Day 45 – Dundee, OR (Day 3)

The weather continues to be delightful … sunny, low 70s.

Today was a “free” day. We played, shopped, explored and worked a little.

Playing

We had a fun breakfast with Barb at The Coffee Cottage in Newberg.

Shopping

Walmart is a favorite source for many of our RV supplies. We found one in McMinnville (about 15 miles away).

Exploring

We discovered that Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum is also in McMinnville. The name caught our attention. The fact that the “Spruce Goose” is on display there sealed the deal. We were very impressed with the organization and presentation of the museum. It’s one of the nicest we’ve seen. The complex offers an aviation museum, a space museum, an IMAX theatre, a waterpark, and a chapel. You can learn more about the museum at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_Aviation_%26_Space_Museum

The museum was developed by Evergreen International Airlines, a cargo airline based in McMinnville. The airline stopped flying on 12/3/2013 and filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on 12/31/2013 after 38 years of operation.

We viewed the outside displays and visited the aviation museum. Dick recalled his time working at North American Aviation and took more pictures than can be shared here.

The vineyard surrounds the museum.

Hughes H-4 Hercules

Yes, it's inverted.

The museum is full of glistening memories.

Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina

Douglas A-4E Skyhawk

Rockwell T-2C Buckeye
(Dick worked on this one in Columbus)

Evergreen Wings and Waves Waterpark
(It's built into a Boeing 747.)

Work

It’s surprising how dull polished aluminum gets after 45 days of travel. Dick’s wash and wax job was long overdue.

Did You Know?

It took 8 years to prepare the “Spruce Goose” for display after it was moved to McMinnville from Long Beach, CA.

We’re located in the country just outside of Newberg and Dundee. We’re surrounded by approximately 50 vineyards. We’ve heard what sounded like frequent gun shots since we arrived. Yesterday we learned that the “noise” was caused by propane-fired cannons intended to keep birds away from the grapes. They normally fire 3 to 8 times an hour (it seems more frequent here). Netting provides the best protection, but the noise option is the most commonly used.