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 We
all scream for Tillamook Cheese Factory
By
Patrick Johnson
For Oregon.com
If
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream, then there is
a lot of screaming going on at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.
While the entire nation is familiar with the award-winning Tillamook
cheeses, here in the Pacific Northwest we have the added benefit
of enjoying their more than 40 offerings of ice cream.
"Our ice cream is limited to the Pacific Northwest, so that's
why we feature it in our visitor center," said Susan Palmer,
director of retail operations at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.
Palmer said the 30,000-square-foot visitor center greets nearly
a million visitors a year and most of them check out the ice cream
counter. How could they not? With the smell of freshly-baked waffle
cones drifting through the air inside the center. If you want to
try more than just a double scoop, insulated bags are sold so you
can take a sampling with you.
But the factory is more than just a way to satisfy your sweet tooth,
it also can be a learning experience.
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Tillamook Cheese Factory
4175 Highway 101 N.
Tillamook, Oregon
503.842.1130
About the Tillamook Cheese Factory: The factory
is run by the Tillamook County Creamery Association
that is a farmer-owned cooperative that was established
in 1909. The visitor center opened in 1966 and
is one of the most popular tourist attractions
in the state with nearly a million visitors a
year. The visitor center is ADA compliant and
there is RV parking available on site.
Tips:
Make sure that you wear comfortable shoes when
visiting the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and give
yourself some extra time. During the summer months
the visitor center is packed to capacity from
people looking to escape the heat and enjoy the
dairy offerings.
What
to bring: Your appetite, as there are a number
of food offerings at the factory. Flash cameras
don't work too well when trying to get pictures
of the cheese-making process, so make sure you
are familiar with how you camera works in low-light
conditions.
Season:
The visitor center is open year-round. From
Labor Day through Mid-June hours are 8 a.m. to
6 p.m. daily. From mid-June through Labor Day
hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The center is
closed Christmas and Thanksgiving. There is no
fee for entering the visitor center.
Getting
there: Located at 4175 Highway 101 north of
Tillamook.
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Taking
a walking tour on the second floor of the facility gives you a bird's
eye view on how cheese is made. You can look down on the production
floor through big windows where cheese is processed, inspected and
packaged.
"A
lot of people miss the two kiosks we have upstairs," Palmer
said. "They have touch screen televisions that give people
lessons on how we make the cheese and the history of the cooperative.
You can spend a lot of time up there if you are interested in what
we do here."
Palmer said that the information booths teach visitors how milk
from cows throughout the Tillamook basin is used in their products
and shows you things that you can see by just looking down at the
vats.
"It's a very cool feature if you have the time to spend learning
about what we do here," she said. "They are fairly new
and we want to show people what we do here and how our products
are made."
All
that learning can make a visitor hungry, so not only can you enjoy
ice cream, but also the many cheese products that have made the
city synonymous with the dairy product. Near the back corner of
the visitor center is a tasting window and shelves upon shelves
of the many cheeses the company produces. In addition they also
have the Farmhouse Café, if you are looking for more of a
traditional meal than just cheese and ice cream.
While cheese, ice cream and everything dairy is the focus of the
visitor's center, make sure you take the time to stop by their gift
shop.
"Many people have commented how our gift shop has some very
unique offerings," Palmer said. "We try to make it different
for people with a farm theme."
Hats, games, puzzles, statues and everything in between are offered
in the gift shop. You can even get a hat that looks like a cow's
head for the kids.
Story
and photos by Patrick Johnson, a free-lance writer based in Canby,
OR.
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