Beautiful Sites - Lots of fun

This had been one of the prettiest RV Parks we have visited. Our view out the windshield was the Sacramento River. Gorgeous View !!

Durango RV Resort

Red Bluff, California

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Corning, California

Visited the Olive Pit tasting bar

70 to 80 percent of ripe olives are grown in California. In 1700, franciscan monks brought olives into California. The first plantings were planted in 1769 at the Šan Diego Mission. Commercial cultivation of California olives began in the late 1800. Today, anywhere from 80,000 to 160,000 tons of olives are produced in California each year. 

Wow, there was so many f´lavors.  We had a few. Of course, Blue Cheese our favorite. 

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Crater Lake National Park

Oregon

(This was a poster in the gift shop)

This gorgeous lake was once a mountain. A massive volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago left a deep basin where a mountain peak once stood. Centuries of rain and snow fílled the basin, forming a deep blue lake whose waters are of unmatched color and clarity. It is the deepest lake in the United States.  We were lucky to have a sunny clear day. 

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Scenic 101 Drive from California to Oregon...

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Portland, Oregon

Pittock Mansion

In 1853, penníless yet determined, Henry Pittock crossed the Oregon Traíl to seek his fortune in the Northwest. In 1860, Henry became owner of The Oregonian newspaper and married Georgiana Burton. He built an empire from newspaper, real estate, banking, railroads, steamboats, sheep ranching, silver mining, and paper industry. 

In 1909, he commissioned an architect to design a new home. The Pittock Mansion was completed in 1909.  Mr. Pittock was 74 years old when he started the Mansion. The Mansion incorporated English, French, and Turkish design. The Mansion is 16,000 square foot. 

The Pittock family lived in the home untíl 1958. In 1962, the Mansion was damaged by the Columbus Day storm. City of Portland purchased the estate fór $225,000 in 1964. After 15 months of restoration, the Pittock Mansion opened as a historic house museum. 

Backside of Mansion 

View Out Mr. Pittock Bedroom

The Grand Staircase

Music Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

Writing Room

View from backyard of Pittock Mansion of City of Portland

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Portland Lunch - the best Croissant I have ever had - Chocolate Walnut

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Adelman Peony Gardens

Salem, Oregon

The Adelman's grew apples for 25 years. In 1993 they planted their first peonies as a crop.  They ship throughout the United States and different countries. 

Just a few of our favorite peony's

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Schreiner's Iris Gardens

Salem, Oregon

Founded in 1925 by F. X. Schreiner

It is such a stunning piece of property. There are acres and acres of Iris. 

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Evergreen International Museum

Mcminnville, Oregon

This next picture is the water park made out of this plane. 

Featuring the Famous Spruce Goose

The largest airplane ever constructed and flown only one time on November 2, 1947. 

Fun Facts

If you place the Hughes Flying Boat on top of a football field, the wing tips would extend 10 feet over both end zones. 

The tail is as tall as an 8 story building. 

The "Spruce Goose" is made out of Birch Veneer Wood. The term "Spruce Goose" coined by the press, was detested by Howard Hughes.  

The Spruce Goose was kept out of the public eye for 33 years with a crew on standby the entire time. It was rumoured that Hughes spent over one million dollars a year on maintaning his Flying Boat.

After Hughes’ death in 1976, it was purchased and moved into a domed hangar in Long Beach, California.  Then in 1988, the Walt Disney Company bought the aircraft.  Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum co-founders, Michael King Smith and Delford M. Smith, submitted the winning proposal in 1992 to provide the aviation icon with a proper home. She was disassembled and transported by barge up the West Coast, then down the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, to Portland, Oregon. It remained there for several months, until water levels permitted the huge structures to safely pass under the Willamette’s many bridges.

Finally, in February 1993, the aircraft was transported by truck for the last 7.5 miles to McMinnville, Oregon. Temporary hangars were built as housing for the aircraft, while volunteers worked on the aircraft’s restoration. In 2001, re-assembly the Spruce Goose was completed in its new home.

Inside the Spruce Goose

Beach balls filled the floats.  It’s true, we saw them!  Hundreds of beach balls were used in the back of the hull and under the wing floats to ensure buoyancy in the event of a ‘wet’ landing. 

We really loved Oregon. Such a beatiful state. We didn't get to see as much as we like to. We will come back. We went to the Rose Garden but not in full bloom. It would be amazing. There were so many gorgeous flowers and trees. 

We are in Seattle. Seeing 20 films at the independent film festival. 

I hope everyone is having a fabulous day. 

Sincerely.....Gail