As some of you may remember, Animated Meat first came to life in 2008 as a way to document some sights that managed to slip through the cracks of most popular travel websites. You may also remember that the original website was built on Apple's now defunct iWeb. From there, it migrated over to WordPress where it met an untimely demise at the hands of Russian hackers. Many of those old, pre-2012 entries have found a new home here in the Before the Now section. I would consider these posts as my starting place as a writer, probably comparable to a musician's first demo tapes. They are very rough, but I took them all seriously and wrote each one with passion. While I would like to believe that I have matured in my abilities as a writer, it is my hope that I carry this same blind passion into all of my new efforts.

Oregon Coast Aquarium - Originally Published 2008

May 5, 2019

Oregon is doing a lot of things right. As a result, it’s probably not the place for everyone. During the trips through the state, I have been impressed by their emphasis on pride in all things local. Oregon is not trying to be anything other than Oregon. This same spirit is carried over in the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

The Pacific Northwest is home to a glass blowing movement spearheaded by artists such as Dale Chihuly. In a display called Oddwater, the aquarium manages to successfully compliment unique looking fish along with locally created glass sculptures from The Edge Art Gallery in South Beach.

Even the critters that call the Coast Aquarium home are largely local to the Pacific Northwest. Instead of committing resources to gather exotic creatures, the aquarium displays native species with pride.