New Life, New Coast.

Seaside, Cannon Beach, Tillamook

Today we drove to the Oregon coast, a little more than an hour away, with the mountains getting closer with every mile.

We started in Seaside, a little town that caters to toursists, but has a gorgeous beach and a good coffee shop with excellent paninis. Also, is it just us, or does every Oregonian have a Lab? Black, Chocolate, Yellow...they were everywhere!

We then drove a few miles to Cannon Beach, which we had heard about from friends in Minnesota. Wow. Wow. I hope the pictures we took can show even a fraction of the beauty of this beach and town!

We then took off in search of the Tillamook Cheese Factory, about 50 miles down the road. Along the way we encountered breathtaking views -- majestic, evergreen-covered mountains and peaceful, bucolic valleys. We finally made it to the cheese factory -- it was just okay. We stood on an observation deck and watched these poor people make cheese. Felt somewhat like the "Junior Mints" Seinfeld episode!

All in all, a great day in our great new state. The temperature was in the high 50s, and the scenery was indescribable. Just wish we had more people to share it with!

Oh yes, and I caught my first glance of Mt. Hood on the way home today. And is it possible that I saw Mt. St. Helens on the way there? If it's possible, I'm almost sure I did. Here's Mt. Hood:

posted by Nikki @ 9:03 PM