The exhibits in the air museum are a bit sparse because half of the planes formerly on display were on loan from a private owner who decided to move them to a newer facility. Hopefully this will not have too much of an impact on the air museum which is housed in an amazingly huge wooden hanger that was built in 1943 as a shelter for eight K-Class airships. Seventeen of these hangers were built during the WWII years but only seven still exist.
The airships or blimps were filled with helium and had a range of 2,000 miles and could stay aloft for three days. They escorted merchant ship convoys and searched for German submarines.
The museum has a film about the hanger and the blimps; a gallery with displays and historic information; and an odd assortment of planes, helicopters, fire engines and even a locomotive. The main attraction for us was the hanger itself and the historic information about the blimps.
The museum is accessible. Some of the planes can be boarded but none of them are accessible including the large plane which is located outside.
RV parking is near the large plane.
The Port of Tillamook Bay RV Park is a very convenient place to camp if you’re visiting Tillamook. The air museum is actually within walking distance but the airport runway blocks access so driving to it is the best option.
The campground features large, open sites with narrow, gravel parking pads which are not ideal for deploying a wheelchair lift. The sites have tables but no other amenities. There’s a restroom and fresh water but no dump station. There are plans to upgrade the park.
We were fortunate enough to be on a path that intersected with our friends Dave and Marcia of Going RV Way who had just entered the US after spending 3 months exploring Canada and Alaska. Read about it here. We had a great time visiting with them. Safe and happy travels Dave and Marcia!
Museum 45.42183, -123.80259 Campground 45.41853, -123.82091
Hi there! I'm so excited to discover your blog! I lost my left leg (aka) in January and had been planning for 2 years to go full-timing. I'm learning to walk on a prosthetic (not very successfully), but I still plan to full-time. My plan is to get an airporter shuttle bus w/ a lift and put a bed and toilet in it. 4k for a shuttle. I'll need to fit it with solar to charge my chair since I really want to boondock. I'm a 61 yo gal with a dog. It might take a year to get out there. I'm still in a rehab facility.
ReplyDeleteSo, my name's Chey, nice to meet you.
Hi Chey! I'm really happy that you found my blog. I've always thought that a shuttle bus with a lift would be an excellent base to built a wheelchair accessible RV.
DeleteAre you familiar with CheapRVLing http://www.cheaprvliving.com/forums/ ?
The forum is a great place to ask questions and gather information for building out a vehicle. If you can, plan on attending the RTR (rubber tramp rendezvous)in Quartzite, AZ in Jan.
Feel free to ask questions about anything. My email address is one the right side of the blog if you'd rather ask in a more private setting.
Karen
Hello friends,
ReplyDeleteWe are not to far away...getting to Eurica tomorrow.
Best regards
I've been reading and enjoying your California posts. I wish we didn't have to start heading east because we are so close to finally having a chance to meet up. It will happen one of these summers. :-)
DeleteYou two take care. See you again somewhere down the road. --Dave
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave. Looking forward to the next time!
DeleteYup, we stayed at that RV park last year when the blackberries were ripe (they were delish). But we didn't have time to do the air museum. We opted for the cheese factory instead! :-)
ReplyDeleteI searched your blog for Tillamook because you write such good posts and had to laugh about the places that you visited but forgot you visited until you saw them again in person. So anyway you did visit the air museum. In 2009. ;-)
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