It’s been nearly 44 years since Hubby and I arrived in McMinnville, Oregon as newlyweds…and we’ve gone back only once….and that was in the 1980’s. So let me set the stage for how this “homecoming” to McMinnville came about.
This whole trip “Out West” started over beers…in Fort Lauderdale!
Last winter, we were sitting at one of our favorite watering holes, and we began to reminisce about “the old days”… Husband Fred had boarded a train in August of 1969, right after our high school graduation…and he headed West. (He already had two brothers living in Oregon, so it seemed like the place to go.) He soon got a job in McMinnville, a small town less than an hour from Portland. And after we were married, several years later, we moved to McMinnville to start our life together.
As we sat talking, I asked Fred to name some of the guys he used to “hang around with” when he first moved there, and the first name to come up was Rick Olson. (I had met Rick on our visit back to town in the 80’s, but we’d completely lost contact with him after that visit.)
So since I had recently succumbed to using Facebook, I absentmindedly typed Rick’s name in to “Friend” him. And before we could finish our beers…he replied! This started an exchange of messages back and forth, and I told Rick how Fred remembered driving up and down the main street in McMinnville with him…just “cruising” as so many young people did “back then”.
 |
| We’re not THIS old…But you get the idea… |
So one of Rick’s texts said since Fred remembered “cruising”…he suggested we should come out in August for McMinnville’s fifth annual “Dragging The Gut” Festival! Yes…one person came up with the idea to name a date when EVERYONE who wanted to could form a sort of American Graffiti “parade” driving up and down 3rd Street.
So all the old-timers (like us) could re-live those “GLORY DAYS!” In fact, McMinnville claims to be the FIRST PLACE IN AMERICA where this driving up and down main street phenomenon began…in 1903!
So…by the time we ordered another beer, we had come up with our itinerary. One that would allow us to stop in Denver, and McCall, and Portland…and would get us to McMinnville just in time to take part in the 2014 Dragging the Gut Festival!
And that’s when our entire trip took on a slightly magical, “we’re supposed to take this trip” feeling…right from the start.
As our departure date grew closer, Rick told us McMinnville was now a finalist in the Parade and CondeNast Magazine’s “Best Main Street In America” Award! And they finished in Second place…out of THOUSANDS of entries! Check it out in this link:
http://parade.condenast.com/326582/paradeeditor/see-photos-of-mcminnville-oregon/
Oh…and Rick finally let another little detail slip…He is now the MAYOR of McMinnville! Who knew we were headed West to visit ROYALTY!??!!
I would like to get your permission to use your photo of the McMinnville sign for an upcoming meeting in McMinnville. I would like to use it to send an announcement to our non profit group about the meeting.
Yes, you have my permission. And thank you for asking! What is the name of your non profit group?