Day One: August 8, 2008 (our Anniversary)
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Cory started the day by giving Lissie a meaningful bouquet. Red Roses for Romantic Love. Orchids (white) for Love and Beauty. Carnations (red) for Fascination. (Isn’t he the best?) Lissie loved them so much they came with us on the trip. The following two arrangements are what Lissie did when the flowers started dying. The dahlias are from a plant in our backyard, they mean Elegance.
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The main attraction is the Spruce Goose, the giant plane that Howard Hughes built (you may be familiar with the plane from the movie The Aviator starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn.) We didn’t go in but we walked the perimeter of the huge glass building housing the Spruce Goose. It takes so much room to accomodate that another 30+ planes fit in the air space surrounding the wings, tail, and head. The tanks were out back.
The main attraction is the Spruce Goose, the giant plane that Howard Hughes built (you may be familiar with the plane from the movie The Aviator starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn.) We didn’t go in but we walked the perimeter of the huge glass building housing the Spruce Goose. It takes so much room to accomodate that another 30+ planes fit in the air space surrounding the wings, tail, and head. The tanks were out back.
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However we did touch the planes. Cool.
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However we did touch the planes. Cool.
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You all probably know that we love food, and this trip was no exception in our hunt to consume all that is yummy. We ate lunch at Otis Cafe — a teeny-tiny diner with large portions and famous burgers (written up by USA Today & The New York Times). Lissie had the buffalo burger and decided that she officially likes buffalo meat (we had some bison tacos last year that were delicious). For dinner we went to the Historic Bay Front in Newport and ate at Local Ocean. Lissie tried raw oysters and loved them! (I know crazy, huh?) Although the sauce it came with was gross.
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Day Two: August 9, 2008 (the Anniversary of our Reception)
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Hit up another local eatery for a breakfast of cream cheese & marionberry french toast, hash browns, sausage, and orange slices. Mmm. Then it was on to the main event: the Oregon Coast Aquarium!!
Note: we deleted most of the pictures we took because they were horribly blurry. Here’s the best ones.
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Many of the animals come from the very deep ocean, “where it’s wicked dark.” If you can’t get to the Aquarium we suggest the Blue Planet series from the Discovery Channel.
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Many of the animals come from the very deep ocean, “where it’s wicked dark.” If you can’t get to the Aquarium we suggest the Blue Planet series from the Discovery Channel.
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‘t know what it was, but it was cool.
‘t know what it was, but it was cool.
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Seahorses. The red one slightly upsidedown at the bottom of the picture was going through after-birth shudders. Apparently sea horses will eat the young so the staff gathered up the babies into a bucket and carried them around. We saw hundreds of baby seahorses a staff member had when we were at the sting ray and striped shark touch pool.
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Seahorses. The red one slightly upsidedown at the bottom of the picture was going through after-birth shudders. Apparently sea horses will eat the young so the staff gathered up the babies into a bucket and carried them around. We saw hundreds of baby seahorses a staff member had when we were at the sting ray and striped shark touch pool.
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‘s favorite animal of the day because they were so happy and friendly . . . and flirtatious.
‘s favorite animal of the day because they were so happy and friendly . . . and flirtatious.
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‘s favorite exhibit, the underwater shark pool. You walk through several underwater tunnels where fish and sharks are co-mingling.
‘s favorite exhibit, the underwater shark pool. You walk through several underwater tunnels where fish and sharks are co-mingling.
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Melanie and Cory worked together at Boston Market (holy crap, anyone remember that place? I miss it badly) back in the late 1990′s.
Melanie and Cory worked together at Boston Market (holy crap, anyone remember that place? I miss it badly) back in the late 1990′s.
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Can you guess who’s hand this is? (Hint: there’s hair on it.)
Can you guess who’s hand this is? (Hint: there’s hair on it.)
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When we ate at Local Ocean for dinner on Friday we were almost due North of this location.
When we ate at Local Ocean for dinner on Friday we were almost due North of this location.
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One of five Oregon Coast lighthouses still in operation. (In other places lighted buoys are used.) This picture was taken from Pebble Cove beach where we tried unsuccessfully to fly a kite. Though that turned out to be fine since we actually weren’t supposed to be flying a kite on this beach as it might disturb nesting habits.
One of five Oregon Coast lighthouses still in operation. (In other places lighted buoys are used.) This picture was taken from Pebble Cove beach where we tried unsuccessfully to fly a kite. Though that turned out to be fine since we actually weren’t supposed to be flying a kite on this beach as it might disturb nesting habits.
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There wasn’t much to take a picture of actually inside the light area – where only one person was allowed to go – but it was cool to be up in a lighthouse.
After our visit at the lighthouse we decided we take a look at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Don’t bother, unless you are already in the area. The drive however was gorgeous.
For dinner we went to Newport Seafood and Grill in Tigard (about five miles from home) where we ate some more amazing seafood. Coconut prawns and clam chowder as appetizers (the only chowder Lissie has ever liked, it was so good). Cory had salmon stuffed with crab and shrimps along with some mashed potatoes. Lissie had hazelnut-crusted halibut and basmati rice.
Happy Day(s).
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