Cheese and a Crater

Last Updated on September 2, 2024 by Jill

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Got up and headed out of the Willapa River area around 10 am.  We had a short drive to our next spot as this week is all about Cheese and a Crater.  What do I mean by that?  Keep reading to find out.

Tillamook

Pulled into the Tillamook cheese company parking lot just around 1230 pm.  We had a tour set up for 1:45 pm today.  Because of COVID if you don’t make a reservation for a tour you can only by food and ice cream at their outdoor restaurant.  You can’t go into the shop.  So, if you are going to check this place out and I highly recommend the tour.   It’s cool to check out all the stuff in their store but the tour is where it’s at.  That is where you learn how they make their cheese and get to see it in process.  Check online for their updates and how the daily operations are working.  We bought some ice cream sandwiches and we were not disappointed they are yummy!! The food, ice cream and of course cheese is fantastic.  Check it out you will be glad you did.

Blue Heron

After our tour, we pulled out of the parking lot and headed over to our Harvest Host.  We are actually staying the night at a French cheese company.  They are known for their Brie but they also sell wine, have a restaurant and a little shop with all kinds of things to buy.  The brie is tasty but is a little sharper flavor than Dave cares for.  We did a flight of the wines that they produce and then purchased a bottle of their chardonnay.  As members we always patron the Harvest Host we are staying at.  You get to stay in their lot for free so its the least we can do.

Crater Lake

We were up and on the road by 7:30 am this morning heading to our next National Park.  Crater lake.  We are going to meet up with Daves’s brother and family again.  Should be a great time.  It was around a five-hour drive so we arrived around 1:30 pm.  We found a great free campsite right on Forrest Road 960.  Got set up and detached the car and headed into Crater lake to meet up with the family.  After we meet up with them we figured out our plans for the next day and both continued on our drive around the lake.  What an impressive sight.  The blue is a deep sapphire and the pictures don’t do it justice.  It is mesmerizing.

We met up the next morning at 8:30 am to do the cleatwood clove trail.  This is the only trail that you can take that goes to the lake.  It is a bit steep.   700ft change in elevation, but definitely worth it.  When you get to the bottom there is a dock you can hang out on and even jump in the water from.  The water is pretty cold we didn’t go in.  Steve and Ellis both jumped in, Dave and I just decided to hang our feet into the water.  Cold but refreshing.  You can hike up to another little spot where people jump off a ledge into the water.  We saw a guy do it, it was pretty cool.  then we made the hike back up.  The hike back up is where you really feel the elevation change.

After that, we headed over to the visitor center purchased lunch and a souvenir then off on our last trail. This trail we could take the dogs so it was a must-do.  It was the lady of the woods trail.  A nice trail.  After that, we headed back to Steve’s campground sight and hung out on Diamond lake for the afternoon and grilled dinner over the fire.  Of course, we didn’t forget the smores.  Our marshmallows had the chocolate stuffed in them already and they were delicious.

What another great weekend.

Cheers,

Jill