The great American road trip

[mustangdriver]

As some of you know, Zachary and I are planning our big trip cross country at the end of August -start of Sept. We plan on hitting most of the major air museums, and sights, but would love to hear suggestions that you all might have for cool places to see aviation related or not, and cool places to eat like dinners, drive-in's, and airport cafe's. Please feel free to sound off and post pics. As far as museums, here is what we have so far:

SAC Museum
Cosmosphere Museum
Combat Air Museum
Cavanaugh Flight Museum
War Eagles Air Museum
PIMA Air Museum
AMARC
Our Cali part is still sort of up in the air but includes
Chino
March Air Museum
Castle Air Museum
Edwards Air Force Base
Blackbird Park
Tillamook Air Museum
Evergreen Air Museum
Museum of Flight

[Franklin]

Well lets see, with gas closing in on $5.00 per gal. It should only cost you about $10,000.00 for gas alone with that schedule. You may want to bring a tent and top romin. Kidding, actually wish I was kidding. Have a great time. Sounds like fun.

Looks like Yanks Air Museum will be relocating or partially relocating to Greenfield, CA. link below.

http://www.yanksair.com/New_Facility.html

[Speedy]

If you're coming up I-5 from Evergreen to the MoF, be sure to stop in Olympia to check out Brian Reynolds' Olympic Flight Museum. And once you're up in Seattle, head about a half hour north to Paine Field and check out the Paul Allen and John Sessions collections.

[Franklin]

And stop by and say Hi to Jack Cook or Oregon.

[mustangdriver]

Thanks, I am pretty sure we are doing the Allen collection. Zack can't get that close to a P-47 and not go see it. We plan on meeting some WIXer's along the way. I believe Jack is taking us cheese shopping.

[Holedigger]

WOW! That is quite a list.

[Fleet16b]

Oh Man !!! sounds like an excellent road trip !!

How about giving the rest of us some on the road updates with a log, pics etc
Would be a great thread to follow as you guys are on your adventure
Have fun and drive safe

[jdvoss]

Here are some KEY California aviation museums starting in San Diego and moving north:

San Diego Aerospace Museum (located in Balboa Park)
San Diego Aerospace Musuem Annex (located at Gillespie Field east of SD)
USS Midway Museum (downtown SD)
MCAS Miramar Museum (about a dozen miles north of SD)
Palm Springs Air Museum
Mojave Airport (about 10 miles from Edwards)
Aerospace Museum (Sacramento-former McClelland AFB)
Travis AFB (near Sacramento: entry can be a problem- Saturday's are your best bet)
USS Hornet Museum ( former NAS Alameda - across the bay from SF)
Western Aerospace Museum (Oakland Airport and close to USS Hornet)

John

[wendovertom]

OK - for an alternate route: after you hit AMARC head North to Planes of Fame in Valle, AZ,over to VEGAS BABY, up the UFO highway to Wendover, UT, on up to Warhawk Museum in Boise then over to Driggs (MIG Fury fighters are there along with a few others) then over to the totally unique museum at Greybull - there are still several KC-97s there along with a few other types then East to Elsworth AFB and thier museum! Oh, and as long as you are going between Cavanaugh and War Eagles you might as well stop at midland

OR after POF at Valle head west to Cali, work your way North then back from Oregon/Washington through Idaho, Wendover and then West to Colorado Springs AFB Academy

Tom P.

[K5DH]

Um, Chris. . . I don't see VFM on your list! We're only 1/2 hour to 45 minutes away from Cavanaugh Flight Museum (which, by the way, is a MUST SEE; they have an incredible collection!). I know we don't have a B-17 any more, and we don't have shiny floors and air conditioning, but there's still some pretty interesting stuff going on in our dusty ol' hangar! Where else can you see two A-26s, a B-25, and three C-47 types in one place? And let's not forget my "pet project", the world's ugliest Sabre jet. . .

Cheers,
Dean K5DH
Vintage Flying Museum
Crew Chief, F-86F s/n 52-4689

[Jerry O'Neill]

Well;
Besides all the good suggestions, you'd be crazy not to PM Taigh and set-up a visit to see his museum and the Harpoon in Stockton, CA! You'll be going right by there anyway! He might even be able to help you set up with a visit to the Sanders.

Also, (my two cents here), the California Capital Air Show is Sept. 11 & 12 outside of Sacramento, I'll be working the Ramp with my crew and I'm pretty sure we can "hook you up". Big show and Tora will be there too!
Blue skies,
Jerry

[bdk]

Looks like Yanks Air Museum will be relocating or partially relocating to Greenfield, CA.

If you check the time line on that project, I'll think that you'll find the Yanks collection still intact in Chino when the boys come through town.

[Franklin]

Looks like Yanks Air Museum will be relocating or partially relocating to Greenfield, CA.

If you check the time line on that project, I'll think that you'll find the Yanks collection still intact in Chino when the boys come through town.

I knew that as well, just stating as a sidebar that Yanks will be adding a new museum location in Central California in the future.

[Speedy]

( former NAS Alameda - across the bay from SF)

Isn't that where they keep the "Nuclear Wessles"?

[Clifford Bossie]

As some of you know, Zachary and I are planning our big trip cross country at the end of August -start of Sept. We plan on hitting most of the major air museums, and sights, but would love to hear suggestions that you all might have for cool places to see aviation related or not, and cool places to eat like dinners, drive-in's, and airport cafe's. Please feel free to sound off and post pics. As far as museums, here is what we have so far:

SAC Museum
Cosmosphere Museum
Combat Air Museum
Cavanaugh Flight Museum
War Eagles Air Museum
PIMA Air Museum
AMARC
Our Cali part is still sort of up in the air but includes
Chino
March Air Museum
Castle Air Museum
Edwards Air Force Base
Blackbird Park
Tillamook Air Museum
Evergreen Air Museum
Museum of Flight

Hey Chris - don't forget to give me a call when you get to War Eagles please! And if I am not working I might drive over to Pima as well.