Rogue River Hiking Trips

This is a super short video taken of a beautiful little Rogue River canyon stream called Kelsey Creek. If you happen to hike with us on any of our upcoming Oregon Rogue River hiking trips, you will have a chance to view it. So pretty with the dappled sunshine showing through the trees onto the creek as it flows towards the Rogue River, don't you think?

We still have room for hikers on the following upcoming 2010 lodge-to-lodge hiking trips: May 29 - June 1; June 5 - 8; June 6 - 9; June 12 - 15.

About the Author: Joy Henkle owns and operates White Water Warehouse (WWW) with her husband, Bob Meister. Ever-interested in making their Oregon Rogue River rafting, kayaking, and hiking trips part of a very special Oregon vacation experience for their guests, Joy writes this blog to educate and inform WWW guests and readers about southern Oregon’s fascinating people, places, foods, and festivals. Questions? Joy can be reached at 1-800-214-0579 or fun@whitewaterwarehouse.com Or, check out WWW's FaceBook page.

Roam the Rogue

Last Sunday it was southern Oregon's Applegate Valley Vintner's "Spring Uncorked Barrel Tour," this Saturday the Upper Rogue Valley Vintners are sponsoring a "Roam the Rogue" winery tour. The tour features eight Rogue Valley wineries who are offering tastings of their newest wines and complementary food appetizers. Tickets are $20 per person and include a commemorative Reidel wine glass.

Participating vineyards/wineries include: Agate Ridge Vineyard, Cliff Creek Cellars, Crater Lake Cellars, Daisy Creek Vineyard, Del Rio Vineyard, Folin Cellars, Madrone Mountain Vineyard, RoxyAnn Winery.

The Roam will be held on Saturday, May 29th from 11 am - 5 pm. For more information, check out the group's website at www.roamtherogue.com 

About the Author: Joy Henkle owns and operates White Water Warehouse (WWW) with her husband, Bob Meister. Ever-interested in making their Oregon Rogue River rafting, kayaking, and hiking trips part of a very special Oregon vacation experience for their guests, Joy writes this blog to educate and inform WWW guests and readers about southern Oregon’s fascinating people, places, foods, and festivals. Questions? Joy can be reached at 1-800-214-0579 or fun@whitewaterwarehouse.com
or visit White Water Warehouse's FaceBook page.

FREE Hat Fridays

Free is a very good price. And a FREE whitewater rafting and hiking hat...BONUS! You could be the lucky winner of one of our 2010 Rogue River rafting, kayaking and hiking hats...by just checking out our White Water Warehouse FaceBook page and "liking" us. See Joy Henkle (above), owner of White Water Warehouse, doing her best "Mary Tyler Moore" impression with the new WWW hats.

Our 2010 hats are now in the "House" and we want to spread the love... So, each Friday we will ask our FaceBook friends a question or offer something different on our Whitewater Warehouse FaceBook page. The FaceBook fan who is the first to respond correctly will win a FREE 2010 White Water Warehouse hat. Pretty darn cool (or at least it will be once you put our styl'in hat on your head!)

So look for the contest each Friday on Whitewater Warehouse's FaceBook page. Not a fan yet? What'cha waiting for? We crave you and your love and attention and it's fun. There could be a FREE WWW hat in YOUR future :)

Information Central: 541live.com

Looking for a "go to" southern Oregon information website? Look no further than 541live.com! This website has it all. Posts on upcoming community events, reviews on unique restaurants, and even what's currently hot in the local business/shopping scene.

541live.com owner, Amanda Misa is full of positive energy about southern Oregon and the website's role as an information highway.  "My partner, Jason, and I started this website to give our local community a one-stop information platform. It is our hope to feature the best of the best on the site so our readers know that when they take the time to click on 541live.com, it will provide them with detailed information about what they are interested in. Since Jason and I both have backgrounds in marketing--especially on-line marketing--we have played up the strength of the site's social media component," says Amanda.

The site is clean and easy to navigate. You'll find information on Community, Entertainment, Food/Drink, Outdoors, Shopping and Vineyards. "We really try to focus on bringing current information to readers. Much of the information we feature are local things to do that don't cost anything. We felt that was an important part of the website...making sure that people who visited the site went away with a feeling of true value and current information," notes Amanda.

541live.com is building a ground-swell of interest in southern Oregon's cool factor and, in turn, they have lots of folks interested in their professional abilities. Check out two of their latest clients at:  541live.com/38central  or  541live.com/downtowngrounds.

All images copyrighted by 541live.com.





About the Author: Joy Henkle owns and operates White Water Warehouse (WWW) with her husband, Bob Meister. Ever-interested in making their Oregon Rogue River rafting, kayaking, and hiking trips part of a very special Oregon vacation experience for their guests, Joy writes this blog to educate and inform WWW guests and readers about southern Oregon’s fascinating people, places, foods, and festivals. Questions? Joy can be reached at 1-800-214-0579 or fun@whitewaterwarehouse.com
Or visit Whitewater Warehouse's FaceBook page.

Southern Oregon's Farm to Fork (to rivers?) Dinners

"We're celebrating southern Oregon's star food producers with our Farm to Fork dinner series. There are so many amazing local farmers and artisan food and wine producers here in this valley that we felt the time was right to offer this unique series of farm dinners. All the food will be southern Oregon based and the dinners will be held at different farms here in the Rogue River Valley," says Matthew Domingo, one of the organizers of the 2010 Farm to Fork Dinner series.

In the words of the Farm to Fork organizers, this is a traveling farm-to-table restaurant, local food fundraiser, and community celebration rolled into one. The unique farm-to-table dinners are designed to reconnect people to the source of their food, and to honor the talented farmers, food artisans, winemakers, and chefs that contribute to the growing culinary reputation and local food community of Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley.

