The Oregon Coast

The Oregon Coast

Hey friends! So happy you are here! We are Pat and Michelle, born and raised in Minnesota, and currently taking our 'GAP' year in our 50's. We have decided to leave normal life behind in search of something different... We recently launched full-time travel life in our Brinkley travel trailer with our dogs, Indie and Louie.

August 20 - September 3, 2025

Kinda fun side-note...we spent our last night in Washington on Minnesota Street. Thinking of home as we plan for our next border crossing, into Oregon. Thank you once again for a quick little stop-over spot, Harvest Hosts!

From Minnesota Street to

Blue Heron Drive...

we crossed into Oregon and made our way to the Blue Heron French Cheese Company. Yet another find on our Harvest Host map - in Tillamook, OR.

Blue Heron was a lot of fun! They offer

-camping

-gourmet delicatessen

-wine tasting

-giftshop

-ice cream / candy

-so many cheeses and charcuterie magic

-petting farm

We camped here two nights and enjoyed the deli sandwiches (delicious!), cheese sampling / appetizers and grab-and-go beverages. That's part of the deal with Harvest Host. You get a 'free' camping spot in exchange for supporting the business that is hosting you. Win/win!

We had ice cream one night and walked the property to see the animals and old farming equipment on display. What a fun setting. There were many, many Harvest Host campers doing the same thing we were - it is still high season in late August, with many visitors enjoying the trip up or down the Oregon Coast.

Tillamook Creamery

And speaking of cheese. Not to be missed, we also did a self-guided tour of the Tillamook Creamery. So fun! This is quite the operation. Ice cream, cheese and all things dairy, oh my!

We did a little research ahead of time, which helped us make the decision to do a self guided tour of the factory (vs. paying for a guided tour...) and saved our pennies for the STORE on site. We left with classic Tillamook cheddar, pepperjack, sharp white cheddar, a couple flavors of ice cream, and more!

The self-guided tour is more than enough in our opinion and includes free samples and a behind-the-scenes peek at the processes involved in bringing cheese to the world. So cool! We will always seek out Tillamook in the grocery store now that we've been to Tillamook, OR and had a look at everything behind the brand. Highly recommend this fun stop along the Oregon Coast if you find yourself in the neighborhood. 10/10!

Next stop...The Pacific Ocean.

We are realizing the last time we were at the ocean was in 2021, not sure how that happened, but we don't recommend staying away that long! The big waves are calling and we can't wait to get our toes in that sand.

The rest of our Oregon time was spent driving the coastline (breathtaking!),

walking on the beach (LOVE),

playing with the dogs in the surf

(fun, they are still getting used to it. This is not a lake!),

exploring little towns along the coast...

finding spots to watch the sunset from the beach each evening (yes, please),

going on a lighthouse tour (interesting!)

floating the Rogue River (great way to beat the heat!)

trying to figure out how to play

f r i s b e e with the dogs without

getting covered in sand

(??? ideas anyone?),

nursing a sick pup whose stomach does NOT agree with ocean water

(real time update: she's all better now),

hiking sand dunes...who knew there were so many! (surreal)

and catching our breath with a 7-night stay in one spot. This is the longest we've been still. We've enjoyed the chance to reflect on our adventures so far and how we want to design our travels going forward. Feeling lucky and trying to soak it all in the best we know how. What an adventure. Campsite #33 since June!

Every day life happenings:

School started back in MN.

(Strange feeling, so grateful to teacher friends keeping me in the loop just a little bit!) :)

We added the state of Oregon to our travel map!

Started the POSTCARD project to our kids...lucky them, ha ha.

We've been on the road for 85 days!

Making plans for October/November/December.

(Thinking about longer stays, less moving around...stay tuned!)

Up NEXT...

California Redwood National Park Visit!

Looking forward to the big, breathing trees of Northern California. Thanks for sharing in the adventure! x o x o