Tillamook, Newport and Florence, Oregon

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Tillamook is the home of the world famous Tillamook Cheese factory that will tempt you with great cheese and wonderful ice cream. It was the most heavily visited site we attended. The famous Tillamook lighthouse, built on a large rock out in the ocean was decommissioned years ago due to heavy seas and the inability to keep the light burning. At times, the seas were so rough that they covered the lighthouse with large waves.

South of Tillamook is the scenic alternate route, Three Capes Loop. The loop provides access to Cape Meares and its lighthouse; Cape Lookout, a favorite spot for hikers; Cape Kiwanda with its photogenic sandstone formations and Pacific City, home of the famous dory boat fishing fleet.

The drive south from Tillamook through Newport to Florence was the most beautiful coastal drive we have ever taken. The rugged cliffs, miles and miles of unspoiled beaches and scenic spots make the drive a must. The state of Oregon has hundreds of state parks along the coast and it protects the coastline from commercial builders, and others wishing to claim the shoreline for themselves.

Florence is a lot like Seaside with it’s quaint little shops and wonderful restaurants and museums.

Florence is famous for the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area. The dunes average 250 ft. in height at the widest point the area extends inland about 2.5 miles.

You will find many (thousands) of dune buggies racing around in the sand dunes. this is one of the most popular places in Oregon for Oregonians to vacation.

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Photos

The Tillamook Lighthouse
This is a picture of a picture we took at the museum. We could not get a clear picture of the actual lighthouse as it was too far away and the day was quite cloudy.
The lighthouse has been decommissioned for many years because it is impossible to maintain. Waves at times cover this lighthouse making it impossible to occupy.

Our picture of the Tillamook Lighthouse
As you can see, it is impossible to get a good shot of this lighthouse from the beach. This was with a telephoto lens.

The Tillamook Lighthouse - No telephoto lens
Now you can see just how far away this lighthouse really is from the beach.

Here is the smallest dune buggy on the dunes
He also is the youngest driver at only 5 years of age.

Here we go - up the dunes!
This is a lot more fun than you would think.

Oregon Dunes Nataional Recreation Area
The sand dunes are located in the Siuslaw (pronounced sy ooo slaw)National Forest - Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. There are wind-sculpted dunes towering to 500 feet above sea level providing numerous recreational opportunities including off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, hiking, photography, fishing, canoeing, horseback riding and camping. The dunes extend 40 miles along the Oregon coast. Formed by the ancient forces of wind, water and time, these dunes are like no others in the world. These are the largest expanse of coastal dunes in North America and they hold numerous opportunities for adventure and solitude.

Our favorite building in Florence
This old building started out in the late 1800's as a grocery store. It also was once a hardware store, a post office, and is now a restaurant. Delicious Food!

The Florence Playhouse
We ran into a cute couple on the street who invited us to attend a play at the local Florence playhouse. The play was delightful.

Florence Harbor
The harbor in Florence is a walk back in time to the 1900's.

Sea Lion Caves
Sea Lions gather in this natural amphitheatre, usually during fall and winter.
The sea lions that live here are called the "Stellar Sea Lion". The Stellar Sea Lion is different than a normal seal because they are an eared seal. Where normal seals do not have ear flaps, just holes where the ears are formed. Also, they have hind flippers that face forward allowing them to actually walk on their flippers where normal seals hind flippers are backwards and they cannot walk on them. The males reach up to a ton in weight while the females only weigh about 700 lbs.
Notice the yellow ring around the rock above the seals. This is where the earth used to be. Many years of volcanic activity in this area changed the depth of the floor of the cave. The actual cave measures 1225 feet high and over 125 feet wide. Inside, there are stairs and an elevator allowing the public to go down 300 feet inside the cave and overlook the seals.

Sea Lion Caves
This is the breeding and birthing area where the seals congregate in the spring and summer months.

Sea Lion Caves Notice
This notice is posted at the elevator down to the cave. It is a 300 ft. ride inside the mountain down to the cave area.

Heceta Head Lighthouse
At the elevator entrance inside the cave you have a great view of the Heceta Lighthouse. This lighthouse is the most photographed lighthouse on the Pacific coast. It is 1000 ft. high and the beacon can be seen 21 miles out to sea. It is the strongest light on the oregon coast.

The View from Inside the cave
This is a fabulous view of the cliffs outside the Sea Caves.