The quickest way to get from Portland to the Pacific coast is via US 26. You can make the 75 mile drive in about an hour and a half. It’s a drive I’ve taken several times before, since it leads to one of my all-time favorite beaches, Cannon Beach. But on this day, I felt like taking a different route, so I detoured onto Oregon Route 6, which leads to Tillamook (you can see it all in the Drivelapse videos, at the bottom of the page).
Tillamook is best known for the cheese of the same name, produced in a huge plant on US 101, north of town. The Tillamook Air Museum is also worth a visit — it’s near the airport, south of town. More than 30 planes are on display in the world’s largest wooden structure — a World War II-era blimp hangar.
But on this day, I was planning to quickly drive through Tillamook, headed up the coast on US 101 to my aforementioned favorite beach. My plans changed, however…
… when I drove by the Tillamook Farmers’ Market. I just happened to be here on a Saturday, when the market opens to the public.
Dozens of stands sell a mouth-watering variety of fruits and vegetables, fresh-picked from local farms. The berries were amazing!
The flower arrangements were impressive, as well.
One stand offered Tacos al Pastor ($1.75 each!) and “Agua de Jamaica”, also known as Hibiscus Tea. The tacos were delicious, the tea was, well, interesting.
Leaving Tillamook, I headed up US 101. Cannon Beach is about 40 miles away, but you’ll pass several worthwhile stops, like Oswald West State Park.
Drivelapse Video
…and on to Tillamook via Route 6:
No comments