Grant McOmie - Grants Getaways: 101 Oregon Adventures

Praise for Grants Getaways 101 Oregon Adventures

Grant has a way of capturing the Oregon experience in a way that is both casual and compelling. He leaves you feeling as if youd just shared a cup of coffee with a good friend as he reveals the secret details of an upcoming adventure and invites you into it! His writings capture this spirit of his personality and exude his Get out here approach to life, the outdoors. and all things Oregon.

Todd Davidson, CEO, Travel Oregon

Grants new book of Oregon getaways offers a fine collection of places for some of the states best fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities. His getaways will set you on the right track to enjoying Oregons natural wonders. So, as Grant likes to say, Get out there and explore the Oregon outdoors and be sure to grab a rod, binoculars, and this book before you go.

Roy Elicker, Director, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Every week, Grant McOmie thrills KGWs audience with his exciting outdoor stories. Now, this book gives readers that same opportunity to adventure with Grant!

Rick Jacobs, Executive News Director, KGW Media Group

Grants done it again! Oregons outdoor ambassador, Grant McOmie, has compiled 101 Oregon getaways that are as diverse as they are enchanting, capturing every corner of this wonderful state in McOmies trademark storytelling style. Grants Getaways is the quintessential guide to discovering Oregon and its hidden wonders.

Trey Carskadon, fifth-generation Oregonian and former Chairman, Oregon State Marine Board

Ive been a fan of Grant McOmie since his cub reporter days in Seattle. He is the voice of the great Pacific Northwest outdoors. Capturing not only the story of the destination, but sharing the legends, yarns, and accounts of the personalities that make Oregon this unique place we call home. Great read, makes me want to get outdoors even more!

John Williams, creator/host of Wheelchair Destinations

Grant has long been a favorite of mine and now hes sharing the how, what, where, and when of his insightful outdoor adventures. Whether tree climbing, cooking up a crawfish boil, digging clams and fossils, kayaking, snowshoeing, or soaring skyward, Grant offers 101 concise vignettes that intrigue and encourage us to lace up our boots and get out there. As Grant so aptly puts, Why live here if you dont go searching for those singular moments which set Oregon apart. Amen.

MJ Cody, coeditor of Wild in the City

Grants Getaways 101 Oregon Adventures

Grant McOmie

Text 2013 by Grant McOmie

Photography 2013 by Jeff Kastner, Courtesy of Travel Oregon

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McOmie, Grant.

Grants getaways : 101 Oregon adventures / Grant McOmie.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-88240-861-3 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-88240-947-4 (epub)

1. OregonGuidebooks. 2. Outdoor recreationOregonGuidebooks. I. Title.

F874.3.M4 2013

917.9504dc23

2013001610

Cover photo by Don Best

Designer: Vicki Knapton

Map: Gray Mouse Graphics

Published by WestWinds Press

An imprint of Graphic Arts Books

P.O. Box 56118

Portland, Oregon 97238-6118

503-254-5591

www.graphicartsbooks.com

For my father, Grant McOmie Sr., who showed me which end of a fishing rod catches the big ones. And for my wife, Christine, my finest and favorite travel companion.

Contents

Acknowledgments

R eporters are like stones skipping across a pond of water, zipping from story to story each day of the week, but Ive been very lucky in that my assignments always seem to get me good and wet and thoroughly immersed in some timely issue or alongside fascinating people, or visiting intriguing places and enjoying exciting outdoor activities. By my calculations, I have written and produced thousands of segments and programs on the great Oregon outdoors over the past three decades. Ive spent countless hours on the road traveling across the region for each one of them and heres a little secretIve loved every minute of it! Mostly because the beauty of travel is the unexpected treasure Ive often found along the way; treasures that are measured in the memories of the varied sights and sounds that have connected this small town kid to his home state in ways that I only dreamed about as a boy.

Fortunately, many of my television partners have enjoyed our dream jobs too. So thanks to my partners and colleagues, who helped to capture the images that became the foundations of the stories in this fine collection: Photographers Tom Agosti, Kevin Eyres, Bryon Garvin, Bob Jaundalderis, Mark Plut, Eric Spolar, Mike Rosborough, and Tom Turner. I most especially thank my photography partner, Jeff Kastner, who has worked exclusively on the Grants Getaways segments and programs for the past four years. His keen eye for capturing just the right scene and his remarkable editing skills make me proud to be associated with him. In fact, his skills are shown off in the still images in this book and I sincerely hope you enjoy his work! Without their collective help none of these stories would have been shown or told.

My sincere thanks to the Travel Oregon management team for their trust and confidence in me to represent Oregonincluding CEO Todd Davidson, Mo Sherifdeen, Kevin Wright, and Emily Forsha. I also thank these key individuals: David Lane of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ashley Massey of the Oregon State Marine Board, and Chris Havel of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. I appreciate their insights, advice, and story suggestions. Further, I extend my sincere appreciation to the KGW-TV management team including DJ Wilson, Brenda Buratti, Rick Jacobs, and Rich Kurz and especially, former News Director Rod Gramer. Each continues to embrace and encourage our work at every turn. In fact, all of these folks

support the Grants Getaways endeavors and allow me the privilege of travel across the region.

Thanks to the folks at Graphic Arts Books for the chance to renew friendships and partnerships and share my stories in the new downloadable e-book format, including Doug Pfeiffer, Tim Frew, Vicki Knapton, and Angie Zbornik. Special thanks to Kathy Howard at Graphic Arts Books. She is a wonderfully patient editor who corrected and improved this text a thousandfold and then some.

I also thank my longtime friend and one of the best fellows youd ever want to join on a fishing trip, Trey Carskadon. He was the conduit for many of the Grants Getaways partners and helped breathe life into the idea that the program could become an ambassador of sorts for the state of Oregon. I will always be indebted to him for his support and encouragement.

I also thank Jan Smith. She was a Professor of Communications at the University of Portland in 1980 and she cajoled, prodded, and encouraged me to pursue my idea of outdoor storytelling with video. She made certain that I landed a news internship at KGW and it is safe to say that I would not be herenowdoing thishad it not been for her encouragement.