Matthew's group invites you to join them and meet the farmers, tour the farms, and experience a remarkable artisan meal in the company of friends, neighbors, and fellow supporters of the local food community. Proceeds from the dinners will be contributed directly to local farmers and to organizations that support small farms, food security, and greater accessibility to healthy, local food.

There is a minimum donation of $60 per person for each multi-course dinner. The first is Saturday, June  26th and there is one per month through November 2010. If you have questions, or want more information, go to the Farm to Fork website or call 503-473-3952. They also have a "frequently asked questions" page on the website that gives a lot of detailed information.

The Farm-to-Fork dinners happen once a month on a Saturday night. Perfect timing for folks going on our Sunday start 3-day, 2-night lodge-to-lodge Oregon Rogue River rafting trips. Check them out before you check White Water Warehouse out!

All images copyrighted by Farm to Fork Events.

About the Author: Joy Henkle owns and operates White Water Warehouse (WWW) with her husband, Bob Meister. Ever-interested in making their Oregon Rogue River rafting, kayaking, and hiking trips part of a very special Oregon vacation experience for their guests, Joy writes this blog to educate and inform WWW guests and readers about southern Oregon’s fascinating people, places, foods, and festivals. Questions? Joy can be reached at 1-800-214-0579 or fun@whitewaterwarehouse.com

Alice Di Micele - Oregon River Songbird

An Oregon river songstress who's voice will stop you in your tracks. Alice Di Micele. One of a kind woman, one of a kind voice. Bob Meister, owner of White Water Warehouse was listening to NPR one day when one of Alice's songs was played. He came back to the WWW office haunted by her lyrics and her voice. Going to her website, he discovered that she also lived in southern Oregon. Well, once we realized that fact, we knew we HAD to interview Alice for our blog. No question, she is a special artist. Working non-stop for others and for the love of the environment, her musical schedule is a busy one.

"My goal is to touch people," says Alice. "I need to give of myself." And give she does. Born in a New Jersey industrial town, her father was a teacher who loved to spend vacation time with his family camping. That love of the outdoors rubbed off on Alice. "My grandfather called me his little flower girl, his little nature girl. I was a keen observer of nature and through my observations I began to write songs. 'Celebrate the Rain' is a song I wrote when I was only 11 years old but it still resonates with my musical audience."

When we asked Alice how she comes up with her unique lyrical style, she answers in this way. "I kinda just catch 'em (the song lyrics). When I'm out backpacking or on the river I begin to feel a presence of a song. Often times I'll come home, pick up my guitar and write the song from those experiences. I try never to make it complicated. It just comes out of me."

Alice studied voice through a teacher who insisted that she know the classics and she feels that knowledge has been a real plus to advance her style. "Knowing how to sing classical music helps you develop a multi-level pallet--different colors of music, if you will. I don't know how better to describe it but having studied classical music allows me to use reds, yellows, greens--the entire color spectrum to enhance the songs I sing."

To learn more about Alice Di Micele or to order her CDs, check out her website.



All images copyrighted by Alice Di Micele.

About the Author: Joy Henkle owns and operates White Water Warehouse (WWW) with her husband, Bob Meister. Ever-interested in making their Oregon Rogue River rafting, kayaking, and hiking trips part of a very special Oregon vacation experience for their guests, Joy writes this blog to educate and inform WWW guests and readers about southern Oregon’s fascinating people, places, foods, and festivals. Questions? Joy can be reached at 1-800-214-0579 or fun@whitewaterwarehouse.com

Southern Oregon's Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway

Northwest Travel magazine describes the Rogue River portion of the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway this way. "The Rogue is a rascally river with headwaters near the western boundary of Crater Lake National park, where it begins carving and curling 215 miles to the Pacific Ocean. The 83-mile long Rogue River portion of the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway follows sections of its watery route as it gouges its way through gorges, lazily flows through broad valleys, and rumble tumbles through frothy whitewater stretches."

While this scenic drive is essentially located southeast of Grants Pass, Oregon, it provides summer vacationers with so many things to see. Of course the beautiful Rogue River is the star of this ride but you'll also encounter plunging waterfalls, crystal-clear lakes, historic towns, great hiking & biking trails, even Oregon's largest fish hatchery: Cole M. Rivers.

Here's a slideshow video that highlights some of the spectacular southern Oregon lakes and waterfalls along this drive...

Medford, Oregon Art in Bloom: May 8 & 9

"Art in Bloom" is Medford, Oregon's gift to all moms. The weekend-long celebration will be held on May 8 & 9 this year....just in time to celebrate the most important woman in your life, your mom.

This is an event that some folks look forward to all winter. The two-day festival hones in on some of Southern Oregon's best and most vibrant artists. During the weekend, downtown Medford will be transformed with visual arts, entertainment, and culture. This is Medford's tenth year of celebrating its many local artists, local culture and cuisine.

The festival has grown to include musical performances, workshops and activities geared toward the kids. New to the festival this year are a children's petting zoo and a drawing contest featuring some fun prizes.

Art in Bloom provides a wonderful opportunity to find unique and affordable Mother's Day gifts while strolling along with your mom. Buyers can be feel good about supporting local, community artists as well as other well-known West Coast artisans. Aside from art vendors there will also be local foods and spirits.

The weather is normally very nice in early May and it is a perfect family outing, so mark your calender and visit the Art in Bloom Festival in and around Vogel Plaza as well as the blocks surrounding the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater and the Rogue Gallery and Art Center.