The Oregon coast is about a one- to two-hour drive from several major cities in the Willamette Valley, including Portland, Eugene, Salem and Medford. Regular flights are available from most major cities to the Portland International Airport.
Most hotels along the Oregon coast offer reduced winter rates or special deals such as two nights for the price of three. Others offer special storm-watching packages.
To find a selection of hotels and time-shares, visit the Oregon Coast Visitors Assn. at www.visittheoregoncoast
.com or call it at (541) 574-2679 or (888) 628-2101.
If a storm doesn't come, there are many other things to do along the Oregon coast. The Oregon Coast Aquarium (www.aquarium.org) in Newport was once home to Keiko, the killer whale star of the movie "Free Willy," before the whale was taken to Iceland for reintroduction to the wild.
The aquarium has new exhibits on jellyfish and sea horses that include many living specimens, as well as a hands-on tidal pool and special presentations on sharks and salmon, the Pacific Northwest's trademark fish.
The aquarium is open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $10.25 for adults, $9.25 for seniors and $6.25 for children. Children under 4 get in free.
In Lincoln City, beachgoers can search for glass balls hidden by locals as part of the annual Glass Float Odyssey. For information, call the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau at (541) 994-8378 or (800) 452-2151 or visit www.
oregoncoast.org.
Coastal visitors can also go whale-watching. For more information, call Whale Watching Spoken Here, a volunteer organization, at (541) 563-2002 or visit www.
whalespoken.org.
There are also 11 lighthouses along the Oregon Coast some still functional that can all be visited. For more information, go to www.
oregon101.com/light.html.
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