Yamhill County

Once upon a time I worked as a field scout for a now-defunct cannery, Agripac, doing menial tasks for the field representatives, like measuring corn and bean field acreage, pulling corn samples that are measured for sugar, and sweeping plants with a big net for 12-spotted cucumber beetles in bean fields.  The field rep I worked with covered mostly Yamhill County and it was then that I got to know and love traveling around the county.  I especially loved downtown McMinnville, with it's old brick buildings and tree-lined streets.  And just outside of town for many years the Howard Hughes giant seaplane, the Spruce Goose, was stored in a greenhouse building.  The wings were stored next to the fuselage.  Eventually and currently there is a classy aviation museum to house the enormous spruce goose and other planes through history.       

We took a spring break trip on a very rainy Thursday in March to Evergreen Aviation Museum.  We drove to McMinnville to meet the in-laws for a day at the museum.  The question I pondered wandering through there: "Is it worth the effort and expense to preserve this huge plane?" After all, the plane flew once about 75 feet off the ground and was then mothballed by Hughes for a long time before it eventually wound it’s way to Oregon.  I decided that regardless of whether there is historical value, I have been wanting to see it together after seeing it in pieces for so many years. 

Also in the museum, there was a red Corvette of a non-special vintage (like 1985) that was parked out on the museum floor.  It had no labels, real labels.  Taking a rest, I watched several people try the handle, like I did.  It was locked.  I think the museum visionary owned the car before he died.     

We closed the day with a visit to McMenimins (Hotel Oregon) for dinner and a few wines, which is an Oregon-based micro-brewery art-infused chain of restaurants that are often in historic buildings.  They have been crafting whisky and over-priced wines for several years that aren't bad.  This one is in a historic hotel, that they operate, too.  We tried to get in to the rooftop bar, but that was full so we ate dinner in the restaurant on the 1st floor.