Where on Earth Can You Stroll Through the Solar System?

In McMinnville, Oregon, of course! The same Evergreen Aviation Museum complex that houses Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose and a state-of-the-art IMAX Theater recently opened a Space Museum. The solar system walkway is just the beginning of a beautifully done display and history of the United States space program as well as the early rocket designers and the great minds that enabled development of the systems and technology required to make space flight possible.

A centerpiece of the museum is a Titan II rocket. Watch a simulated launch sequence from a Mission Control reproduction complete with sound effects. Interactive displays for kids of all ages is another feature.

My husband and I began our married years near Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida just after the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. He was actively engaged in work on the Apollo program and we had the privilege of seeing many launches in person, so our initial tour was a nostalgia trip through one of the most exciting times in our nation's history.

The pathos, humor, disappointments and, yes, the tragedies of accomplishing goals never before attempted is evident throughout the museum and a testimony to the pioneering spirit that allowed these goals to be reached. I hope we're not finished yet.