Tillamook County, Oregon - Almost Heaven (With Apologies to West Virginia)

I think I found my happy place.

A spot with miles of green cow pastures, cool coastal winds, tasty seafood, and spectacular hikes along the shoreline. And CHEESE. Man, there's a lot of dairy goodness there.

I'd been to Tillamook County once before, but a longer return visit this month - a spur of the moment weekend trip (aren't those the best kind?) - secured the place as one of my top getaways ever.

Named after the native tribe who occupied the areas around the Tillamook and Nehalem Bays, Tillamook County's tagline on its website, "The land of Cheese, Trees and Ocean Breeze," says it all. Located 70 miles west of Portland in northwest Oregon, its 75 miles of coastline, four bays, nine rivers, verdant valleys and Coast Range mountain spurs make for gorgeous views.

Plenty of rain during most of the year results in the greenest of grass, which turns out to be tasty eating for all the cows in Tillamook County. Outnumbering the locals, the cows are the superstars of Tillamook's farmer-owned dairy co-op, which was founded in 1909. 

I had the chance to visit in May with my mom and we enjoyed sampling various cheeses (my fave: curds!), but on this trip, the new Visitors Center at the creamery was overflowing with dairy devotees. Instead, Scott and I detoured to Blue Heron Creamery, where we picked up a wheel of their original brie and a small wedge of Rogue Creamery's Oregonzola. This spot would be fun for kids, as they have a petting zoo with goats, peacocks and other farm friends. As an adult, I'm there for the CHEESE. Ok, and the goats. They're pretty cute. Pro tip: Pack a cooler for all the cheese you'll haul home.  Need some cheese ideas? Here's what I did with the Oregonzola.

Peaches, cukes, basil and CHEESE

Now, one can't live by cheese alone, though couldn't I give it a shot? We sampled an array of seafood spots in Tillamook County. The first was a bit of a dud, a pub in Pacific City that promised fresh pan-fried local oysters as a Friday night special. The oysters turned out densely over-breaded but also soggy, with no discernible flavor. At least the pub made for excellent people-watching, with Keno and Oregon lottery devotees drinking and carousing the night away. 

Our second seafood excursion turned out to be the complete opposite. There were no PBR signs or rowdy locals blowing off steam at Olympia Oyster Bar’s temporary “pop up” at Nevør Shellfish Farm. Just off Whiskey Creek Road in Netarts Bay, this small rustic building dishes out some pretty fancy eating. In addition to a smoked oysters appetizer, we had a bucket of Manila clams with chorizo broth and a dozen Netarts Bay oysters on the half shell. The Torkes were "tide tumbled, smaller, grassier, with a deep cup," while the Nevørs were described as "briny upfront, plump texture, grassy and nori finish." The raw oysters came with a dropper of fermented chili oil for garnish.

When Hipsters Take the Culinary Wheel

La-di-dah! This was a far cry from my East Coast oyster experiences in North Carolina and Maryland. While the presentation seemed a bit precious, the Torkes were my favorite - a nice little salty snack, and it's exciting to see young culinary and aquaculture enthusiasts making the most of the local ingredients. 

Over harvesting in the late 1800s resulted in decline of native Olympia oysters, but recent efforts in the last 20 years have brought oysters back. Netarts Bay is shallow and fed by Pacific Ocean and Whiskey Creek, so oysters grown there are known for clean, salty flavor. I'm so glad I got to sample them, and look forward to more. 

On our last day, working our way north before heading home, we stopped in Garibaldi. Scott must have a sixth sense for seafood, because he drove us straight to the Port of Garibaldi, where we watched families load up boats and cannery workers icing and bagging the catch of the day. At The Fisherman's Korner, we had a nice fried halibut sandwich and a basket of fish & chips, eating outside on a picnic table under a shady tree. Simple and fresh, it was a relaxing end to our trip.

What to do there when you're not eating? Here's how we burnt off the cheese calories:

• Walk the Sitka Sedge trails at one of Oregon's newest state park areas, opened this spring. 
• Hike the Cape Lookout Trail; 5 miles in and out, moderate conditions, stunning payoffs of coastal views at trail's end.  
• Stroll the "Ghost Forest" of Neskowin at low tide in the evening. Our visit unintentionally coincided with the lowest tide of the year. Kinda eerie and totally beautiful to see the stumps of a petrified forest lining the sandy shore as the fog rolls in. Pro Tip: Take a jacket, because these cooler coastal nights aren't like the warm Southern ones I'm used to, where you're simultaneously slappin' mosquitos & moppin' your sweat. 

My first cape hike - looking back at the shore is just gorgeous

Go for the cheese, stay for the scenery and hikes. And remember to pack a cooler & cooler weather layers!