Rogue River Inflatable Kayaking

Want to experience the Rogue River's rapids up close and personal? Do you enjoy the fun of maneuvering through a set of rapids and then coming into quiet water? If all that makes you giddy, then make sure to reserve an inflatable kayak (IK, for short) from Whitewater Warehouse on your next Rogue River rafting and kayaking trip with the company. Here some fun photos taken of several of our inflatable kayakers on the July 18 - 20, 2010 Rogue River rafting and kayaking trip.

OK, no big surprise that Sam, our 21 year old office staff person, LOVED this photo--it's all boy!

View of a little more mellow river time!

Here's another inflatable kayaking "Sam Favorite"

Back to cruis'in in the IK on the many fun Rogue River rapids!

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.

Rogue River Raft & Craft Beer Trip

We're excited to have finished our first ever Oregon Rogue River "Raft & Craft" lodge-to-lodge trip. Our new bestest buddy, Ginger Johnson of WomenEnjoyingBeer fame, was the featured craft beer specialist each evening. She shared information about the Oregon craft beers that folks tasted and offered unique food pairings with each of the beers. This is a special trip and we recognize that there will be other folks out there interested in taking the trip in 2011.

So you can bet that we will be running another "Raft & Craft" trip next year. We should have our trip calendar ready to release in late September and will notify you by blog, FaceBook and Twitter....so be on the look out for Whitewater Warehouse's Rogue River 2011 Raft & Craft trips. Or give us a shout out...we always love to hear from our guests (or future guests!)  1-800-214-0579

World of Wine Festival

The World of Wine (WOW) Festival, the Rogue Valley’s premier wine showcase, is scheduled for Saturday, August 28, 5:00-9:00 p.m., at Del Rio Vineyards, 52 N. River Rd. in Gold Hill.

Some 40 wineries will participate. More than 750 people will attend the grand public tasting, which accompanies a professionally judged wine competition.

The event, which always sells out, is co-sponsored by the Rogue Valley Winegrowers Association and the Southern Oregon Winery Association. Tickets are $75 each and will be available starting June 1 online at www.worldofwinefestival.com or at:

Del Rio Vineyard, Gold Hill, (541) 855-2062
RoxyAnn Winery, Medford, (541) 776-2315
Schmidt Family Vineyards, Grants Pass, (541) 846-9985
Elegance Fine Wines, Grants Pass, (541) 476-0570

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.

Artik Creamery Ice Cream

Artik Creamery in southern Oregon produces dreamy ice cream. Local-sourced ingredients just push this special taste treat over the edge! According to the folks at Artik, this is how they lovingly prepare their top-rate yummy, creamy ice cream...

 

Making the best ice cream takes the best ingredients

"We start with the highest quality organic cream sourced from a farmer-owned dairy co-op. Our cream is richer than others and is pasteurized the old-fashioned way in single batches using the least amount of heat needed. This results in a smoother, creamier cream with unparalleled taste. In fact, it’s hard to find vat pasteurized cream like ours: virtually all of the cream sold in the United States is pasteurized at high temperatures or even ultra-pasteurized, resulting in a slightly “cooked” taste and diminished texture. Not ours.

"Our organic milk comes from dairy farms in the Coquille Valley near Roseburg, Oregon and is pooled with milk from other dairies in the same farmer-owned co-op. It is the freshest and best-tasting organic milk available.

"We use organic, evaporated cane juice and other organic and natural sweeteners including honey, maple syrup, and agave. We sweeten our ice cream, sorbets, and non-dairy ice creams using organic sweeteners. These include organic evaporated can juice,  maple syrup and maple sugar, raw blue agave syrup. We get our honey from local beekeepers with non-certified organic hives. Our custard base ice creams use organic egg yolks (our non-dairy ice creams and sorbets, however, are 100% vegan)."

We'd say that Artik Creamery's ice cream is 100% delicious! Make sure to check out this special treat at the following locations when you are visiting southern Oregon.

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.

Rogue River Rafting & Tubing Video

Enjoy this short video of folks rafting and tubing through the famous Mary's Pot Hole on Oregon's Rogue River! A hoot!

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.

Historic Lodges of Oregon's Rogue River Canyon

The Rogue River is a unique wild and scenic river. Why unique? For many reasons but the topic of this blog is the historic lodges that rest near the Rogue River's edge. Where else in the world can you float a fully protected river and experience lodge accommodations each night? These lodges are filled history and lore but also offer river travelers a peaceful respite and a comfortable place to rest each evening.

