Florence, September 19-20

We left our Newport campground mid-morning and traveled less than 50 miles to Florence, where we will spend three nights, exploring two days. 

Enroute we enjoyed coastal driving on US 101.  One of the many attractions was the Spouting Horn (blow hole).  The gap where it is located has an original 1931 bridge, linking parts of the highway.

Many drove to the Historic Old Town Florence on its bay for seafood dinner.  A mural on the restaurant along the bay was very colorful and descriptive of the area.

Next morning we were off to the world's largest sea lion cave, about 8 miles north of Florence. 

We traversed down an incline, paved path to an elevator to descend 208 feet to the inside of the cave. 

 

 The interior of the cave is a foodball field long and 12 stories hight.  Although there was only one Steller Sea Lion on a large rock in the middle of the bay's water, there was a video on the area and about sea lions, a display of cave and cliff features, and a descriptive skeleton. 

Sea lions have a full skeleton with four legs and five toes on each leg, just as "land" mammals.

From the cave we continued another mile north to the Heceta Head Light House; some say it's the most photographed in Oregon.

A very knowledgeable guide shared details of light house operations and maintenance and about the life of caretakers, events, and working conditions in and around light houses.

Newport, September 18

This morning we visited the Hatfield Marine Science Center where numerous govenment and university agencies conduct research.  We learned that sealife provides more animal protein for human consumption than any other source.

Also close by our RV park is the Oregon Coast Aquarium.  An afternoon visit was educational and interesting.  For a relatively small town, Newport has a great aquarium.  One of the major attractions was a long tunnel with sea life swimming all around us.

A big aquarium attraction are aquatic birds; one of the prettiest is Puffins.  The way they literally fly underwater is breath taking.

Newport, September 17

Although a foggy morning, we enjoyed a trip to the tallest lighthouse on the Oregon coast.  The visitors center had several films to watch and displays of historic lighthouses.

As we approached the lighthouse, we peered over the embankment to see seals and whales frolicking in the waters.

We toured the lighthouse; even some climbed the 100+ steps to the "light" to take a close look at the prisms and reflectors that today provide guidance to water craft personnel.

We toured Bay Front Street, where fishing boats bring in their daily catches.

Sea lions have a "life of Riley" along the fishing boat piers.

Spruce Goose Museum, September 16

We left the Tillamook RV Park at 8 AM to drive toward the Spruce Goose Museum.  Most stopped to leave our RVs at the Spirit Mountain Indian Casino in their large RV parking lot.  This saved over 50 miles on the RVs.

We had a guided tour of the Spruce Goose Museum that was exceptional and very informative. 

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Many of us also watched an I-max 3D movie on aviation that reviewed the development of aviation while focusing on development of the Boeing 787.

Afterwards we returned to our RVs and drove to our second campground at Newport where we had an evening orientation by one of the park personnel.  The next two days we will visit many of the local attractions and take in some local seafood.

Tillamook (Land of Many Waters), September 15

Day-2:  Today we went as a group to the Tillamook Air Museum, housed in the world's largest open-spanned wooden structure (steel and aluminum were scarce in WW II).  It was built in the early '40s to house blimps (up to 8) for Japanese submarine scouting.  The museum has 20-25 WW II and later aircraft, most of which are flyable today.  After watching a 15-minute movie about the construction, we walked among the air planes learning about their size and uses.

                                       Giant Mini-Guppie

Giant wood trusses to hold up the roof, 192 feet high.  The building is 1,072 feet long by 296 feet wide.

German Me-109 Messerschmitt

Russian Mig

Following the air museum, some of us drove to the Tillamook Forest Center to see exhibits of the four consecutive six-year forest burns beginning in 1933. 

We watched another 15-minute video with actual footage of the burns - how freightening!

Steam Donkeys were developed in the late 1800s to pull fallen trees from forests to be taken to sawmills for cutting into smaller sizes for transporting and building.

Our next stop (after lunch) was the Tillamook Cheese factory where they produce 27,000,000 pounds of cheese annually, shipped to all 50 states.  Samples were delicious as well as their ice cream.

