THE best place to learn to kayak...

At Whitewater Warehouse we have embraced so many great friendships over the years. Not the least of these was our decade-long business relationship and friendship with Phil & Mary DeRiemer. These two wonderful human beings are superb kayakers and also excellent instructors. We were lucky enough to have the two as a part of our Rogue River kayaking "team" until 2 years ago when we sold that portion of our company to another quality outfitter.

In February, this dynamic duo was recognized with a coveted prize--acknowledgment by Outside Magazine as THE best place to learn whitewater kayaking in the nation! We are biased, but we have to agree. These two have something special that is really indescribable. If you ever get a chance to boat with them, do it. Your paddling skills AND your life will both be greatly enhanced by the time spent together.

You can check out their 2008 instructional kayaking trips and class schedule by clicking on DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking.

Dinosaur Tree

Look closely at this photo....is it a prehistoric dinosaur? No! It is actually a tree.

This tree is just one of the many natural wonders you will see on Oregon's fascinating Rogue River. Where else on earth would you spot such a fantastical creation by Mother Nature? And this is just ONE of the incredible sights you will view when you ride the rapids through the wild & scenic section of the Rogue River.

Oregon: Best Vacation in the Nation

Gas prices and all the headaches of traveling to far away places got you down? Travel close to home and save yourself a lot of concerns. Rafting in Oregon on the Rogue River is a great way to save some money on the family budget but still show everyone a good time. Staying in lodges on the Rogue makes Mom happy and enjoying the natural wonders keeps the kids interested. Dad can do a little fly fishing along the way and the entire family can raft, inner tube or inflatable kayak the rolling waves of the Rogue river. Let’s face it. We don’t often enjoy our own State of Oregon and what it has to offer. Some of us have gone years without taking the time to explore local attractions that visitors from all around the world come here to explore. You want to show your family a great time….so….this year may have a silver lining. Travel close to home and find out why Oregon’s Rogue river is the best vacation spot in the nation.

Photo credit: www.FutureAtlas.com

Travel Oregon

The travel savvy folks in the Oregon Tourism department recently put together a new section to their Travel Oregon website (official website for Oregon tourism) and we are excited to introduce it to our readers! This new section is focused on Oregon's fishing, rafting, and kayaking outfitters and guides.

We are honored to be one of the featured outfitters on the site. You can view Whitewater Warehouse's page by clicking here: Whitewater Warehouse and Oregon Tourism.

The cool thing about the website is that it highlights all the wonderful outdoor adventures that Oregon, as a State, has to offer its residents and visitors. Visitors to the site will find info on all kinds of travel destinations. It makes planning your next adventure a snap...you might even find a new-to-you Oregon travel destination to plan an upcoming Oregon vacation around.

Make sure to check it out...and while you are at it, check us out too!

"If it weren't for the rocks in its bed, the stream would have no song."

Our dear friend, Bill O'Hearn, sends out his inspirational messages every Wednesday. He titles these gems of wisdom "Wednesdays with Willie." Bill is a person that every person should have as a best friend forever. He is always happy, always upbeat, and always interested in sharing his deep understanding of human nature with his friends.

Usually, he pairs a great quote with some of his own thoughts (see an example below). Since we are lucky enough to receive his Wednesdays with Willie each week, we thought our Whitewater Warehouse friends might enjoy a taste of his unique spirit. He is definitely one-of-a-kind and we love him!


“If it weren’t for the rocks in its bed, the stream would have no song.”
---Carl Perkins

COMMENTS BY BILL (WILLIE): What a great metaphor for life. If it weren’t for the bumps along the way, we would not grow into our fullest being -- and would never create the beautiful song that is within us. No one wants adverse circumstances, but since you are here on Earth, and are a human being, welcome to the fact that tough times come and go. It is how you perceive those times that will make a difference in your future. You can sit in a corner and pout, or you can choose to learn and grow. When you choose the latter, you will be absolutely amazed at the beautiful song your life will become. Start singing now and let the good times roll.

Outrageous Offerings

We are all about yummy food...and a Washington State company, Outrageous Offerings, really delivers. Owned by Sandra and Michael Salazar, this small company specializes in delicious (and super provocative) gourmet shortbreads. 19 flavors in all! The two have come up with friendly groupings of these taste treats. Names like Choice Cheeses, Luscious Lavender, Divine Chocolate & Vanilla, Fantastic Fruits, and Scintillating Savories. Their website even helps you pair each shortbread with a complementary wine!

We at Whitewater Warehouse are offering three varieties on our gourmet Rogue River lodge/rafting trips in 2008. We can't wait for our guests to try this unique Northwest taste treat as an appetizer (paired with a selection of Northwest wines) before the second night's dinner. Raft, kayak, or hike with us and taste a unique and wonderful part of the Northwest's emerging cuisine scene....

Oregon Farmer "Produces" Rafting Co.

Russell Davis, owner of Davis Family Farms has been a terrific food partner to Whitewater Warehouse for about the last seven years. Our philosophy at Whitewater Warehouse is that we LOVE food--especially food that comes straight from the farm--and we want to share that goodness with our guests. We think we are unique in the nation for our concentration on close-source food offerings on our Rogue River rafting trips. It is cool to be able to provide our guests with the best in Oregon's food bounty. No big-box, store-bought produce for our guests!

