Trip Report
Leaving Eugene under misty skies, we arrived at Avery Park in Corvallis about 9:00 am for coffee and goodies. The weather began to improve and we had two days of beautiful sunny weather and very little wind. All along the drive from Corvallis to Newport were fields blanketed with white daisies and purple foxglove. We arrived at the Oregon Coast Aquarium about 10:45 and didn't leave until 3:00 pm, enjoying the indoor and outdoor pools and displays. Outdoors we spent a lot of time watching the puffins at the Seabird Aviary, which is the largest in North America. Also the playful sea otters kept everybody amused. Indoors we watched the film on the migration of whales and made our way around all the other displays including the fascinating pink jellyfish. We drove to Yaquina Park and everyone eventually made it up to tour the lighthouse and watch the video about the mysterious ghost. But the biggest attraction was the spectacular view from this high point so we stayed about an hour before leaving for the motel. At our motel, The Whaler, everyone had an ocean view and was furnished with a coupon for free soup and salad or fish and chips from McIvers. We also had a continental breakfast and free popcorn. Across from The Whaler is a new park dedicated to the boys from Newport killed in the Vietnam war. A nice walkway to the beach has been built and a wall along which cement benches are provided at intervals and soon names will be inscribed above each bench. We sat there and watched the sun sink into the horizon.
On Wednesday we left the motel at 9:30 so everyone had an early walk on the beach, and drove to Old Town, Newport. Everyone had free admission to the Undersea Gardens, the Wax Works and Ripley's Believe It or Not. We saw the diver at the Undersea Gardens and the giant octopus and all the movie stars, TV stars, early day figures, religious chorus and horror chamber at the Wax Works. We ate lunch and had a little time for shopping. At 12:30 we left for Waldport and the Interpretive Center, where we saw the video describing the building of the new bridge across Alsea Bay and the destruction of the old. We drove to Florence and were home by 5:00.
Riders were Rita Baxter, Ingrid Carmichael, Bill Eaton, Harriet Friday, Gerry Haller, Elma Doris Havemann, Miki Hutchison, Virginia Kapsa, Dee Kelley, Helen Knowlton, Bea Lefevre, Dody Leppmann, Frances Newsom, Liz Reanier, Myrtle Sagen, Maryelton Schutz, LaVerne Stone, Louis Thurber, Christy White and Bette Hack (leader).