Cheese cutting (into slabs) "assembly line" and packaging.

Tomorrow we drive our first leg of the tour, making an intermediate stop at McMinnville for a tour of the Spruce Goose Museum.

Campfire, September 13

The weather was great today with most exploring the local area. Oregon is so beautiful with all its trees, hills, and coast line.  All but two rigs are in.  Since so many arrived early (thankfully) we had a campfire with snacks and smores this evening. 

Tomorrow the last rigs will arrive then we will have our orientation at 4 PM with a hamburger feed at 5 PM.  Wednesday we will go to the Tillamook Air Museum and blimp hanger for a guided tour.  It is the world's largest clear-span wooden structure. The hangar building is 1,072 feet long and 296 feet wide, giving it over 6 acres of space. It stands at 192 feet tall. The doors weigh 30 tons each and are 120 feet tall. 

Then we will visit the Tillamook cheese factory and the Bay City oyster plant along with other local attractions.

We are anxious for our first move on Thursday morning when we will head for Newport with a stop at McMinnville for a visit to the Spruce Goose Museum (WW II aircraft designed by Howard Hughes).

Adventure Caravans Field Staff (Wagonmasters & Tailgunners), Sep 12

Our guests are arriving at Tillamook, Oregon, our rendezvous point to begin a 40-day West Coast America RV tour.  Most arrived a few days early to meet our field staff (escorts), make final preparations for our travels, and to see the local area.

Our Wagonmaster couple, Dean and Cheryl L'amoreaux, sold their home in Ithaca, New York in 1998 and started full-timing in a motor home.  They thought they would full-time for 5 or 6 years then buy a home again in the Ithaca, NY area again.  However they fell in love with life on the road and the people they met along the way and loved meeting them across the United States.

They took their first tour as customers with Adventure Caravans in 2000 on the Copper Canyon-Mazatlan, Mexico trip. They loved it and their Tailgunner said they should work with Adventure Caravans as Wagonmasters. So…from there they went to training to qualify to become part of the Adventure Caravan team. After their training tour, they realized how much they enjoyed the work and people, and what a wonderful, fun job it would be working with Adventure Caravans and meeting a lot of wonderful people. They have since either wagonmastered or tailgunned the Lewis & Clark Tours, Alaskan Tours, NYC/PA Dutch, Oshkosh Fly-in and Wisconsin Dells; Copper Canyon; Baja; Top & Bottom Copper Canyon; Piggyback Train; Colonial Mexico and seven reunions for a total of 22 tours/rallies with several more in the works.

Larry and Diane sold their home of 16 years in Leavenworth, Kansas in 1996 and started full-time RVing in a Kountry Aire fifth-wheel. As customers on a 21-day Copper Canyon piggyback train trip with their Newmar Kountry Klub, there were only four fifth-wheels among the 20 rigs. They rode with new found friends in their motorhome on the piggyback train and got the bug for a motorhome for themselves. They lived and traveled in two Mountain Aire diesel pushers for six years and three years, respectively. In December 2006 they purchased a Dutch Star diesel pusher, this time with four slide-outs. They normally tow their garage (a 26-foot race car trailer) containing their car, bicycles, golf clubs, spare clothes, tools, parts, etc.

During their twelve years as full-time RVers they mixed traveling, working in campgrounds, visiting family and friends, and attending RV tours and rallies. They worked as campground managers south of Topeka two summers where they learned a lot about campground operations, RVs, and people.  Larry and Diane have been with Adventure Caravans since 2002; they have been on Alaska, Maritimes, Copper Canyon, Baja, Copper Canyon Top & Bottom, Piggyback Train, and Polar Bear Tours, Branson rally, and eleven reunions for a total of 28 tours/rallies.  They spent five years in their office as Marketing and Training Directors and are presently active Wagonmasters and Tailgunners for Adventure Caravans.

In the fall of 2008, they purchased a townhome in Kansas City to be near their four kids and six grandkids to serve as grandparents for a while.  Future tours include Mardi Gras, Kentucky Derby, Historic East Coast, and Holland Tulip Festival and Circle Michigan.