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Cape Perpetua Walk - April 19, Yachats

Join Siuslaw National Forest botanist, Marty Stein, on a one-and-a-half hour guided plant walk at Cape Perpetua on Saturday, April 19. The walk starts at 1:30 p.m. and will cover the wonders of skunk cabbage, quirks of pollination, and other stories about native plants on the Oregon Coast. 

“Marty is passionate about protecting native plants, controlling noxious weeds, and the Siuslaw National Forest’s mission to restore natural habitats,” notes Lori Robertson, Cape Perpetua Visitor Center Director. “He wants to promote better understanding of the role of native plants in the environment and is happy to answer visitor questions,” she adds.  

Stein has been a botanist with the Siuslaw National Forest for nine years. Prior to that, he worked at various National Forests throughout Oregon and Washington.

To secure a place on this hike please call 541-547-3289. The hike will be limited to the first 15 people to sign-up.
A $5 day-use pass is required at the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area or possession of appropriate annual pass; both are available at the Visitor Center. There is no cost for the walk and discussion. If unpredictable weather prohibits an outside excursion, Stein will discuss plants on display inside the Visitor Center. www.fs.usda.gov/siuslaw

Staying Late - April 1–May 14, Florence

If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel, you’ve probably wondered, “Why can’t I have my room for a full day? Why do I have to wait until late afternoon to check in, and then have to be out right after I wake up?”

Some in the hotel industry are wondering the same thing, including those at The Old Town Inn and The River House Inn in Florence. Traditionally, hotels with high occupancy rates need a few hours for housekeeping and maintenance staffs to get into rooms and do their jobs; but what about during the off season when occupancy isn’t as high? Some hotels are becoming more flexible and allowing guests up to a full day’s access to the room from the time they check in.

“We’re going to try our own version of this during our off season,” says Craig Sanders, chief operating officer for Hoagland Properties, owners of The Old Town Inn and The River House Inn in Florence. “We want to see if this helps improve our guests’ experience. We’re calling it our ‘flexible check-out.’”
For example, a guest who books a two-night stay and checks in late on a Friday could have the flexibility to check out late on Sunday, giving them more time to relax and enjoy their stay in Florence. The River House Inn and The Old Town Inn will experiment with their flexible check-out, based on advanced requests and availability, from April 1 to May 14, then look at the benefits for the inns and their guests.

“Guests from the Willamette Valley and beyond sometimes arrive in Florence late on a Friday evening, and after a Saturday or Sunday of beachcombing, riding the sand dunes, or enjoying other outdoor pursuits, would like to have a place to come back to, get cleaned-up, and go enjoy a nice dinner without having to rush to get out of their room by 11 a.m.,” he adds.
Earlier this year Hoagland Properties completed nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in upgrades to its two local properties, including new in-room furnishings.

To learn more about the flexible check-out, contact The River House Inn (541-997-3933; www.RiverHouseInn.com) or The Old Town Inn (541-997-7131; www.Old-Town-Inn.com).

EVERY YEAR PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY SNEAKER WAVES - WE WANT YOU TO BE SAFE WHILE ENJOYING THE OCEAN

Our editors found this video that illustrates the problem with standing on logs. This happened on Rockaway Beach but could happen anywhere. Click Here to watch

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