One big plane

Since we've lived in Oregon — almost 12 years now — I've come to develop an informal, certainly unofficial list of things that I think that anyone who really wants to claim Oregonian status should do: climb Mt. Hood, hike the Timberline Trail, visit Crater Lake, taste a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, swim in Oregon's cold and humbling slice of the Pacific Ocean, enjoy the Oregon Symphony along the banks of the Willamette River, and so on.

One of these feats that's eluded me thus far has been visiting the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville,OR, home of the Spruce Goose, the world's largest seaplane, with the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history.

While it doesn't take as much effort as climbing to the top of Mt. Hood, taking in the Spruce Goose is truly an amazing sight. I've been to the Smithsonian, flown on a B-17, and seen my share of impressive airplanes, but there is something to say about gazing at this airplane with your own two eyes. Granted, Howard Hughes only got the thing airborne for a minute or so, but just the magnitude of this beast is enough to drop your jaw. 

The museum itself is an interesting menagerie of old war planes, experimental aircraft, and, well, the Spruce Goose, which completely dominates and overwhelms the whole scene. It's also got a great little area for kids, a fully stocked gift shop, and a pleasant wine-tasting bar for grownups, courtesy of Evergreen Vineyards, part of which surrounds the museum in wine grape glory. 

A must not only for Oregonians, but for anyone.