POST 1229; JANUARY 31, 2014; NETARTS, OREGON

Would you believe...I woke this morning to find the battery of SPIA-2 fully DEAD !

I left the headlights on last night, draining the battery.  Lucky we are that I have jumper cables and a young woman came along who knew more about jumping cars than I do...and I was back in business within 20 minutes. 

Stopped in at KELLY'S in GERIBALDI for another bowl of her Hot Oatmeal...then drove to the town of TILLAMOOK, some 10 miles distant, which I had walked yesterday.

Of great significance:   The $260.00 check has been deposited - thanks for ATM machines - so the car insurance has been put back into service and I am somewhat "healed" to continue with our Walk.

TILLAMOOK is well known for it's Cheese Factory...known nation wide.  Above is an image of the TILLAMOOK factory located on the north outskirts of town.

My objective today is to visit the AIR MUSEUM of TILLAMOOK, once home base for the large dirigible (air ships) used by the US Navy to patrol the coasts for enemy submarines.  Significant among the air ships were three such ships which each carried a SQUADRON of "Pursuit Planes" INSIDE the ship...I wanted to find more of the history of these three ships...each of which rivaled the German HINDENBURG which exploded on landing in New Jersey after a trans-Atlantic flight from Germany in the 1930s (1936, I believe).

Please say HELLO to CARA and LOGAN...working at the TILLAMOOK Radio Station KRKZ.

I stopped in to ask for guidance to the town of NETARTS located on Netarts Bay...my destination for this afternoon.

Received direction all right...also spent an hour or so interviewing about my walk...and leaving an electronic message for LOGAN to play with.

Station KRKZ.

The AIR MUSEUM of TILLAMOOK is dominated by a VERY large Air Ship Hangar...housing a number of dirigibles containing HELIUM GAS...one of a dozen or so dirigible bases surrounding the USA during World War II.  All the bases have been long ago disbanded...the TILLAMOOK base turned over to the Port of TILLAMOOK, which currently houses a few dozen aircraft dating back nearly 100 years.

Please say HELLO to CHRISTIAN, today's host and museum guide.  CHRISTIAN and I had a lengthy - between customers -chat to discuss "walking", of which he is also a devotee.

The following images were made within the air ship hangar:

The above image depicts comparisons of famous dirigibles, with the HYDROGEN GAS "HINDENBURG" leading the "size" list at 803 feet long.  Next in size at 785 feet long come the three ships of my particular interest:  AKRON; MACON, and SHENANDOAH...each of which was in fact a flying AIR BASE, carrying a SQUADRON of fighter bomber scout planes designed to search out, attack, and destroy enemy submarines during World War II.  Upon completion of each scout plane mission, which incorporated a large HOOK above the cockpit, the pilot would position the HOOK into a large ring on board the air ship, which would in effect, snatch the little airplane out of the sky and "reel" it back inside the Hangar Deck INSIDE the air ship.

All three such ships crashed, being destroyed.  The AKRON and MACON, on land in the Midwest, and the SHENANDOAH, into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. 

Not a single photograph of the three ships was to be found at TILLAMOOK Air Museum...at least, I did not find one.

The remainder of the Air Museum was - for me - very interesting, as I have been a life-long airplane buff...seeing for the first time a number of famous aircraft in the flesh.  Please enjoy the following images:

HELIUM Filled US Navy Type K air ships...actually in their hangar at TILLICOOM.

Location of all the US Navy WWII dirigible bases.

Famous DOUGLAS C-47 (military version), DC-3 (commercial version); of which I flew as a passenger many times during the KOREAN and COLD WAR.  This 1930s aircraft protected CHINA during World War II by flying over the HUMP from India to central CHINA, hauling in supplies primarily for the Famous P-40 FLYING TIGERS...who base I recently visited while touring China.

The CATALINA Flying Boat...famous for defending Alaska during Japans invasion onto US territory during the Second World War - historic note:  I have a working compass from one of these aircraft, salvaged from a at-sea crash during the fighting.

The CATALINA is equally famous for it's participation in the BATTLE OF MIDWAY in 1942, during which ALL of Japans major Aircraft Carriers were sunk...effectively, the turning point of Japan's Power Base eventually leading to Japan's defeat in 1945, where the American General Mac C...."...old soldiers never die...they just fade away..." ...on board the Battleship MISSOURI in the harbor of TOKYO BAY, accepted Japan;s UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.

Probably one of the most famous fighter planes ever built...the FOCK WOLF (FW-190), which, together with the MISSERSCHMIDT, succeeded in shooting down hundreds of US B-17 (FLYING FORTRESS) Bombers during World War Two.

Another of the most successful fighter aircraft of WWII:  The P-47

...and during the VIET NAM and first GULF WAR, the USN CRUSADER.
.... and dozens more which I photographed, but held back for another day...

Main Street - US 101 - through TILLAMOOK, Oregon.

...and another view...

...and so, I drive the 6 miles from TILLAMOOK to the not often visited seaside village of NETARTS, located on beautiful (and very cold) NETARTS BAY, where I will stay the night.

....and yet, another view of NETARTS...homes on the shoreline far below.

...all above, homes of NETART BAY.

A few feet to the right of this pathway to the dock, SPIA-2 is parked for the night.  The sky is partially cloudy, but I might get lucky and be treated to a glorious sunset.

SCOONER Restaurant, where I have constructed today's blog - in the cold on the outside veranda overlooking NETARTS BAY.

Looking South across NETARTS BAY from the veranda of THE SCOONER.

One hour 'til sundown.

In the morning, plan to continue South along the Pacific Ocean shoreline.  First, have some hilly walking to do.