Oregon vacation report (really long)

It's a little south of Tillamook and viable from the highway. I'm
pretty sure it was closed by the time you drove by anyway and the time
of day probably contributed to missing it.

I don't think the Tillamook cheese factory tour is all that special and
you have to pay for samples. I've heard there are some artisan cheese
makers further down the coast but I don't remember where they are. I
don't get to the cost very often these days or I would have checked them
out by now.

When I first went there I was hoping to see the Cyclo-crane. It was a
balloon based crane for logging. The design was dumb but I sold them a
mechanical disk brake from my old motorcycle shop. Anyway it was long
gone before I got there.

Tony

JJS wrote:

I knew the air museum was around Tillamook somewhere but I don't know how I missed seeing the blimp hangar. It was
probably around 8 pm and it may have been closed anyway? Too be honest, I thought the wife had had enough aviation
for the day and I wasn't about to push the issue after she told me I could order an RV kit. I wanted to go back
later in the week and take the wife through the cheese factory and also go to the air museum but it just wasn't meant
to be. I was trying to balance our wants and there was just too many choices. Like you say... next time.

Joe Schneider
N8437R

"Anthony W" wrote in message
news:kPKjg.8255$hN2.1255@trnddc05...
It's a little south of Tillamook and viable from the highway. I'm pretty
sure it was closed by the time you drove by anyway and the time of day
probably contributed to missing it.

I don't think the Tillamook cheese factory tour is all that special and
you have to pay for samples. [...]

You must not like cheese very much.

And since when do they charge for samples? I was there most recently a
little less than two years ago, and they were still free then. There is
*nothing* like a fresh cheese curd. When I had some way back when and asked
if they sold them, they said "no, they don't keep very well". More
recently, they have started selling them, but they are right...they don't
keep very well. If you get a bag that was packed that day, and eat it that
day, that's probably okay...but otherwise, not worth the bother.

Their ice cream isn't bad either, but I love all the information about the
cheese manufacturing they have there, and of course if you go when the
factory is operating, there's lots of fun machinery to watch.

If I had to choose between the Air Museum and the Tillamook Factory, I'd
choose the Air Museum. Duh. But if you like cheese, the Tillamook Factory
is definitely worth a visit. I'm sure those artisan producers are worth
visiting too, if only you could remember their names or locations.

I'm still having a hard time believing that they charge for cheese samples
now. That makes no sense.

Pete

Peter Duniho wrote:

You must not like cheese very much.

On the contrary, I love the stuff.

And since when do they charge for samples? I was there most recently a
little less than two years ago, and they were still free then. There is
*nothing* like a fresh cheese curd. When I had some way back when and asked
if they sold them, they said "no, they don't keep very well". More
recently, they have started selling them, but they are right...they don't
keep very well. If you get a bag that was packed that day, and eat it that
day, that's probably okay...but otherwise, not worth the bother.

I went through years ago when lived in Astoria and had family in Hebo.
I'd drive by there a couple times a month.

Their ice cream isn't bad either, but I love all the information about the
cheese manufacturing they have there, and of course if you go when the
factory is operating, there's lots of fun machinery to watch.

I thought the operation was only a little interesting but not worth the
tour.

If I had to choose between the Air Museum and the Tillamook Factory, I'd
choose the Air Museum. Duh. But if you like cheese, the Tillamook Factory
is definitely worth a visit. I'm sure those artisan producers are worth
visiting too, if only you could remember their names or locations.

The air museum is worth the trip. The first time I went through I
thought it was well worth the money even though I was rather strapped
for cash.

I'm sure if you did a Google search on Oregon cheese, you'd turn up a
few... Like I said, I don't get to the coast very often any more or I
would have checked into them already.

I'm still having a hard time believing that they charge for cheese samples
now. That makes no sense.

That's what I thought but there were no samples other than the stuff for
sale in the cheese shop. Cheese curds are interesting but nothing like
the stuff that comes out of France. I have a friend that takes his
family to France a couple times a year. I give him a few bucks to bring
me back some cheese every time he goes and I've never been disappointed.

Tony

I saw the Cyclo-Crane when I stopped in at the blimp hanger on a motorcycle
trip years ago. They had a few experimental projects inside at that time,
and for some reason a GE diesel-electric railway locomotive in the far
corner of the hange. The size of the hanger made the locomotive look like a
scale model train back there. Not much was actively being worked on though,
and even with the Cyclo-Crane and another blimp and sundry projects the
hanger was almost empty. They did have a film presentation of the fire that
took down the other blimp hanger at the site, which was quite the
conflagration.

We did have the pleasure of flying down there in a Cherokee a couple of
years back, and were able to hit the Evergreen 'Spruce Goose' exhibit and
the Tillamook museum before swinging up the coast to the Arlington NWEAA
fly-in. Great trip - I hope the FBO at McMinville still has their
black&white ex-cop car. Had the chrome search light and everything - great
fun.

Oh, and we ran across a very good brew pub in McMinville as well - I think
it was called the Golden Valley Brewery. Good food and great beer.

Steve S.
CYBW

"Anthony W" wrote in message
news:kPKjg.8255$hN2.1255@trnddc05...

When I first went there I was hoping to see the Cyclo-crane. It was a
balloon based crane for logging. The design was dumb but I sold them a
mechanical disk brake from my old motorcycle shop. Anyway it was long
gone before I got there.

Tony