Visit to Oregon March 11, 2012

We went to visit my sister in Oregon.
This was my husbands' 1st time to see his new niece in person. I think they got along well.

Along the way, we stopped at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, OR.

The only thing we could not see was the Blackhawk. It was under cover in the hanger that was being used for a wine event.
They have a great selection of aircraft and exhibits. The museum is set up well with plenty of 1st class seats to rest in and a nice collection of engines and history exhibits. They also have guided tours for a little extra cash which are well worth the price.
The Spruce Goose is one big plane/boat! Very cool to be able to see this one-of-a-kind marvelous piece of engineering and craftsmanship in person.

If you are anywhere near McMinnville, Oregon, definitely worth the side-trip.
They also have an indoor water park that we opted out of. That parking lot was full.

And had lunch at the Blue Goat just down the road in Amity.

I recommend stopping here. The atmosphere is relaxing, casual and clean.
Food is great and made from locally sourced sustainable farms.
We sampled the local beers at a great price.
We do not care for the hoppy beers - should have expected it since hops is a major agricultural industry in Oregon!

Local Beer Sampler - very Hopsy

Cheese Pizza - yum!

WOW good pulled pork with sweet salsa and fresh fries.

Seasonal Veggie Pizza... in winter... Hmm....

Carmel Lovers' DREAM - Homemade caramel torte with chocolate ganache and sea salt! WOOO HOOO!

UPDATE:

Ohh.... I can't forget the Great Israeli restaurant we stopped at on the way back into WA!!!
I did, because I forgot my camera in the car and I was too busy eating this awesome food to care. Luckily, my hubby has one of those new I phone thingies and shot a pic.

Hummus Bel-Laham -  Lamb - OMG!

We decided to take the loop by the airport in Portland instead of the I-5.
Used the I phone to find a place to eat on the WA side of the river. I found a little Israeli restaurant in a little strip mall right off the highway.
The Jerusalem Cafe , in Vancouver, WA

Everything we had was fabulous. The service was friendly. The atmosphere was clean and the decor was beautiful and creative. The prices were reasonable.
 We have found NO good local restaurants where we live, much less a good Mediterranean place. We love good Mediterranean so, we plan on making this a regular stop whenever we go down to visit my sister.