We decided to take the long way home from Portland and stopped the Tillamook Cheese Factory and Farmhouse Cafe. Since we were there, we took the tour of the factory. It’s a self-guided tour, complete with cheese samples.
Holy buckets, fresh cheese is sooo amazing, plus who doesn’t love a good squeaky cheese?
Tillamook is a farmer owned dairy co-op {about 100 farmers total}. The cows all call Tillamook, Oregon home–and the company swears that the rainy valley means better grass for the cows. Apparently, Tillamook is home to more cows than people.
In 1909, several small dairy farmers banded together and began making Tillamook cheese. It’s grown over the years, but the co-op idea that is supposed to promote high quality has stayed the same.
The farmers try to ensure that everything is fresh–milk arrives at the factory within 1 hour of leaving the farm and it is turned into cheese within 24 hours of arriving at the factory.
After the tour, we stopped into the cafe for lunch. It featured tons of Tillamook goodness {cheese sandwiches, anyone?}. The site also has a creamery where you can sample Tillamook Ice Creams {some of the flavors I had never seen in the stores}. Yum!
It was totally worth taking the long way home. 😉
Do you have a favorite Tillamook cheese? I think my new favorite is the extra sharp white cheddar.
~ Mavis
Tillamook Cheese Factory Tour and Farmhouse Cafe
4175 Highway 101 North
Tillamook, OR 97141
This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.
