White Water Warehouse Named a Google Favorite Place

 

Whoop, whoop...we don't normally toot our own horn but just received notification that White Water Warehouse was named a top "favorite place" on Google based upon Oregon Rogue River rafting, kayaking, and hiking reader searches over the last year. What a way to herald in the new year!

 

We are really booking early this year...so don't delay calling our friendly office staff. Joy or Renee can be reach toll-free at: 1-800-214-0579 or by email: fun@whitewaterwarehouse.com Another benefit to booking this week is that you can still take advantage of the 2009 rates--saving you a bit on your 2010 trip price.

You can also see more of White Water Warehouse in 2010 on our Twitter Page and our Facebook page (if you visit our FaceBook page, become a fan of WWW today and gain access to interesting goings-on in the rafting, kayaking, and hiking world)

In the Spirit of Full Disclosure

Well, lots of bloggers are getting a bit jiggy about right now and it is not because of the holiday rush. As of 12/1/09, new FTC guidelines went into effect requiring bloggers to disclose any time they are compensated for endorsing or reviewing products and/or services.

Just to put OUR wonderful readers on alert....we NEVER accept payment for those people, businesses, or products that we talk about or encourage you to try in the context of this blog. It is only our desire to expose you to the wonderful people, places, and foods of southern Oregon that drives us to discover the unique and the hidden-away.

Our Rogue River rafting, kayaking, and hiking guests (and even our readers that don't travel with us) love to find out about that over-the-top bed and breakfast or the yummiest food item or even that one-of-a-kind museum. So we try to ferret those out. And you can bet we will be bringing more of all that to you in 2010. WITHOUT any monetary compensation from those we write about.

Our best holiday wishes to you and your family. We hope your celebrations are full of wonder, happiness, and love. Safe travels....and see you after the holiday!

In honor of yesterday's Winter Solstice, one reader sent us this video of an Eagle Owl. Such an astonishing creature...takes less than a half a minute to preview and you will be in awe....

The Northwest's Largest Drive-thru Holiday Light Show

It's a pretty tall order to boast that you are the Pacific Northwest's "King of Holiday Lights." But the southern Oregon town of Roseburg (located right off Interstate 5) can actually make that claim to holiday fame.

From November 22 - January 1, Roseburg's River Forks Park (located 6 miles west of Roseburg) becomes Holiday Light Central. With over 300,000 lights and extending over 6 driving miles, this is definitely the Pacific Northwest's largest drive-thru holiday light show.

The park's lighting display is open Sunday - Thursday from 5:30 - 9 p.m.  On Friday, Saturday and Holiday evenings, the park opens from 5:30 - 10 p.m. Lots of other fun things for the family to do and see as well. Cost is an affordable $8 per vehicle.

Find out more about this event by visiting their website:  Umpqua Valley Festival of Lights

We here at White Water Warehouse will be making a trip down south to visit this spectacular light show....and offer our best holiday wishes to all our friends, family, and guests!

Timberhill Athletic Club Sponsors Rogue River Rafting Trip

Our friends from Timberhill Athletic Club are working with us to schedule a 2010 Rogue River rafting and kayaking trip. Dates are: August 14 - 16, 2010. This trip is open to all Timberhill athletes, their family members, and friends. It is a 3-day, 2-night lodge-to-lodge trip along the beautiful wild and scenic Rogue River.  They even designed a cool poster to commemorate the event:

After each fun-filled day of rafting and inflatable kayaking, you'll stay in the Rogue's famous rustic, picturesque lodges (Black Bar & Marial Lodges).

Cost is $850/adult and $790/youth (ages 17 years and younger). All meals (from lunch the first day through lunch the last day), beverages, appetizers, lodging, guides, gear, government fees, and return shuttle are included. Space is limited so contact Randy Huber at 541-757-8559 or the folks at White Water Warehouse at 541-758-3150 to reserve your space(s) today!

The Man Behind the Making of a Song

Do you ever listen to a song and think to yourself, "who wrote that?" Well, for one very special song there is a southern Oregon composer behind its debut.

And the beat goes on...Dr. Jason Heald's life is a musical journey filled with many high notes. Starting in Alaska where his musical family made sure he had access to the flourishing artistic community, then on to an undergraduate degree at Portland's Lewis and Clark College, 10 years on the road performing with a Miami Beach band, and finally pursuing his Master's in Music at University of Portland and his Doctorate from the University of Oregon.

In 1998, Dr. Heald was hired by Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, and over the last eleven years he has written, produced, and directed many original musicals. So we asked him, how did this incredible song, "The Road through Paradise," come to be? "In 2002, the Forest Service here in Oregon was tapped to provide the White House Christmas tree. The Forest Service then contacted me and asked if we would put together a musical 'event' with singers from the college that would tour with the tree while performing music. That year we performed in 11 different states on the way to the nation's capital and the tree's final destination. We (the college and the Forest Service) successfully worked together on this project so when the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway was officially opened, the Forest Service again tapped me to provide the musical arrangement for the opening. I jumped at the chance because I obviously know the subject well and felt too that I wanted to give back to the Forest Service for their support throughout the years."

