October 24th is my younger brother, Randy’s, and my Grandfather’s birthday.  I always enjoy these next two weeks because for that amount of time there is only one year between us.  So happy birthday, bro.  This post is for you.

If you’ve read about my small family, you know that Randy is my closest and nearly only living blood relative.  Until Mom passed away in 2006 we hardly spent any time together, but since that time we tried harder to keep in touch. 

We both love the coast, whether Oregon or California and five years ago we went to Tillamook to the Air Museum.  I thought we would never get there. It is in the middle of nowhere, but well worth the drive.

For those of you who thought that all they had in Tillamook was cheese, you will be pleasantly surprised.

The hangar housing mostly World War II vintage planes was huge.  Actually, it is the largest wooden structure in the world measuring 1072 feet by 296 feet covering over 7 acres.  It was built to house blimps.  (NO not me!!!) 

Neither my brother nor I had been there so we picked out our favorite planes, got to climb in the cockpit of one, looked in the gift shop, read all the kids’ letters to the museum, and ate lunch.  We did it all!

This was one of my favorites.

The students did a much better job of illustrating their visit than I did, and of course, I had to read every one of their pictures.  Good thing my brother was patient.

There was hardly anyone there, so we got a lot of special attention.

I’m sure we did our fair share of shopping, too.  I would recommend this as a great field trip for students.  I know they don’t get to go on field trips in our schools often, and yet the ambiance of being in a structure like this with the actual planes helps bring history to life. 

Parents did you know that family vacations like this one do more to increase your students’ intellectual powers than almost anything else you can do for them.  So hop in your cars and go to your own local museums.  Take a trip to a nearby town or city and visit the museums there.  They might not appreciate it now, but they will later.  Even better if you take grandparents who might even know how the strange items in museums were used.  Even better, start reading both before and after the trip.

There are many gems right in your own neighborhoods.  And you are the experts.  Help your kids grow up knowing their own culture.  Then expand their culture to include other times and places. 

What kinds of places do you like to vacation?