Oregon Coast Aquarium

Today we woke up to pouring rain and decided to take a trip to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, a little over an hour away on the coast. Whenever I leave Corvallis and exchange its chain stores and restaurants for huge, mossy trees and flowing creeks, it feels like I'm entering the real Oregon. Route 20 winds through mountains and alongside a creek, the only interruptions a bit of construction and a Dairy Queen.
Then the aquarium! Highlights included sea otters, a tiny purple octopus, walk-through tunnels filled with sharks swimming on all sides (you could even see below you through a glass portion of the floor), schools of sardines that open their mouths wider than would seem possible, sea otters eating food, sea otters playing games, and, well, sea otters. Ben and I like all forms of otters.
There was also a caiman who was very majestic. Then home to blackberry tea, a nap, and curry chicken salad sandwiches. A good day.

The majestic caiman