Jacksonville, Oregon: There's Gold in Them There Hills!

Just read some interesting factoids on the southern Oregon town of Jacksonville. Writer Finn John notes that Jacksonville was first dubbed "Table Rock City." He says the town got its start in 1851 when a couple freight packers on their way from the California gold fields stopped to try their luck in nearby Jackson Creek. And the rest is history as they say....

Their "luck" was so good that gold dust quickly became Table Rock City's least important commodity. Chiefly because you couldn't eat it. The nearest productive farm was about 100 rugged, craggy, heavily forested miles away and provisions had to be brought in on ship and stagecoach all the way from San Francisco. John writes that when the town became the Jackson County seat in 1852--a pound of flour was fetching $1 which is about 26 dollars in today's currency!

Salt was trading straight across, pound for pound, with gold dust. And the town's bank was treating gold like any other valuable commodity being entrusted for safe-keeping--by charging a storage fee to deposit it. It was the only bank in the country to reverse the traditional system of paying interest on deposits and actually charged depositors for the convenience of not packing their golden nuggets around!

John notes that like most boomtowns, Jacksonville wasn't high on the hog for long. In 1884, after a 30-year run as southern Oregon's hottest hot spot, a railroad line was built through nearby Medford, leaving Jacksonville in the dust. Businesses started migrating closer to the rail line, and the death blow came in 1927 when the county seat was moved to Medford.

Today, Jacksonville is about the same size as it was in 1852, when it was Oregon's largest city: A little more than 2,000 people call it home, and it's a very popular place to retire.

But it's most recent "claim to fame" seems to be that this little town still might have the Midas touch when it comes to making easy money. Since 2001, three multi-million-dollar jackpots have been claimed by Jacksonville residents, including one whopping $340 million Powerball prize winner in 2005. I guess you really could say that there is "still gold in them there hills."

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays from our family to yours! Bob, Joy, and Sparky wish you a safe holiday season and a wonderful start to your New Year. Our family is blessed with health and happiness. We hope the same goodness shines on you and your family through 2009.

These are interesting times for all of us...what do they say? What doesn't kill us makes us grow stronger?!? Looks like we are all in for a lot of "growth" in 2009!!!

And we'll leave you with Joy's favorite Zen quote..."My barn burned down and I could see the moon..."

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Oregon's mid-Willamette Valley received a "Christmas Kiss" of snow last week! And we have the photos to prove it. Check out this beautiful photo taken on the morning of December 15, 2008...it shows the property and a portion of the Christmas tree farm owned by the author of this blog, Joy Henkle, and her husband, Bob Meister.

In the summer these two own and operate Whitewater Warehouse--a hiking, rafting, and kayaking outfitting business that operates on Oregon's Rogue River. But on this week in mid-December they are just trying to stay warm, with temperatures hovering in the mid-20s and lower!

Joy and Bob wish a happy and safe holiday season to all their friends and guests....

A Southern Oregon Christmas

It's billed as a Victorian Christmas in historic Jacksonville, and Victoriana indeed abounds. From green boughs and twinkling lights festooning quaint storefronts to the musky aroma of roasting chestnuts and sweet cider wafting down main street. Focusing on its past history is fitting: architecturally, Jacksonville seems frozen in about 1884, the year the gold mining boomtown in southern Oregon was bypassed by the railroad.

But the real charm of a visit to this tidy burg lies in the small-town friendliness, earnest attention to history, and simple, down-to-earth architecture that define much of what you'll encounter in a day's browse through town. Like a time machine, your visit there will whisk you away to the 1880's...and you may never want to return!

Only 5 miles west of Medford, Oregon, Jacksonville is easily accessible from Interstate 5. Check out the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce for more information on this "Christmas past" celebration.

Christmas with Cheetahs!

Christmas with the southern Oregon Cheetahs! Yes, you read that correctly. Want to take the kids or grandkids on a wild adventure this holiday season? Look no further than Wildlife Safari located in the southern Oregon town of Winston. On Saturday, December 20th, your family can have breakfast with Santa and enjoy the rest of the morning at the Safari with a variety of children's holiday activities. Christmas caroling, cookie decorating, and even a visit with Tiani, Wildlife Safari's ambassador cheetah...

Breakfast with Santa is by reservation only....call (541) 679-7661. He'll be taking a break from his "other gift distribution duties" to appear at Wildlife Safari from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m....Cost is $6.95 (12 years and younger), $10.95 (13 years and older). Activities start after Santa's visit and keep going until 1:00 p.m.

Special rates for the Safari drive thru on that day are just $25 per car or $35 per van. Take some time out of your busy holiday schedule and hang with the wild gang. Your little ones will never forget their very Cheetah Christmas....

Repairing Raft Rips on the River: Part II

This is the second part of a 2-part series on how to repair raft and kayak rips, tears, and punctures on the river. Bill Hays, Whitewater Warehouse's expert repair person, shares his insights on tackling tough river repairs....

