Cuddling at Black Bar Lodge

Aren't these two cuddle-bunnies cutie-patooties? The 77-year-old couple in this photo rafted the Rogue River on one of Whitewater Warehouse's coolacious lodge trips. The photo was taken at the hand-carved bear bench at Black Bar Lodge, Whitewater Warehouse's first Rogue River lodge stop. That morning was a cool morning in early May so the couple was more bundled up than most folks on our June, July, August, and September trips.

Turning 50: My New Life as a Mid-century Modern

So exactly what do you call an aging woman who owns a rafting company with her husband and dabbles in interior design on the side? Ugh, ME. Instead of being the “young one” who helps to celebrate my friends’ old geezer birthdays, I’M THE ONE that turns 50 on Wednesday. I could call myself middle aged or even a half-centurist (I made that word up and that's OK because I will soon be older than dirt) but I truly don’t feel like a 50-year-old, over-the-hill, broken-down codger. Worse yet, I looked up “over-the-hill” in the Thesaurus and got more depressed. Words that describe people like me (or me in two days): stricken in years, withered, shriveled like a prune, papery-skinned, doddering, mummylike….come on….mummylike?!?

Better, I prefer to be known by the interior design term Mid-century Modern (McM). I like it because it sounds classic, cool, forward thinking, and most important of all—STILL RELEVANT. I think that might be the biggest issue. I am still germane. I am still in the game. I can still get it done (but can I remember what it was that I was suppose to do?!?)

McM, that’s me, baby. Born smack dab in the middle of this design movement era, I fit right in. They say McM is organic in form and less formal in style—yep, me—I wear cotton socks and sometimes Birkenstocks. And, they say that the Mid-century style has “natural shapes”—again, me (and getting more natural and shapely by the year!)

So my vote, come Wednesday, is for a new-age label. None of this “one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave” or “overripe” or “past my prime” or “just days from the marble orchard.” 50, it’s the new modern...

Gourmet---Hooray!

Just met with Matt & Marcia Morse yesterday at their cool little Oregon cafe. Shared a glass of wine and toasted to the 4th collaboration of the Rogue River gourmet wine & food trip. Matt is the Italian chef who stresses over every detail on these unique trips. He is detail man. Even pulls his own wines out of his wine cellar to complement the dishes he designs, prepares, and serves.

We are getting LOTS of interest on this year's trip which is slated for July 6 - 8. Cost is $990 per adult and is an adults-only trip. We are getting so many calls, in fact, that I told Matt and Marcia that this trip could fill by mid-February. So that's when we started chatting about another 2008 gourmet trip. Dollar for dollar a heck of a lot cheaper than a trip to Italy!!!

All of us here at WWW love great food and wine sooo much. It is fun to have an over-the-top foodie venue like this gourmet trip. But, remember, we serve fierce food on our other rafting, kayaking, and hiking trips too! Our focus is local, organic, and made-from-the-heart. Doesn't get any better than that. And, guess, what?!? Folks are noticing....even the press. More on that at a later date....

Rogue River Ranch

The Rogue River Ranch National Historic Site is at the mouth of Mule Creek and nestled in the heart of the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River's wild section. Once a major Native American site, there is evidence of over 9,000 years of Native American habitation. In the 1880s, the site evolved into a small gold-mining community, with up to 100 residents trying to scratch out a living from the gold-bearing gravel bars of the Rogue River. The ranch structures remaining today represent the center of the old community of Marial. The ranch hosted a trading post with lodging in the second story, a blacksmith's shop, and numerous outbuildings that filled the early residents' social and commercial needs.

Today, rafters, kayakers, and hikers that travel through the Rogue River canyon can visit the historic Rogue River Ranch from May through October. If you are really lucky, you may be able to pick a ripe apple or pear from one of the heirloom trees located on the Ranch's property.

Bear-necessities

Its a smiling couple....no, its a smiling bear! The Rogue is full of wildlife and this shot proves it. Black bears, bald eagles, river otters, white-tailed deer, and osprey all hang out on the water's edge of the Rogue River. The lucky few that get to travel through this incredible canyon each year get a bird's eye view of the wildlife that hang out on the beaches and rocks that border the river.

The cool thing about the Rogue is that you can be gliding through a fun series of rapids, look over on the shoreline and see a couple beautiful deer grazing on sweet-grass. In the next river mile, you might note a momma black bear and her tiny cub looking for a salmon-snack. Look up a few minutes later and see a magnificent bald eagle circling, circling--studying the water for his river-meal.

Travel through the wild & scenic section of the Rogue and you, too, might get a great view of the Bear-necessities of Life!

Rogue Celebrates 40th Year of Protection

2008 heralds the 40th anniversary of the national Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. This law marked a fundamental change in how we value rivers in this country and recognized that healthy, free-flowing rivers bring significant economic and social benefits to our communities and our lives. The Rogue River, one of the original eight rivers protected under this act, is today a natural gem. Both humans and wildlife have benefited from the protection of this incredible river (see in the above photo the cute Rogue River otter eating away on his fish lunch).

If one where to pick a metaphor for the Rogue River, something that captures its essence, it would be the life cycle of the salmon. The lives of these incredible fish, as they journey from mountain stream to the ocean and back again, are dedicated to the future--to nurturing and sustaining that which will follow. To me, the Rogue River is the heart of this endless cycle, as old as the universe and as young as the mist chased up the canyon walls by the morning sun.

Look up! It's Not All About The Whitewater!

Moving; changing; exposing a clown-face here, a droopy-eared dog there, a 19-petal daisy is showing up too! What could create all this fanciful imagery? Clouds, beautiful clouds.

An Oregon rafting trip is not complete without these white, on-the-move puffballs. Take a look up when the water becomes still and you have some time between rapids. While you drift, let your mind dream a little. For some of our guests, it is the best thing about our whitewater rafting trips....giving their minds time to de-stress and daydream.

Scientists and photographers tell us clouds look white because they reflect light. Must be the abundance of light in southern Oregon that makes our Rogue River clouds look so bright and-- really this is the correct word--luscious.

But, don't let those clouds fool you--bring plenty of sunscreen and good sunglasses (with a strap to keep 'em on the old noggin). Mr. Sunshine still has a way of peeking through.

Rafting.com launches updated website!

Rafting.com, the leader in providing rafting guests with up-to-the-minute rafting information and qualified outfitting contacts has just released a new and improved site. The enhanced site can be found by clicking here: Rafting.com

Whitewater Warehouse has been a proud member of Rafting.com for years. The site, and the people behind the site, provide web browsers with only qualified, “best in the world” rafting vacations. The website offers the cream of the crop of rafting outfitters and highlights their unique services. Whitewater Warehouse feels fortunate to have been chosen to be the sole representative of the Oregon rafting community on this prestigious site.

We here at WWW would love for you to check out our page on the site. You can find us at: Whitewater Warehouse at rafting.com

But don’t forget to review the other super quality outfitters on Rafting.com. This site does all the work for you. You can be certain, even before clicking on one of the listed outfitters, that these business owners have been chosen as the best of the best.

Think about an Oregon family rafting vacation this year! Remember, it is a fuel-free vacation, powered by Mother Nature, no less!