Eugene

 Leaving Eureka, we came upon a large herd of Roosevelt Elk - at least 50 - having a morning siesta in a field completely oblivious to the people like us who were photographing them.  There are huge animals with a charming regal air.  It was a treat to see them up so close.

 Our next stop was at this statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe.  I always refer to Ed in his Pendleton shirts as "Paul, where's your blue ox?"  He never understood (not a popular story in Israel I guess), but he understands now!  Finnegan enjoyed it too...

 Driving into Oregon we followed this river.  The scenery was spectacular - and we hear it's even better on the coast.

We settled down for the night in Grant's Pass, Oregon.  Just pulled in before dark and hunkered down for the night at the local Walmart.  We even did some shopping before turning in.  In the morning I pulled up the shade over the galley sink.  Thank you Grant's Pass police for not waking us up in the middle of the night...

 We arrived in Eugene and settled into this beautiful RV park.  They don't get much better than this. 

The wine tour continues...  The part of Oregon is known for their Pinot Noirs so we got hot on the trail. 

First stop:  King Estate Winery.  What a place!!  It sits at the top of a hill with vineyards rolling in every direction.  They have a 5 star (or so I was told) restaurant.  We opted to taste and though we liked their place, we weren't taken with their wines.

 The surrounding scenery is beautiful.  Finn thought so too.

 King is a serious producer using not only their own harvest, but purchasing from other vineyards too.

The is Chateau Lorane.  Just a small place beside a lake, a boutique winery, that has some of the most interesting wines we have sampled.  They have won many many awards and produce right here.  We bought 2 bottles of mead to bring home and share with friends - apricot and huckleberry.  Mead is made with fermented honey and are dessert wines.  Yum! 

 Last stop on our winery tour was at Sweet Cheeks Winery.  Don't ya just love that name?!?! 

 

We sat out on the patio and nibbled cheese and crackers while taking in the surrounding beauty.

 The real reason we came to Eugene was to visit with the Davis family.  Carrie is my college roomies middle daughter. 

 Reading from left to right:  Margot with Charcoal, Jacob holding Audrey, and Sofia with Mrs. Norris - the precious threesome belonging to Carrie and Zef.  They are holding their pet chickens.  I don't think I know anyone else who has pet chickens...and these even keep the family supplied with eggs.

 We enjoyed a wonderful dinner (bbq by Zef) at their lovely home followed by a hilly walk around their neighborhood.  Those are rhododenums.  They blanket the neighborhood in all colors.  Oregonians are very proud of their "rhodies."  Best parts of the evening were hearing Sofia play the piano and sing, watching nature girl Margot play with the chickens, and seeing Jacob hide the cheese puffs we brought in the snack drawer so they wouldn't get finished.

Guess who's missing in this photo.  He was there...just behind the camera.

 What a wonderful family!!! 

Ed took off for a solo trip to the Oregon Air and Space Museum.

This little aerospace museum at the Eugene Airport is a little gem for aviation enthusiasts.  It's maintained and run by volunteers and is not affiliated with the Air Force.  It has four military jets:  a Douglas A4 Skyhawk, a Grummon A6 naval bomber, a North American F86 Korean vintage fighter, and a partially burned Russian MIG 17. 

The most interesting part to Ed was the engines especially the very early jet engine provided to the U.S. by the British government.  This is the Wittle gas turbine from which copies were produced by General Electric and Westinghouse starting the American jet engine industry.  This engine, found in a local garage, was donated by the owner because his wife nagged him about getting rid of it.  He had purchased it for $300 from a defunct school that was teaching aircraft mechanics.  It belongs in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  It's an incredible find.

 This incredible Pratt and Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major was the mightest aircraft piston engine ever developed.  28 air cooled cyclinders coupled to a turbo charger.  Six of these engines powered the Spruce Goose and other late piston aircraft.  It generated 3500 horsepower.  (This is a cutaway.)

Here's a photo of the MIG 17 that burned midflight and managed to land safely.  It was donated to the museum as is.  There are no plans to fix the burn damage.

Ed loved talking with the "old timers."  One is a WWII veteran, 89 years old and worked on B24 bombers.  He is sharp as a tack. 

 Driving back to the RV park, Ed took these photos of a log yard.  Logging is a major industry around Eugene and most of Oregon.  The logs are being unloaded from train cars...

 ...and trailers.  This huge machine lifts the entire load in one shot!  Ed loved it!!!  From here they go to the mill almost across the street to be dried and cut into usable lumber.

We met Maryann Sparks in the RV park because she has a Trek like ours...only newer, longer,  with slides, and beautifully decorated.  She has been living in it for about 5 years and is preparing to put it on the market.  We spent a couple of lovely evenings together talking and laughing.  She gave us all sorts of information to use on this trip and I shared some quilting experience with her.  We hope to stay in touch.

 We made a short jaunt to Coburg's antique district.  This is the park in the center of town.  We did a little cruising in the shops, but when you're in an RV the impulse to purchase is tempered by the lack of space.  It's a good thing...

There's this little place here (or 5 little places) called Cafe Yumm.  Everyone goes there to eat Yumm and then brings home their own bottle of Yumm sauce. and eats it some more.  We had to!!!  And then we bought our own bottle of sauce to take home.  What's Yumm?  It's a bowl of rice (usually brown) with a layer of sauce, and then all the toppings that go on tacos.  Or it's thinned with water and used as a salad dressing.  Ed's been craving it since we went to the cafe.  I'll be making it this week... Yumm!

We began our last day in Eugene by having the Davis clan (or as Carrie calls them, the Davii) to our house for a pancake breakfast.  The kids squeezed fresh orange juice for us and brought it along.  All 7 of us actually fit inside and the kids played with Finn.  He was in heaven charming them by bringing them toys, stealing their shoes, and generally ignoring the adults.  This dog needs a kid to play with! 

Zef went off to work and Carrie, the kids, and we. all went off to Saturday Market.  A mix of crafts and beautiful produce.  Lots of fun! 

 The old 60's hippee culture lives strong in Eugene.  Just a couple sights around Saturday Market:

We packed up our leftovers and went to Carrie and Zef's for an impromptu dinner. I taught her to make Shakshuka with the chicken's eggs and Carrie made some killer hummus to go along.

They even gifted us with some really cool wood coasters that Ed immediately claimed for his library...

We're going to miss the Davis family.  No wonder their Nanny and Poppy are so proud...

Salem - here we come!!!