WCC, If I can be there on Friday what can I see/do Options

[Porcharu]

I am on a family vacation during the WCC and I will just happen to be in the area on July 7. If I can pop in - what can I do? IE is it worth leaving my family and friends in Portland so I can check it out?????
Steve

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

And another:

In no particular order:
Tillamook is less than 2 hours. Aside from the Tillamook creamery there is an old WWII blimp hanger that is now an aircraft museum: http://www.tillamookair.com/

Speaking of which, there's also the Evergreen Aviation Museum where the Spruce Goose now resides: http://www.sprucegoose.org/
McMinnville is about an hour away. I haven't been (yet) to that museum. The drive to McMinnville will take you through some of our wine country so you'll see wineries and shops dedicated to wine. Of course, the Northwest is well know for its micro-brews and coffee addiction (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif)

Just south of Newport is Seal Rock State Rec. Site. You can look down the cliffs and see the sea lions basking in the sun and swimming around. There are a LOT of them. I *think* there are tours that take you down closer but, of course, there's $$ involved with that. The Newport Aquarium is pretty good. North of Newport is Devil's Punchbowl. That's a place where the ocean travels under/through lava rock and spouts out of it. Good for some "oohs" and "ahhhs". Tide pools nearby for exploring -- starfish, sea anenome's that squirt water when you gently poke 'em (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) If you have time you could continue north, past the Tillamook exit to Portland, and hit Cannon Beach (tourism and botique shopping) and/or up to Seaside where there's shopping and kid activities (bumper cars, video arcade, etc. and lots of saltwater-taffy!). You would then take Hwy. 26 back to Portland and it's a pretty drive.

OMSI can consume a couple hours or more if you stay for one of their Omni-Max movies (those huge, 180º ceilings) and/or tour the Navy submarine in the river. http://www.omsi.edu/

Portland Rose Garden is free:
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder...113&c=38308
and the Japanese Gardens directly up the hill from them (easy walking distance) are a small fee. If that's what the gals are interested in.

There is the Forestly Center that basically shares the same parking lot as the Zoo:
http://www.worldforestry.org/
Click on "Visit Us" at the top of the page and there will be directions. At the very bottom of the page is the physical address which you can use with http://maps.google.com/

If I can think of more I'll send it. My g/f should be home soon and I'll get her input. If it was just you and your wife then I could recommend some night-life stuff but... Also, I live on the west side (the river runs from south to north and it is the dividing line between west vs. east) so I'm more familiar with it than the east side, which is where you'll be. I know that directly north of the motel is a mall...I believe walking distance.

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