Mike McInally

Marti Staprans Barlow, who’s helping spearhead the “Stay and Play One More Day” campaign, reports that she’s getting good response to her call for rainy-day activities in Corvallis.

Here’s the background: The “Stay and Play” campaign encourages guests in Corvallis hotels to extend their stay here an extra day, with room discounts and ideas for ways to spend that additional day. The idea, of course, is to collect extra revenue for the area’s economy.

The first phase of the campaign included a list of the Top 10 places in Benton County for a picnic with a view. That’s a great idea for a sunny day, but as we head to the winter season, those sunny days in Corvallis are at a premium. (Although, to be blunt, I have found Corvallis winters much easier to take than the winters I endured in Montana — especially considering that I rarely have to shovel any snow here; shoveling snow is a charming and quaint activity for a while, but the charm starts to wear off after the first 50 years or so.)

In any event, the second phase of the campaign will include suggestions for ways to spend a rainy day in Corvallis. An earlier blog entry and a story in the print edition of the G-T put out the call for suggestions, and they’ve been pouring in. Here’s a sampling:

– Pop into The Arts Center to take in the gallery and shop for unique gifts created by regional artists. Visit one of the other arts galleries in town and on the Oregon State University campus.

– Grab dinner at one of Corvallis’ restaurants and follow it up with a movie. For a dose of independent cinema, check out the Darkside downtown.

– Check out a workshop. The Benton Center, OSU’s Craft Center and the Academy for Lifelong Learning (which meets at the First Congregational Church) all offer classes and other events to engage the mind and the hands. Many lectures at OSU are open to the public as well.

– Test the local brews and munchies at McMenamin’s, Block 15 and Oregon Trail.

– Chances are pretty good that any given week in Corvallis will feature some live musical performances, from the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra to folk musicians playing acoustic sets at local watering holes. And it’s likely that some sort of theater performance is scheduled as well. (The G-T’s Entertainer is your essential guide to those events.)

– If you know you’re going to get wet anyway, check out the city’s Osborn Aquatic Center.

Staprans Barlow is still collecting suggestions. You can e-mail her at this address: marti@sandbassociates.com.

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