Grant's Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids. Grant McOmie
something I really noticed our second night out, when we camped across a wide apron of sand that gently kissed the river. I could feel the quiet shout at me! Surrounded by steep rock towers, I was restless and couldn’t sleep. As I gazed up from my snug sleeping bag, I was stunned by a sky stuffed with stars. Moore heard me stir and whispered across our otherwise quiet group of drowsy fellow travelers: “Magnificent, huh? This float combines so much into one trip. You’re rafting, you have white water, the fishing, and wildlife viewing. But this is the reason I come here.” In the dark I imagined his hand sweeping across the night sky to touch the stars. “Almost a religious feeling as though you’re closer to God and closer to nature. Virtually everyone I bring into this canyon feels the same way.” I have never forgotten that feeling—a near childlike wonder for so much beauty in a remote country that was unmatched for its splendor and wealth of wildlife.
I have heard it said that “Our lives are but houses built of memories.” If that’s true—and it seems a fair mark of my life—I think people should make outdoor travel and adventures the bricks and mortar of their lives. I’ve tried to do that for more than 35 years as a teacher, television news reporter, and travel writer. Grant’s Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids is a visible measure of my effort, but, importantly, it is a work neither conceived nor completed alone. I like to brag that Jeff Kastner is the “best damned photographer in the outdoor TV business,” for he does a superb job of capturing the finest getaway moments with his camera. His keen eye and artistic touch are satisfying and humbling to behold … all of which makes my story writing much, much easier.
My sincere thanks to the Travel Oregon management team for their trust and confidence in me to represent Oregon—including CEO Todd Davidson, Mo Sherifdeen, Emily Forsha, Kevin Wright, and Sachie Yorck. I also thank David Lane of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ashley Massey of the Oregon State Marine Board, and Chris Havel of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. I appreciate their insights, advice, and story suggestions. Further, I extend my deep gratitude to the KGW-TV management team including DJ Wilson, Brenda Buratti, and News Director Rick Jacobs. Each continues to embrace and encourage our work at every turn
I also thank the folks at Graphic Arts Books for the chance to continue telling my stories from the great Oregon outdoors, including Kathy Howard, Vicki Knapton, Angie Zbornik, and most especially, Michelle Blair, a superb copyeditor who corrected and improved this text a thousandfold, and more importantly researched, secured, and offers—in this book—terrific information for parents who wish to make their travel with kids an easier experience. While I enjoy the storytelling, this book would not be nearly as valuable to parents and kids without Michelle’s well researched and thoughtful insights into the basics of clothing, special equipment, varied safety measures, phone numbers, and directions—the sort of bread-and-butter content that makes this work a much more useful buy. Thank you, Michelle!
As always, I thank my wife, Christine, my finest and favorite travel companion. Finally, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I get a kick out of the traveling life! More so now than ever before. And I suspect you do, too, so I extend my sincere appreciation to all who find pleasure and satisfaction in the journey.
Foreword
I’ve had the privilege of sitting in a front-row seat on dozens of Grant’s Getaways television adventures. As one of his regular guests, the two of us have enjoyed some remarkable adventures and several of them in the company of youngsters. Whether it was trout fishing on Henry Hagg Lake with my son or helping Eric McOmie land his first steelhead on the Cowlitz River when he was just a lad, I’ve watched Grant work his magic in translating these wonderful moments into memorable television segments. Those stories have fired the ambition and dreams of parents and kids around the Pacific Northwest, helping to create a new legion of outdoor enthusiasts.
A little about Grant. What you see is what you get. He’s as passionate about the outdoors as you see in his regular broadcasts and he genuinely loves what he does. Who wouldn’t?
Just a few months ago, we enjoyed a trip on the Columbia River with our mutual friend and professional fishing guide, John Krauthoefer. Grant hooked and landed a gorgeous, ocean-bright chinook salmon. This fish was strong, pulling line off the reel in long, dogged runs. Just when we thought we’d had this fish beat, off it would go. When we finally got it in the net, Grant sat on the gunwale of the boat with a big smile of satisfaction and said, “Look, I’m shaking!” Sure enough he was. Even after landing hundreds of salmon, Grant’s excitement was real and visible. It reminded me that no matter how old we are or how often we’ve done something in our lives, there’s a kid in all of us.
Twenty years ago, I watched Grant tame a fifth-grade class in minutes. He was making school visits around the Portland area and invited me to join him. Grant opened with a series of questions, not just any run-of-the-mill “do you spend time outdoors” questions, but ones that immediately captured the attention of the class. “What’s the Oregon state bird?” A couple students raised their hands, waving in earnest, straining to be recognized. “The western meadowlark,” one student blurted. “That’s right, very good, let me tell you a little about the western meadowlark….” Grant shared the what and why of Oregon’s state bird and followed it with another series of questions that kept the kids completely engaged the entire hour of his visit. Watching it, I thought, he’s good. He had this group in the palm of his hands in seconds. No easy feat.
Grant’s desire to share his love of the outdoors with kids is part of who he is. On one of our many trips for spring chinook, we’d been trolling fruitlessly for hours. As we waited for the fish to bite, we talked about fifty different things ranging from our families to work as we mined the Willamette River for these wonderful fish. Out of nowhere, Grant asked, “You know why we love to take our kids fishing?” I must have looked like I had no clue because Grant quickly added, “Because we get to relive these experiences all over again—through their eyes.” He’s right! That indelible conversation reshaped how I viewed those experiences and I’ve grown to enjoy them even more, understanding that those moments are as special for me as they are for kids.
Grant knows better than most how important it is to connect kids to the outdoors. He’s seen it through his kids and those of his friends. Those grade school years are so formative and impressionable, more so than any other time in our lives. Kids remember those adventures for a lifetime. This collection of trips and adventures Grant’s assembled in his latest book, Grant’s Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids, are all kid-tested and are sure to create important outdoor connections and inspire many lifetime memories. Whether it’s pulling in pot loads of Dungeness crabs or catching trout or pitching a tent and sleeping under the stars, these stories are ideal getaways for the entire family. Take Grant’s advice and “Get out there and enjoy the great Oregon outdoors!”
—Trey Carskadon
Introduction
Now, Grant—tell us again, what is it that you do for a living? I hear it has something to do with the television. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I would if you were on there … but I don’t really understand what it is you do—your mother said something about ‘Grant goes fishing.’”
It felt a lot like a doubleheader baseball game that had gone terribly wrong—two pitchers throwing heat at the same time—these were fastballs with uncanny accuracy as my favorite grandmothers were trying hard for a quick “strike three and you’re out” on their grandson, who, at that moment felt like scrambling into the dugout.
“Well, Grandma Sadie—Grandma Dee—it’s actually not just fishing,” I replied. “In fact, I travel across the entire Northwest on a variety of stories about people, places, outdoor recreation, and environmental issues for a Portland television station. They’ve sent me to Alaska, Canada, and most every state in the greater West—I’ve even traveled to Hawaii a couple of times.”
“So, you get paid to go fishing?” responded Grandma Sadie, our family matriarch.
“Is that it, eh?” came a high and inside fastball