Portland Winter Get-Away

As much as we would like you to go rafting with us all the time, during the winter we understand if you stray away from the water. From Portland there are many weekend get-away opportunities in just about every direction. This last weekend I headed east in search of new scenery and created a fun winter-itinerary for those looking for an easy escape from Portland.

Dana researched various Bed and Breakfasts and found a great place called the Husum Highlands, (800) 808-9812. It's run by Jerry and Carol Stockwell and they built the 4,000 square foot Victorian house a few years ago. It sits at 1,800 feet and has spectacular views of White Salmon and Mt. Hood.

Friday, February 13th

We left Portland around 5:00 PM Friday evening and took I-84 to Hood River where we crossed the Columbia and headed towards Husum. We had a dinner at Hoobas (local favorite) and then headed up to the B&B. We were greeted by Jerry who showed us to our room. Slept like a rock in the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in (now if only we could figure out how to take a bed like that down the river...).

Saturday, February 14th

Breakfast consisted of Jerry's nutmeg waffles, an incredible omelet, fresh fruits, coffee and orange juice. After stuffing ourselves and chatting with Carole, we began the descent into Husum for some wine-tasting.

The first winery we went to was Wind River Cellars, where we met owner Joel Goodwillie. As we pulled up, I couldn't help but notice his van with an American Whitewater sticker on the back. Thus, I became excited to meet another boater and Dana remained excited for the wine. We tasted a bunch of his wines and ended up purchasing a bottle of the Pinot Noir.

Next, we headed to the Klickitat River for a short walk to scout-out the lower gorge. I'd heard there was some good whitewater down there, plus, there were two other wineries nearby to check out. After a brief stop, we headed to Cor Cellars and tasted three of their wines and then off to Syncline Wine Cellars. Syncline had quite the spread of cheeses, chocolates, and, of course, wine. We ended up walking away with their Syrah in hand.

For lunch we stopped at White Salmon's Everybody's Brewery. They are new in town and had not yet brewed their first batch of beer, but they did have "everybody's" beer, just not their own. This place is pretty cool: good food (like the French Onion Soup), plus they have a shuffle board!

By now we were pretty full and ready for a nap. We headed back to the Husum Highlands and took a well needed rest. Around 7:30 we began the drive to Hood River (roughly 25 minutes) for a dinner at the North Oak Brasserie. We brought our bottle of Syncline Merlot (only a $10 corking fee) and had one of the best meals I've ever had, topped off with a strawberry-champagne sorbet.

Sunday, February 15th

The next morning we had another excellent breakfast (yes, all we did this weekend was eat) and then hit the road with no definite plans. I wanted to show Dana the Wind River and "high bridge" (picture below) so we headed to Carson, WA.


From there, we drove to Stevenson to check out the Interpretive Center Museum. This place is definitely worth checking out! They have some really interesting collections and a few great videos about the gorge. We spent about two hours here and then went to Big River Grill for yet another good meal.

From Stevenson, it took about 45 minutes to get back to Portland; thus concluding our weekend escape.

The BEST of Oregon Rafting

When it comes to Oregon rafting trips, nothing beats a Rogue River rafting vacation. Trips on the Rogue River start in early June and end by October. Throughout the summer and into the fall, the river continuously changes with different flows, weather, and canyon fauna.

Oregon is known as a rafting state, and the cream of the crop is the Rogue River.

If you would like to join Rogue River Journeys in 2009, give us a call at 1-866-213-7754.

Oregon Rafting Theme Trips

Rafting in Oregon is fun by itself, but when you add in a couple of themes, the spice really starts to kick in. “The Rogue River has always been a popular vacation get-away, but with our new theme trips, we’ve added a great twist to an already exhilarating adventure,” comments Rogue River Journeys’ General Manager Jim Ritter.

Partnered with Full Sail Brewing, Rogue River Journeys’ June 24-26 trip featuring the award-winning beers of Full Sail Brewing will certainly fill quickly. Each of the two nights will be spent at a historic lodge along the Rogue River and will feature beer tasting coupled with a “taste of Oregon”. A celebration of great food and fine micro brews from Full Sail Brewing (www.fullsailbrewing.com) will provide a fabulous and delicious experience on the June 24-26 Pub & Grub trip ($985 per person, includes two nights at historic lodges).

For women looking to master the art of reading water and guiding on the Rogue River, the June 17-21 Women’s Whitewater School may be just the ticket. Lead by women guides from California, Idaho, and Oregon, participants will have the opportunity to guide paddle boats, row oar boats, and participate in “round-the-campfire” discussions. The Rogue River is an ideal river to learn on; as it offers a wide range of rapids, from a difficulty level of class I through class IV. The five-day class fare is $995 per person.

Deb Meymarian, an instructor for the Women’s Whitewater School, said “Our course on the Rogue is designed for women guides, taught by women instructors, and will be a great first step for women who love the outdoors and have thought about guiding.”

What themes would you like to see for 2010? We have a poll on our Oregon Rafting home page. Find it on the bottom left corner.

Happy Boating!

Pasadena, California: On the Rogue River with Deb

Join Deb Meymarian, a longtime guide on the Rogue River, for an excellent vacation with Rogue River Journeys July 15-18. Deb has worked on the Rogue River for 16 years and each year she brings more and more friends and family to share the experience of rafting the Rogue. Join Deb in her 17th year of guiding on this special trip dedicated to her friends, family, and fellow river travelers.

Rogue River rafting trips make spectacular family vacations!

Dutch Oven Delight on the River

Our counterpart, Idaho River Journeys, was recently featured on the homepage of StarChefs.com. Last August, they were joined by StarChefs.com CEO Antoinette Bruno for a trip featuring dutch oven cooking on the lower 35 miles of the Wild and Scenic Middle Fork of the Salmon.

For the full article and incredible photo gallery, please visit the following page:

"Get out of the Kitchen - and into the Wild: Vacations removed from the world."

On the Rogue River, our menu does incorporate dutch oven use. But, what exactly is a Dutch Oven?

The following excerpt is stolen from one of our favorite river websites: MiddleForkSalmon.org:

The Dutch Oven Impression:

The Dutch Oven has changed wilderness cuisine in a fabulous way. It has opened the doors for baked goods outside. Cakes, muffins, stews, pies, and other baked goods can now be enjoyed fresh along the banks of the river.

How a Dutch Oven Works:

It's quite simple. People use Dutch Ovens at home all the time! The difference, however, is that they pre-heat their oven and stick the Dutch Oven inside. On the Middle Fork, we replicate the heat from the oven with heat from briquettes.

The standard procedure is this: 1) Begin heating the coals; 2) Oil the D.O. and prep the meal; 3) Develop a landing zone for the D.O. (needs to be flat); 4) Once the coals have gotten hot, place five to eight on the bottom, a ring around the lid, and a few in the center on the lid. 5) Wait until you smell the "burp".

That's pretty much it. Unlike a conventional oven, you don't need to set a timer (remember, it's river time). Dutch Ovens tend to give off what is known as "the burp" when they are nearing completion. In other words, you'll smell fantastic goodness once your meal is nearly cooked.

Fun Fact About the Dutch Oven:

The Dutch Oven is probably one of the only "pots" recognized by a state: Utah's state pot is the Dutch Oven.