Russell's farm provides us blueberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches, blackberries, cucumbers, and those luscious vine-ripened tomatoes!

This time of year we can barely catch up to him but grabbed him for a moment atop his cherished John Deere tractor. Besides being a great farmer, Russell is just an all-around special person. His love of the land is reflected in his "tastalicious" food offerings. We know that tastalicious isn't a real word but it sure fits Russell's produce!

So, when you take a bite of those sun-ripened vegetables and fruits on one of our trips, think of Russell smiling at you while perched on that ancient, but still working, tractor. Life doesn't get any simpler, or any better than Davis Family Farms!

Author Zane Grey's Rogue River Cabin Preserved

Portland, OR — The Rogue River cabin where western author Zane Grey fished and wrote will be permanently preserved, The Trust for Public Land, a national conservation organization, and the Bureau of Land Management announced today.

The one-room cabin sits on 32 acres of land at Winkle Bar on the Rogue and is a regular stopping point for rafters and fisherman. It is surrounded by BLM land and now will be protected.

"This place meant a lot to Zane Grey and it is part of the lore of the West, and we're happy to help save it," said Nelson Mathews, who managed the project for TPL, which bought the site from a private owner and sold it to the BLM.

Eric Grey, the author's great-grandson, said, "Zane Grey was very concerned about the vanishing wilderness in America, particularly about the destructive force of road building. He wrote that 'lovers of the forest hate automobile roads, and know they are one great cause, probably the greatest, of our vanishing America.' "

"On one of his trips to the Rogue with his family, Grey noted he was glad his son could 'still see something of wild America' but he feared that his grandson never will. Three generations later, I am glad to say that the Rogue is still a beautiful wilderness. Thanks to the work of The Trust for Public Land, Zane Grey's cabin at Winkle Bar will be preserved for future generations of Americans," said Eric Grey.

Grey was born in 1872 and later moved west and became a writer. He bought the Winkle Bar property in 1926 and set up camp to write and fish for salmon and steelhead trout. His book, "Rogue River Feud," focused on the river.

Todd Newport, president of the Zane Grey's West Society, a private organization devoted to promoting Grey's writing and protecting the sites of those works, praised the TPL action.

"We strongly support preserving the places important to Zane Grey and this is one of the big ones for us," said Newport. "Grey loved going to Oregon in his later life and spending time each year fishing and running the Rogue and North Umpqua."

The property was acquired using federal funds from the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund. U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore. strongly supported it, as did Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.

A Guide Can Dream....

Kayaking can be a surreal experience. Bill Hays, one of Whitewater Warehouse's wonderful, professional river guides is featured in this cool photo taken by a WWW guest last year. On the Rogue, inflatable kayaking is a part of Whitewater Warehouse's "cadre of floatila." Our guests love them and so do our guides! Bill is probably dreaming of taking some river-time to jump in and surf a Rogue wave....

Our guests can use single Inflatable Kayaks (we call them IKs) and double IKs...singles are great because they give you flexibility to go where you want to go. Double are cool because they give you double the power (and double the trouble!!!). So, we advise that you reserve one of these fun water crafts and whoop it up on our Oregon rafting and kayaking trips!

Kayaking Cutie!

Guests of Whitewater Warehouse love to inflatable kayak the incredible Rogue River...and this lovely lady is no exception. Jessie Johnson and family have traveled the Rogue River with WWW for most of this young woman's life. And doesn't her comfort with this beautiful Oregon river show in this photo?

We are excited for Jesse because it looks like this year she will be guiding on day trips for River Drifters out of Bend, Oregon. Her love of rivers and her ability to read water and paddle hard (plus her awesome personality) have made her one of Whitewater Warehouse's favorite clients and we are sure she will become a favorite guide for River Drifters as well.

Talked to Tim (owner of River Drifters) today and he said that their season looks strong. This quality company focuses their rafting/kayaking trips primarily on the Deschutes, Clackamas, and White Salmon Rivers. They offer 1/2 to 5 day trips on these rivers and other rivers as well. Check out their website at: River Drifters.

Happy Campers!

Are we lucky or what? To be associated with premium quality outfitters like Rogue River Journeys on southern Oregon's Rogue River. They are experts in camping trips--and their speciality is camping on the Rogue River. They run 4-day, 3-night camp/rafting/kayaking trips starting every Wednesday through the months of June, July, and August. To view a listing of their actual start dates, you can click here.

Jim Ritter is the man to call about these trips and can be reached at 1-866-213-7754. He is one of the nicest folks you will ever speak with and knows everything about camping trips on the Rogue....or, anything else for that matter!

So, if you want a top-notch camp trip experience, check out Rogue River Journeys. While we here at Whitewater Warehouse offer lodge-to-lodge Rogue River options, we know that that is not everyone's "cup of tea." So, if you are a person or family that wants to camp in one of the spectacular places on earth (the Rogue River), give Rogue River Journeys a try...they will not disappoint!