Home From the Sea - Part 2

 This was our eating while touring day, so after the bakery and a walk on the docks, we were off to the "cheesy" places.  The Blue Heron has all kinds of Oregon made products to sample, and food and gifts to buy.  They also have a petting farm.  The kids don't really like to let the goats nibble the animal food out of their hands, so I did it.  Isaac took the photos.

Next up, the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  We always stop here, and shop in the gift shop and get ice cream.  This day there were thousands more who had the same idea.  We have never seen it so crowded. 

It's so cheesy here even the photos are cheese colored.

 We managed to get our ice cream and found a place outside to sit.

 Tom passed on the ice cream, so he played with his phone.

Back at the cabin, it was windy again.  Jill walked to the jetty, the kids played for a while on the beach and in the creek, and Tom and I went for a walk.

Just down the highway from the town of Rockaway Beach is the community of Twin rocks.  That's because from here the rocks do look more like twins. ↑

 And farther down the beach they look like this. ↑

 The tide was way out leaving a LOT of beach to walk on.

When we got back the kids decided to fly kites.  Irene was thrilled to get her unicorn kite airborne, but Isaac's kite wouldn't cooperate.

 When Jill got back she flew the kite and the kids played a game of trying to catch the kite's shadow. ↑

After that we got blown off the beach.  Everyone was tired of the cold wind and we hung out in the cabin.

 I was back out in the evening to catch the sunset.

On Thursday, Isaac wanted to try crabbing.  We had the equipment in the shed, so Jill stopped to get a license and some bait and we were off to the pier in Tillamook Bay.

 Isaac was Ok with the bait fish as long as he had gloves.

 They got the pots baited and thrown overboard.

 Then it was time to eat the donuts, take out this time.

 The tourist train chugged by on the shore.

 Between checking the pots we wandered off the pier.

 It was getting very windy already and it was warmer here on the shore.

 We caught a bunch of little crabs, but no keepers.  Just as well, as no one wanted to clean them. We had fun anyway with this new experience for the kids.

 The wind kept us off the beach much of the afternoon, so we hung out in the cabin and read and played.  Tom and I went for a walk into the town and checked out a few antique shops.

The evening's activity was the Tillamook County Fair.  There were tractors.....

 and animals.......

 ..and the Pig n' Ford Races.  Drivers of these old Fords had to grab a pig, crank the car, drive around the track, exchange the pig, and repeat for three laps.

 Oh oh.  Loose pig!

 Irene said it was "silly", but we all had fun.

We looked at some more exhibits and ate some fair food

 and the kids rode the Octopus.

We were back at the cabin before sunset.

 We went to the bakery again Friday morning, but, alas, it was closed.  We settled for traditional breakfasts at the Cow Belle in Rockaway.

 There we walked around town and avoided eating any more goodies. Why it that old people are always playing with their phones?

It was a lovely morning.  Tom and I were heading home in the afternoon, with Jill and the kids to follow on Saturday.  So I took another walk on the beach.

 Jill and kids posed for their official beach photo, but it was hard not to be squinty eyes.

 I took a few more shots before packing up to leave this most wonderful of family treasures, the cabin at Rockaway.

Salt Aire Creek, next to the cabin, with this old beach rose growing on the bank.

And honeysuckle growing on the cabin side of the creek.

How sweet it is.