Located a few miles north of Tillamook, is the town of Garibaldi, Oregon which is also located on Tillamook Bay. We figured we should go up there and take a look. We noticed right off that they have a great marina with many private and commercial craft.
One of the things we were told to watch for was "The Stack", a huge smokestack that dates from 1926. Once, this stack was attached to a very large lumber mill which filed during the Great Drepression. The buildings eventually were torn down, but the Stack remains as a reminder.
We had a nice lunch at a marina restaurant and then decided to head back toward Tillamook and the coach, but Rick suddenly heard a steam locomotive whistle! (oh-oh says Orinda). Sure enough, just a couple blocks away we found the Tillamook Scenic Railway and their amazing, operating Heisler steam locomotive!
This is a great find, as the Heisler is a gear driven steam locomotive designed for lumber railroads operating on steep grades with sharp turns. This locomotive was built in 1910 and is one of 8 world-wide that is still operable. Rick really enjoyed watching this one get ready for its run along the coast.
There are a few other items at the station that we found very interesting. This is well worth a stop as you travel Hwy 101 in the Tillamook area.
The next day, we headed north out of Tillamook on our way to Astoria, OR. We had used an RV site that was part of a local motel in the area which worked out great. Here, Rick reports we are ready for the road.
Highway 101 is a beautiful route as it parallels the coast. We crossed many bridges and rivers, such as this one, that add to the scenic beauty of the route.
However, the road is often pretty narrow, especially for a large motorhome towing a car. In fact, as seen above, there are many areas where the shoulder of the road simply does not exist, which provided a hands on test of driving skill! Orinda said to be especially careful of that rock cliff face since that was on her side of the coach.
We stopped for lunch overlooking the Pacific and loved hearing the surf crash onto the shore while we could relax in the coach. A few more miles, and we will be in Astoria.
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