Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

Tuesday June 19, 2010

We were up fairly early this morning and headed out of Beverly Beach State Campground, once again headed north toward Lincoln City, OR. We were able to find a parking spot in Depot Bay so we stopped for a few minutes to take a couple of photos. We got rained out so back in the rolling caves we once again made for Lincoln City. The prognosticators had called for rain today and for a change they were right on the money. Just north of Lincoln City we took route 18 toward McMinnville, OR. It rained on us off and on until we got there.

We made the decision to stop at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville several days ago, so here we are. We had stopped at the museum in 2001 or 2002 just after it first opened because we wanted to see the famous “Spruce Goose” which was built by Howard Hughes Aircraft in the mid- 40s. We had heard there were a number of changes and additions and wanted to see what changes had been made. Lots! We arrived at 10:45 and promptly took a guided tour through the aircraft museum that lasted about an hour and a half. The tour guides are volunteers many of whom have flown in some of the aircraft in the museum. The guides are very knowledgeable, and very interesting.

We broke for lunch in the rolling caves at about 1 pm then headed back for more.

We went to their large screen theater (read that IMAX) and watched a 3-D movie called Air Races. It was enjoyable and we got to sit down in a comfortable seat for a while. We shed our 3-D glasses and headed for the space portion of the museum almost immediately.

The tour guides covered the difference between the U.S. space program and the Soviet program. The Soviet program was covered through Sputnik and the first manned orbital flight. The US program was covered from the first launch into space, and the lunar landings, through the shuttle program.  The tour guides were very good. It was like they were excited to be there and pass on all of the information they could.

The whole museum is really well done. From the replica of the Wright Brothers Flyer to the SR-71, on the aircraft side and the V-2 rocket to the space shuttle and sky lab rescue vehicle on the space side, everything is just fascinating. When the 5 pm bell rang at closing time they had to drag Barney out of the Spruce Goose area and lock the doors to make sure he didn’t get back in.

There is also a Wings and Waves water park on site, and a 747 airplane sitting on top of the building. Looks like it is used as part of the water slide area.

We are settled into the rolling caves for the night in an obscure part of the parking lot which they kindly allowed us to use for the night.

It has been an exceptional day.

We’ll chip out some more tomorrow. Over and out.