The rain had eased up considerably overnight but the next morning promised little; a light drizzle had already descended. Over a breakfast of fatty and briny Tillamook Bay Oysters at Downie’s Cafe, just south of the hotel in Bay City, we continued discussing whether to cut the strip short; the Tillamook Creamery and then straight home.
But first, some souvenir and snack shopping since the Creamery would not be open for another hour and a half.
Normally, we would buy whatever caught our eye. We had learned from previous vacations to not second-guess ourselves and just shell the money out, lest we spend the remainder of the trip regretting our indecisiveness. I had wanted something indicative of the area. But nothing had yet stood out. Luckily, as we drove back to the Inn the previous evening, I had glimpsed the Myrtlewood Factory Outlet, a mere fifth of a mile from the hotel. The perfect souvenir was just around the corner!
Myrtlewood is a hardwood tree native to the northern California and Oregon Coasts. The wood is sturdy and comes in a variety of beautiful colors and grain patterns, making it a favorite for wood-crafters. Not only are the leaves of the plant fragrant so are its trunk and branches.
