Oregon & the Pacific coast

Washington state is the home to some of the most amazing countryside. Mountains, orange hills and lush green fields surrounding beautiful lakes. We followed the Columbia river into Oregon which is just as beautiful...I thought. We suddenly arrived at the Pacific coast and watched whales cruising up the coast to the north.

One of the "must do" things on my list was to pay a visit to the Howard Hughes monster airplane the "Spruce Goose" housed in a hangar at Long Beach California. Imagine my surprise when I learned someone had bought it and placed it in a museum right here in Oregon? Also actually on our route through to the coast.  Another surprise was to learn that the whole airplane had been built entirely of wood because toward the end of the second world war, the US government denied Mr Hughes any aluminium or other metals to built his monster as aircraft grade metals were in short supply. 

The plane was actually called the Hercules but the press at the time called it the Spruce Goose although it was built from Birch.

Stopping enroute for breakfast at a highway diner, we were all shocked at the sight of a man with his family of small children. He was armed with what looked like a 9mm Glock pistol in a side holster completely open to view. Apparently side arms worn openly is legal in Oregon..............

So right now its 10pm, totally dark in a forest of very tall pine trees. We are sitting around a big fire pit having enjoyed a camp kitchen cooked chilli and beer listening to the roar of the Pacific ocean somewhere over there.  Tomorrow is a non driving day so time to explore Newport town and beaches.