The last time we were here, tours needed reservations and they were sold out. Today, we were offered free self-guided tours and since we were camping close by, we were there before the hoards of cheese lovers arrived.
Since 1909, the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) has stood behind the honest values of their farmer-owners. It’s from them they’ve learned passion can’t be faked, hard work can’t be outsmarted, and real food is worth fighting for. We really liked everything we saw here!Even the building, designed by iconic Seattle-based architect duo, Olson-Kundig, is incredible. The Creamery is made to look like a modern barn. The big windows let in plenty of light and give guests views of the natural beauty that surrounds the factory.We began our tour with walk down the hall of history and got informed.In 1894, renowned Canadian cheesemaker Peter McIntosh brought his cheddar cheese-making expertise to Tillamook County, where he taught the locals all he knew, earning the nickname “Cheese King of the Coast.”In 1921, Tillamook is officially trademarked! The first slogan—“Look for Tillamook on the Rind”—let folks know that the cheese wedge they brought home was genuine Tillamook quality. Running ads in Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles paid off: sales skyrocketed, and demand grew.TCCA rolled out the first Loaf Love Tour in 2010, touring the country in custom, bright-orange VW buses on a mission to “Bring tasty cheese to the people!” The tour kicked off in Tucson, traveling to more than 100 cities in nine states. That I would have loved to seen.I enjoyed the entire section titled, Caring For Our Cows. Some of TCCA's farmer owners have been Tillamook farmers for four generations. When it comes to cow care, their ladies get pampered with the best care, from fitness trackers and extra soft bedding to rolling back massagers and perfectly prepared feed.We even had the chance to Go Hands-On. Milking all the cows in Tillamook by hand would take forever! That's why their farms use more modern methods like fully-automated, robotic milkers. So very, very interesting!
We then stepped into the Viewing Gallery where we had the awesome opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes look at the cheese factory in action.We discovered just how Tillamook turns high-quality milk into award-winning cheddar. That’s real future Tillamook cheese down there. Next stop: aging for anywhere from 3 months to 5 years.
There was one last history lesson, before we headed out with our salty, squeaky, highly anticipated Cheese Curds. The boat we're standing in front of is a replica of the Morning Star (1854). Tillamook’s farmers had butter and milk to sell—but hauling it over rough mountain roads took so long it would spoil. The fastest route to Portland was by water, so they build Oregon’s first official ship—the Morning Star—to carry their dairy goods to market. Who knew? What a great (and delicious) stop on our road trip north!
“Life is great.
Cheese makes it better.”
– Avery Aames
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2 comments:
We are huge Tillamook cheese fans, so doing this tour was a must on our first road trip through Oregon (long before Covid existed). I am glad the tours are up and running, and that you enjoyed it! It is a shame though that you were there before the cheese lovers arrive. People watching there is half the fun. :)
Going on that tour turned us onto their ice cream 🍦!
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