 |
 |
Published 04/19/09
Oregon Coast Notes: Openings, Park Closures, and a Famous Bomber
 |
| Photo courtesy Tillamook Air Museum. |
(Oregon Coast) - A major park on the south coast is shutting down for a time, two new features in Astoria are opening up, and a famed B-17G bomber is set to set down in Tillamook this week.
Near Florence, Carl Washburne Memorial State Park will be closed for the week as repaving work is done on the entrance to the beach access and parking lot. The park, about 12 miles north of Florence, will be getting a major overhaul on its roadway, which involves grinding asphalt that is taken from the roadway. Instead of being hauled away the rocky substance will be re-graded so it can be used for the new surface.
The project is part of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s backlog of work on state parks and attractions. It will cost $142,000 and is mostly being paid through a job stimulus program pushed through the legislature in early 2009.
 |
| One of the hidden nooks and crannies near the Carl G. Washburne access. |
The park will not be open to vehicle traffic until the work is done.
In Tillamook, the Tillamook Air Museum will be hosting the Liberty Foundation's historic Boeing B-17G bomber (aptly named Liberty Belle) on its stopover into the Pacific Northwest, starting this week.
Visitors to the museum will have a rare opportunity to both tour the foundation's B-17, and in addition, flights to the public will be offered.
Liberty Belle will set down in Tillamook on Monday April 20 and be parked at the museum through Saturday morning, April 25.
Visitors to the museum wishing to board the B-17 may do so for an additional $5, while those more adventurous may choose to pay $430.00 for a 30-minute flight that will take you around the surrounding area (this includes a 15 minute pre-flight historical briefing). Once airborne, passengers will be free to move about the airplane and go to the various crew positions (nose, cockpit, Bombay, radio room and waist gunner stations).
Tillamook Air Museum. 6030 Hangar Rd. Tillamook, Oregon.
 |
| Astoria Column |
The famed Astoria Column is set to reopen to the public on Memorial Day Weekend, near the end of May. The stairway was undergoing repairs for the last few months.
The column has undergone weather repair in 1936, a major, one-million-dollar renovation in 1995, and then two million dollars worth of restoration to the plaza and lighting in 2004.
Built in 1926, the Column is 125 feet high and boasts 164 steps circling to a viewing deck at the top. There, it provides a panoramic view of the city and surrounding Pacific Ocean, Columbia River, Youngs Bay, forest and mountains. It is set upon Astoria’s highest hill – Coxcomb Hill. For more information, call (503) 325-2963 or visit www.astoriacolumn.org.
Also in Astoria: if the Clatsop County Historical Society has its way, visitors to the ancient town will soon be able to experience and celebrate movies made in Oregon. The nonprofit is proposing an Oregon Film Museum in the city's historic jail, famous for its use in the opening scenes of the cult classic film, "The Goonies." The museum would feature exhibits of the many movies made in Astoria, including "The Goonies," "Free Willy," "Kindergarten Cop," and "Into the Wild," in addition to those filmed across the state, like "Animal House," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Mr. Holland's Opus," and others.
The Historical Society hopes to have the museum ready by June 2010, just in time for "The Goonies" 25th anniversary. For details, call the Historical Society at (503) 325-2203,
For more about Oregon Coast....
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
RELATED STORIES
Unusual Travel Articles TravelParanormal.com allows you to submit your own creepy tale or debunk one - or see up-to-the-minute news headlines about travel and the paranormal.
Watching Transformations of Oregon Coast Beaches Seasons change and so do beaches, revealing different sides and a variety of eye-popping sights
Staggeringly Cool Ideas for Oregon Coast Romance Be it the season of Valentine's or be it any time of the year, Oregon's coastline has essentially cornered the market for cuddle-inducing possibilities and gushy activities for the hand-holding set
Day or Night Mysteries and Merriment on Oregon Coast It's more than just nightlife that comes to life, but the beaches offer major opportunities
News Headlines from All Over Oregon Need to scan Oregon headlines? Constantly updated news from all over Oregon: a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute display of news headlines from a variety of media.
Secrets of the Season |
