Pacific Pilgrimage

Whenever we get to Oregon, we try to spend couple of days at the beach. Usually that is Cannon Beach, the place I spent two weeks every summer of my childhood. Since visits are often at Christmas time the weather can be variable, to say the least. One year we hiked Tillamook Head in shirtsleeves but not so this year! Rain and wind with two short glimpses of sun were what we faced today.

Timing was all wrong when we went for a walk towards Haystack Rock as the brisk tailwind turned into a steady, wind-driven rain!



Hi! This is Gromit, Marilyn's traveling companion. I jumped into her pocket with the camera as she headed out for a walk. Here are some photos we took BEFORE the rain blew in.

Here I am with Ecola State Park (Bird Rocks???) and Tillamook Head behind me. Do you like my winter sweater that Marlyn made me? I really needed it!







I jumped back into Marilyn's pocket as we walked south. Just as the rain started we took this picture of Haystack Rock.


Later, after drying some clothes by the gas fireplace in the hotel, we hoppped in the cute little red rental car and drove south to Tillamook. Marilyn watched the road carefully with the eye of a bicyclist. Hmm. Does she really want to do a bike tour on this road?



On the way we stopped at the viewpoint on Neahkahnie Mountain. The view is always awesome and we had just a bit of sunshine. It was really windy and Marilyn had to hang on to keep me from flying off. Can you tell I was a bit nervous?

Marilyn and John went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and spent some time watching the packing process on the self-guided tour. They also ate grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream. They left me in the car as guard. Hmm. I think they got the better deal.




On the way back we had another glimpse of the sun. For about five minutes we drove right next to a beautiful full rainbow. Part of the time there was a second, double rainbow. That pot of gold should be hiding somewhere IN our car...





Thanks for that great description of our day, Gromit. It's a good thing that we have a little computer that you can use easily!

I'll continue...




We ended the day by going to Ecola Seafoods for Dungeness crab cocktails and smoked salmon jerky and the grocery for yummy tangerines to add to our Tillamook cheese and crackers. Shortly after settling into our room with the cozy gas fireplace, the wind and rain returned with a vengeance. The weather prediction is for snow over the coastal range so our drive to Portland will probably be the longer but lower elevation route along the Columbia River.