Tag: aquarium

The Oregon Coast Aquarium

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The Oregon Coast Aquarium is not in a major city, nor is it conveniently located. It’s on Newport, which is a city name used to frequently in the USA.

In spite of the long drive, I was glad I went. It’s right by the coast so it’s easy to make a day of seeing the tiny aquarium, and then having an afternoon on the beach.

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Mostly the aquarium has things that are local to that area, like star fish and seals. You can see these things at the beach too, but seeing them in the aquarium allows for closer look, and for the staff to tell you interesting things about them.

I even stuck around to watch the seals and sea lions eating, which was a good time. I love the way seals sort of squish their way along the land, and yet, they are so graceful in the water.

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I think the most interesting part of the aquarium is being able to go through the local Oregon exhibits and see things like living Sand Dollars and colorful sea cucumbers.

After doing the tide pools and the beach, I had seen all those things from far away. However, a close-up look at healthy and well-cared for animals is always appreciated.

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In this picture (above) you can see a green anemone, an orange sea cucumber, and a purple sea urchin.

If you were on your own wandering around, you might see all of those in one day. But I promise that you wouldn’t see them all together in one place. So I think that is the real benefit of making the drive and paying the steep admission price.

It is just really cool to see all of the sea life of the Oregon coast packed into one place, where you can enjoy it all in a morning.

Jenifer DeLemont, Oregon Aquarium

A Busan Vacation

Here are some wonderful things to see and do in Busan. It’s a fantastic beach town in the South part of the Korean peninsula. I definitely recommend it as a vacation destination.

Haeundae Beach




Visiting Busan was a lot of fun. A huge part of why it was fun was a magazine called Busan Haps. I picked it up at the Tourist Information Center inside Busan Station. Between it and the tourist map they had, it was easy to get around and enjoy lots of the sights and sounds of Korea’s second biggest city.



The shoreline where the wooden path is




The main thing I recommend is the attractions at Haeundae Beach. There is a beautiful path along the shoreline, just to the south of the main beach area, behind the Westin Hotel.



The lighthouse at the end of the path




The path is well-maintained, and offers amazing views of the ocean. It also has several observation decks and benches to stop at. At the end of the long wooden path is a lighthouse. There are several attractions there as well, such as great views of Gwangan Bridge and the Nurimaru APEC House.



Buddhist Temple




On the other side of Haeundae beach, you can take the bus north a few miles to some very nice Buddhist temples on the shoreline, which are beautiful.



Temple Alter




Sitting near the ocean is peaceful. Sitting at a Buddhist temple near the ocean is fantastic, and I highly recommend it.



The fantastic Busan Aquarium




But best of all is the Busan Aquarium. It’s underground, so it’s easy to miss. But the entrance is in the center of Haeundae beach, near the road. As long as you’re walking along the right sidewalk, you’ll be able to find it.



One of the huge fish tanks in the aquarium




The Busan Aquarium is excellent, and features a huge tank full of sharks that you can walk under. There are many wonderful types of fish to see, as well as penguins and otters.



The shark tank




The jellyfish room is not nearly as cool as the one at the aquarium in Muai. But they do have some types of jelly fish I have never seen before. They were amazingly cool looking.



Really cool jelly fish




Everyone says to go to Jalgachi fish market. It is kind of neat, but the live fish at the aquarium are better.



I liked the live fish better




I skipped the UN cemetery, since I don’t like to depress myself. But it is the only UN cemetery in the world, and I hear it’s beautiful, though somber.



Me drinking a kiwi martini




The night life is great in Busan too. I had a fantastic soft taco and kiwi martini at The Fuzzy Navel bar.



Yummy food and drinks at The Fuzzy Navel




Busan is beautiful. I love beach towns, and this is a great one. There are many tourist information centers. Most everything is in English. Also, there are lockers everywhere, so if you stay at a hostile or something, you can stash your backpack anywhere while you wander.



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