1. Empty the boat and get it out of the water onto a flat area.
2. When working on a floor put a small tarp under the boat.
3. For leaks: pump the tube up super firm. Check the whole tube for additional punctures. It is a major bummer to work like a surgeon on an obvious leak only to put everything away and discover you have another.
4. If you have a tear in a tube over two inches I would recommend put on an inside patch first. Even if it doesn’t hold air it will provide strength for your exterior patch. Same repair step for inside and outside patch, floor or tube. The floor patch is more forgiving for a bucket floor. It just has to reduce the volume of water that leaks into the boat. I am more relaxed about doing a patch on one side of a bucket floor. When I get the boat home I plan on inside/outside floor patching (again for tears over two inches).
5. Tears over seams are going to be nearly impossible to repair leak free on the river. Your goal should be to provide the best inside/outside patching to slow down a leak. Permanent repairs will probably require deconstructing a seam. HUGH JOB … not for on the river.
6. Here we go on river patching:
• Dry off the work area.
• A cool technique to create a smooth, flat, firm surface is to put a flat-bladed oar or paddle under your work area. Make sure the oar does not have any sharp edges.

You can check out the additional 10 repair steps by clicking on Whitewater Warehouse's raft repair "how to" page.....

Repairing Raft Rips on the River: Part I

Want to know what is in a totally radical raft repair kit? In this first part of our two-part "how to" series on raft and inflatable kayak repairs, we will take you through the process of putting together a tricked out river raft repair kit. Bill Hays, Whitewater Warehouse's expert in-house boat repair professional, details the kit's must haves in this blog...

First things first: If you want to enjoy your trip with fewer worries, control what you can control. That means having your patch/repair kit up to snuff by the beginning of the season. When I worked in boat repair it was always dark comedy when some ill-prepared boater would come into the shop looking for repair items the day before their trip. It also means having all you equipment checked-out. I was at the put-in on a commercial trip with a private party with three big guys doing the wishful thinking of willing mass quantities of duct-tape to patch a faulty p.r. valve on a self-bailing inflatable kayak. They ended up throwing their $600 I.K. back in their rig with a dark cloud over their trip. Bummer! Checkout your boats and equipment and your patch kit well in advance of your trip!

For my kits I like to include at least the following:

• 2 kinds of fabric: something heavyweight and a lighter weight material. I will have a roll that is as wide as a 50 cal. Ammo can running about 3 feet. The lighter weight material should be flexible if you need to set an inside patch; or, if its going to travel across a compromised seam. On the new sheets of fabric I pre-buff the back at home to get the shine off the inside of the fabric. I do that with a hand-held drill and a 2-inch sandpaper flap wheel. On the river you will be able to freshen this buffing by hand with sandpaper.

To find out the remaining 14 items that Bill recommends should be part of your on-river repair kit, click on Whitewater Warehouse's raft repair page.

4.5 MORE Things to Consider When Selecting an Outfitter

...Office staff should be able to answer all of your questions about their trips. The true five-star office staff will even offer you suggestions on other appropriate things to do in the local area.

Quality Equipment. They say the “devil is in the details” and this is certainly true of the outfitting community.

Insurance. Is the company in good standing with their insurance company and the government bodies that oversee it? You can easily find this information out by asking the outfitter for the government contact person who oversees the outfitter’s permit. There should be no hesitation in giving that information to you.

Testimonials. An outfitter that profiles its happy clients is the outfitter to choose. Typically, you can view guest testimonials on the outfitter’s website. These testimonials speak volumes. Look for recommendations that end with the guest’s first and last name because these tend to be more credible.

Professional Affiliations. You can learn a lot by asking or researching the professional organizations the whitewater outfitter belongs to. Look for your chosen outfitter to be part of organizations like America Outdoors, Rafting.com, or local chamber of commerce affiliations.

Consider taking this list and asking these questions next time you are looking for a professional outfitter. It can make the difference between a trip of a lifetime and a major disappointment.

4.5 Things to Consider When Selecting an Outfitter

Knowledge. Ask how long the outfitter has been in business. And, even more important, ask how long the business has been owned by the same owner(s). Often, companies will say they have been in business for a long time but the ownerships have changed numerous times over those years—a hallmark of instability.

Guide Stability. Inquire about guide training and how long the guides have been working for the company. An outfitter that has guides who have been with the company for long periods of time indicate that the company is stable and treats its employees well.

Referrals. An outfitter should be able to supply you with several client referrals. Don’t hesitate to ask for names and phone numbers before you book your trip.

Professional Marketing. An outfitter that knows its audience reflects that understanding in its marketing materials. Those materials should include professional brochures, travel information guides, informative websites, and easy access to emails and phone message systems.

Office Staff. A truly great outfitter sets herself or himself apart by hiring friendly, knowledgeable office staff. The office personnel should answer their phones and emails promptly (or get back to you immediately by phone or email) and....4.5 MORE reasons will be listed in our next blog....