Seaside, OR To Florence, OR
| Order of the day - find a CPU cooling fan for the hostel's
office computer. Install it and get that system completed. Take to the
road and head south to Florence Oregon to meet KurtW and Georgeanne. The forecast called for rain but the morning was blue and dry. It took a bit to get a fan, reassemble the computer, pack and get moving. Hwy 101, the western most through road in many parts of Oregon, is also filled with traffic. This ride reminded me of traffic - something the trip has been mostly void of. The initial plan was to head down 101 for a ways and then head up into the hills for a section. Carl, another guest at the Seaside hostel, picked up an Oregon coastal highway guide for me. Flipping through it I saw that the Tillamook Air Museum would be on the route. That now takes a front seat over the side roads. Down to the museum. Lunch at the museum's diner and then a tour of the building and aircraft. The building is listed as the world's largest wooden structure - it is big - large enough to hold eight blimps. Stairways and catwalks heading way up into the dark, lofty realm. It was during the tour that I first heard rain. The greeting when I left was reasonably strong - oh joy. With the time and the rain I simply headed down 101 to Florence with a very small stop at the western end of US Hwy 20. Hwy 20 heads directly through my hometown of Rockford IL. I was looking for one of the standard "END US 20" signs but did not find one. The pictures of the ocean view will have to do. Down in Florence I spent the night at Kurt and Georgeanne place - THANKS! I certainly am meeting many good people on this trip. Off to bed... |
The spot.
Note the pillars on the right - they are all that remains of the second hanger - one that burned.
Just a few of the museum pictures are shown on this page - if you would like to see ALL of the pictures - good and not so good - click this link
Sitting in the diner - looking towards the gift shop.
The ceiling is filled with models. The windows are covered with parachute material and hang gliders.
Out to the museum...
Fixed wing airplanes launch / "land" from a blimp.
Looking up into the arch. Stairs all the way up.
Over to the engine displays
Kaman HTK-1
Vancraft Gyrocopter
Bensen B-8M Gyrocopter
Fairchild GK-1 Model 24
North American P-51D Mustang
NORD 1101 Noralpha
Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon
Douglas A-26B Invader
North American B-25 Mitchell
Bellanca Aircruizer
Aero L-29 Delphin
Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina
Grummin FM-2 Wildcat
1943 Seagrave Fire Engine
Supermarine Spitfire T Mk. VIII
North American T-6 Texan
Grumman J2F-6 Duck
Boeing / Stearman PT-17
North American P-51D Mustang
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Spad XIII
My rainy greeting...
Some of the other hangers remains
Western end of US-20
(click for a larger size)
