregon.  I think you can fall in love with a place.

We ended the little beach trip with a walk onto the jetty.  It reached out so far, the kids loved walking out into the sea with out getting wet. It was time, the kids were soaked and cold and the fireworks stand was only open for 30 more minutes, so we went back to the car and left this little bit of heaven vowing to return someday.