The Road through Paradise 
   by Dr. Jason Heald

My days start before the rising sun.
Appointments to be made and bills must be paid-
A million projects screaming to get done.
It's life where time is always in demand,
Where non-stop is the pace, count the deadlines that I face-
With every minute occupied and planned.

But the sun is rising on a hillside
Where a rolling stream's the only sound that's heard-
Where a day is measured only by the nightfall
Or the turning autumn leaves
And the whistling reprise
of a spring time bird.

The road through paradise
Isn't always a straight line.
There is beauty in every curve and swail.
To find yourself,
You need to find the time
To see nature in detail.
It's a joy that lasts when you're off the beaten path.
  to view the rest of the song's lyrics, please click here


You can listen to Dr. Jason Heald's music by visiting his MySpace page. 

Pennington Farms: Truly Farm Fresh Food

Mouth-watering pies, cookies, berry turnovers and jams...Pennington Farms in southern Oregon delivers what today's consumers crave most: straight-from-the-farm freshness. This unique combination of berry farm/flower farm/bakery/retailer/innkeeper and a fantastic real-farm family keeps hungry buyers knocking at the bakery barn's door all year round.

Cathy Pennington, owner with husband Sam, is everything you would expect from a successful entrepreneur. She is exuberant. She is full of creativity and, maybe most importantly, she is flexible. "In 1994, we moved our family from our Colorado farm--where we primarily grew peonies and hydrangeas--to our current farm eleven miles south of Grants Pass, Oregon. The emphasis on berry varietals all started with my husband Sam planting 7 acres dedicated to berries and ended with us trying to figure out what to do with all the harvest. In the beginning, we baked 10 pies per day in our home kitchen and hung out a sign on the road saying 'pies for sale.' It's hard to believe that we have gone from that humble start to now having a store-front barn bakery that sells breads, pastries, and a large variety of jams."

Besides the goodies, the Pennington's have a Farmstead home near the bakery that they rent out. Here guests can experience the entire farm while staying in the cozy home. Cathy encourages her overnight guests to visit the bakery and watch the process. Plus they can get a feel for the ways the family grows and harvests their berry crops.

"Our family feels really blessed that we have been able to create products that make our customers happy and an atmosphere that makes our farm stay house guests feel at home too," said Cathy.

Interested in visited the bakery or staying at the Farmstead home? The farm/bakery is located just off Hwy 238 about eleven miles south of Grants Pass. 11341 Williams Hwy. Phone is: 541-846-0550 and their website is:  www.penningtonfarms.net  You can click here if you are interested in shipping a true Oregon-grown Pennington Farms gift box to friends for the holidays:  http://www.penningtonfarms.net/order.htm

Dream'in of the Wild Fungi

Well, darn it. We love to cook and especially love to use Oregon's golden chanterelle 'shrooms. Just cooked a killer potato gratin with a middle layer of chanterelle, onions, and garlic. Life doesn't get any better than that combination of flavors. Send us a shout-out if you want the recipe. Extremely easy and oh-so-yummy!

With the onset of autumn rains, mushrooms are still sprouting in great abundance throughout southern Oregon...although it is starting to get a bit cold.

The first rule of mushroom hunting in the wild is: "When in doubt, throw it out."

When you head out into the woods looking for mushrooms, it's important to know exactly where you're searching because rules vary for different areas. For instance, it is currently illegal to pick blue chantereeles, truffles, cauliflower mushrooms, and coral mushrooms on BLM lands. The Forest Service, however, does not prohibit the picking of those species, but it does require a recreational mushroom picking permit. The recreational permit is free, and allows you to gather up to a gallon of mushrooms per day and 5 gallons per year. The BLM does not require a permit for recreational mushroom harvesting, though it does impose the same limit of a gallon per day and 5 gallons per year.

If 5 gallons of mushrooms aren't enough for you, or if you plan to sell what you find, you'll need a commercial permit. The BLM charges $10 per day, $35 per week, or $100 for a seasonal, six-month permit. The Forest Service charges $20 for a 10-day commercial permit and $150 for a six-month permit. These permits are good for one year.

Have fun searching (and discovering) these "jewels of the forest floor." Your tummy will not be disappointed.

Best Rogue River waterfall: Stair Creek Falls

Stair Creek waterfall on Oregon's Rogue River is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Oregon.  Its name comes from the watery journey it takes down rocky "stairs." The stream cascades into the Rogue River from the south. It flows over nearly vertical rock walls to meet the river. Inspiration Point (where White Water Warehouse owner, Bob Meister, filmed the waterfall) overlooks this scenic spot from the river's north bank.

During the summer months the pool at the bottom of Stair Creek Falls is a likely place to find salmon refreshing themselves in its cool waters. Often during the dog days of summer, rafters and kayakers will stop to view the beautiful waterfall from the vantage point of looking up into the Falls--some even brave enough to take icey cold dips in Stair Creek's surging waters.