Yesterday we set off for Oregon with no idea where we would stay that night. We filled our water tank and left Redding knowing we just wanted to be in Spokane by Sunday. I started calling RV parks in Bend, OR and the answer everywhere was full, Full, and No Vacancy! That was when we decided to boondock. Boondocking is when you stay in your RV with no outside services such as electricity and water.
A company called "Harvest Hosts" collects farms, vineyards, and museums willing to let RV'ers boondock for the night. Harvest Hosts takes those locations and maps them for Harvest Host members to access and stay. There was a host on our route exactly halfway between Redding and Spokane in Madras, Oregon so we decided to give it a try. The Erickson Aviation Museum turned out to be better than any RV park!
We pulled in to their empty lot and parked. These were our neighbors:
They were pretty quiet but there was the occasional Cessna landing which was fun to observe. Axel woke up to a view of the Navy plane filling his bedroom window.
This morning we went to the museum. Picture a giant hangar chock full of vintage aircraft and memorabilia- and all the planes are still functional and go out from time to time to airshows and such. A vet sitting next to us at breakfast said the museum used to be in Tillamook, OR but they moved it due to salt-air corrosion. Lucky us.
This was a Japanese fighter plane, very light and maneuverable but unable to carry much weaponry.
I had never seen a plane like this before. The Japanese referred to it as The Two-Tailed Devil.
"Swede" Ralston's stunt plane. He had his name inverted so people could read it when he buzzed by upside down.
This mannequin sported a WAVES uniform worn in WWII by a pigeon handler from Chico!
This was my favorite plane; I thought it looked sleek and cute and had pink trim. Turns out it was an L-29, used by the USSR to train fighter pilots.
Jon and Axel stared at this one a while, ostensibly counting all the kills.
This one didn't have as many kills but they liked it, too.
You see what I mean.
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