Black Bar Lodge

 Marial Lodge

 Paradise Lodge

Clayhill Lodge

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.

Bake'in Up a Storm for Rogue River Rafting Trips

Do you love fresh baked chocolate chip cookies? Well, we know our guests love 'em. That's why we've been baking up a storm for our Oregon Rogue River rafting and kayaking trips this year. We make sure that only the best, freshest ingredients go into these yummy delights.

And cookies aren't our only specialty. You'll be served java brownies and even a can't-be-beat rum cake! But these are just the sweets. We also hand make all our dips. Artichoke dip, red pepper/eggplant spread, black bean dip, heavenly hummus, and even our own blend of ranch dip! These are served with local-sourced vegetables and Oregon Kettle chips.

So if you are going to schedule an Oregon vacation this year, make it a memorable one. One where the rafting outfitter cares enough to bake with the finest ingredients and to buy fruits and vegetables from a local farmer.

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 Star Fruit: The Pear

In 2005, pears were named Oregon's state fruit. And with good reason.  Pears are Oregon's number one tree fruit crop because this fruit offers world-wide snackers a sweet, juicy, softer-side alternative to its cousin the apple.

Since early pioneers brought the first pear plantings to the southern Oregon region in the 1800's, the fruit has flourished in the rich volcanic soil, abundant water supplies, warm days and cool nights. Today, pear orchards in the southern Oregon area are as specialized as the regions that support them. Organic, commercial, and multi-generational family orchards all contribute high-quality fruit to the world's fresh pear industry.

The Medford Mail Tribune, recently wrote an article highlighting the Meyer Pear Orchards of Talent. The Meyer family just celebrated 100 years, and four generations, of pear growing in southern Oregon. The 140-acre farm has seen many challenges over the years. Weather, uncertainty of the labor force, market-driven demands for the "perfect pear," and business pressures have all contributed to the demise of four southern Oregon pear growers over the last decade. Surviving all this, Meyer Orchard hopes to continue to operate through the fifth generation...continuing its legacy as one of the oldest pear orchards in the USA.

Fun Pear Facts:  35% of Oregon's pear crop is exported to over 40 countries worldwide. Oregon produces enough pears to stretch back and forth from Portland, Oregon to New York 16.5 times. There are enough pears grown in Oregon to supply every person in the state with about 294 pears each. Medford, Oregon is home to some of the oldest pear orchards in the USA.

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.

Ninkasi - A Rising Oregon Craft Brewery Star

Ninkasi Radiant Summer Ale – Voted Best Summer Beer

This blog is a reprint from www.thefullpint.com: As the temperature rises and the days get longer, we tend to stash our barley wine and imperial stouts, in favor of pale lagers, saisons, wheat ales and what some breweries call Summer Ale or Summer Beer. With this in mind we asked our readers to vote for their favorite summer beer, while the answer was clear, it was definitely a close race. We reached out to the Founding Brewer / Owner of Ninkasi and this is what he had to say:

"All of us at Ninkasi want to thank all of you for voting Radiant as the best Summer seasonal. Radiant like many of our beers was made for flavor and not style. I wanted a orange hue to emulate the sunshine we covet in Oregon when we can get it. The hop flavor is much more earthy and grassy than many of our other beers with a nice dry hop in the end. We held this to 40 ibus which is pretty moderate for us and 6 % alc. which is also light for Ninkasi.

"We are proud to offer it to you all this year and hope that it can be a part of any fun you have this Summer whether it is BBQs, partys, festivals, hot Summer nights, playing in the outdoors or just kick’n it on your porch. It is still cloudy here today on the first day of Summer so break out the dancing shoes and do a Sun Dance to bring the Northwest it’s time to shine! All of us at Ninkasi raise a pint to all of you for your support of us and your love of Summer!"
Cheers!  Jamie Floyd, Owner/ Founding Brewer Ninkasi Brewing Company

Remember, this rising star in the Oregon Craft Brewery business is going to be the featured Craft Brewer on our 2010 Oregon Rogue River rafting & kayaking & Craft beer trip beginning Sunday, July 18th thru Tuesday, July 20th. Cost is $880 per person (double occupancy) and is all-inclusive--including the Ninkasi beer tastings each night. Sign up today by calling Whitewater Warehouse at 1-800-214-0579 or check out their website for more information.