Posted in Grant's Getaways on Jul 27th, 2009 No Comments »
If you like treasure hunts, you’ll love this week’s “Grant’s Getaways” to one of the newest – oldest – sites that Oregon State Parks Department offers visitors across the state.
There’s simply nothing like what you’ll find “down by the old mill stream” at Thompson’s Mills State Heritage Area.
When Park Manager Doug Crispin tells the unique tale of Oregon history at one of the newest state park properties the 19th century comes to life. It is history that dates back more than 150 years to a time when leather belts wrapped wooden wheels to move augers and elevators that carried grain that gave life to the earliest settlers of the Willamette Valley.
It was a time when the Calapooia River produced hydro power that moved all manner of machinery at Thompson’s Mills near Shedd, Oregon. Crispin said that Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department was so impressed with the treasured landmark that they bought the mill, the cottage and the surrounding property a few years ago.
“Every time I walk through this mill and see the axe marks on these original timbers, it comes alive to me. I just marvel at the craftsmanship, the hard work and the ingenuity of our pioneer ancestors. Plus, the fact that it still stands today.”
Restoration efforts at the site continue and offer hands-on exhibits that show you how tons of grain was moved and then milled with giant limestone millstones. It’s a remarkable site with many hidden nooks and crannies according to Crispin, who added it is: …“the sort of place that demands exploration.”
It’s a wonderful step back into an earlier time and place that’s pretty much like it was – and that makes it all worth a visit.
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A huge rush of Silver Salmon – also known as Coho Salmon – is swimming along the Oregon coast this summer. Oregon fishery managers peg the “run” of coastal Coho at more than a million fish this year.
Licensed anglers – with rods and reels in hand – are trying their luck on the ocean waters as the best fishing of the summer season gets underway. There is an old fishing adage that goes, “You should have been here yesterday!” The assumption being – the fish are always more eager to bite – the day before you decide to go fishing.
So when I stepped aboard John Krauthoefer’s (Firefighter’s Guide Service) boat at Garibaldi Marina for a day’s adventure on the big blue Pacific Ocean and heard: “The fish are here – no doubt about it,” noted the longtime Oregon fishing guide. “Every place we went yesterday we had a bite…there were three guys in the boat and we dumped the fish in and were done 35, 40 minutes later…it was great fishing!” His report sounded fantastic and yet my heart sank a bit!
That’s because it has been my history that whenever I hear such a solid report of angling success that occurred the day before – it is usually followed by nearly the opposite when I step aboard the next day.
While Krauthoefer fishes the ocean each summer, he insisted that he hadn’t seen ocean Coho salmon fishing like the past month in a long time. As we sped across Tillamook Bay toward the ocean he was convinced that our fishing adventure would be every bit as successful as the day before.
As it turned out, our combination of tactics and techniques added up to one of my most amazing ocean Coho salmon trips ever. He added that the summer forecast for Oregon’s Coho population is pegged at more than a million fish.
Anglers are allowed to keep three hatchery Coho per day.
Fish splashed and nets flew from boats all around us as we trolled within sight of Twin Rocks, just north of the entrance to Tillamook Bay.
You can tell the Coho are hatchery fish by the missing adipose fin; that’s a half-moon shaped fin located immediately behind the dorsal fin. (The adipose fin is clipped off at the hatchery when the fish are babies.)
Not only is there a greater abundance of Coho, but the fish are bigger than usual - on average two pounds larger – for this time of year.
There were plenty of keepers to go around and we ended up with Coho limits all around.
For more information on Fishing Licenses and Regulations
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Posted in Grant's Getaways on Jul 14th, 2009 No Comments »
We head outdoors to discover the wonderful world of Country Golf on this week’s “Grant’s Getaway.”
Whether a beginner or an established player, discover three distinct courses across the Willamette Valley that are family-owned, affordable, close to the rural side of Oregon and put you in touch with the great game of golf.
But golf isn’t just a game – it’s an adventure for many, a passion for some and can become a life-long friendship for folks who get to know the tress, the sand traps and the water hazards all too well.
Come with us as we visit Frontier Golf Course in Canby, Diamond Woods Golf Course in Lane County and Killarney West Golf Course in Hillsboro.
For great golf deals in Lane County, check out Golf Lane County.
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In early morning, when the light is soft and the air is still, there’s a sense of peace in the world. But as dawn approaches at the Sportsmen’s Airpark near Newberg, Ore. that serene silence is all too quickly broken.
For this is where Roger Anderson gathers folks who travel from all over the world to let their hearts soar on one of his unique adventures. Anderson’s Vista Balloon Adventures has been based in Newberg the past ten years. Anderson and his wife, Catherine Anderson, specialize in giving people a bird’s eye view to a corner of the greater Willamette Valley that stretches across Yamhill County.
The balloons are huge – big as houses. Each balloon requires five or six “crew” (volunteers who lend a hand) to assist with each morning’s launch. First, powerful fans blow cold air (the process is actually called a “cold-air inflate”) into the nearly 200,000 cubic feet of nylon fabric. Once the balloon has been filled to its limit, ignition occurs as powerful propane gas burners light up and heat up the air inside the balloon. It’s what gives the craft its lift. It’s really a rather simple premise based upon the fact that hot air rises, but it gives passengers who ride aboard a different point of view to the landscape.
Our balloon was guided by Roger Anderson, a veteran pilot with more than two decades experience in lighter than air flight. Within moments of our easy lift off, we are two, four, then six hundred feet up in the air and the other “giants” soon appear as tiny, thimble-sized floats on the ground below. As we soared across the valley, sometimes mere feet above the ground, Roger pointed out something that I might never have noticed if my feet were firmly planted on the soil below.
That wasn’t all – it was easy to see how the valley near Newberg was ringed with hills – hills that grow grapes – in fact, wine grapes! But not on this fine July morning for the wind was building and the ground was heating up. If we waited too long, a soft landing could be – well, challenging! And so, after an hour of delightful touring, the time had come for us to come back to the ground. We touched down in a recently cut “seed-grass” field ever so softly, without even a bounce to the remarkable landing.
Hot air ballooning is a lovely and magical way to see a beautiful corner of Oregon and build lasting memories through a unique outdoor adventure.
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