Grant's Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids

by Grant McOmie

Overview

From the popular television Oregon travel series Grant’s Getaways comes the third book in Grant McOmie’s well-loved guidebooks.

Oregon’s treasure Grant McOmie offers in this handy guidebook his favorite kid-friendly outings featured in his television series, Grant’s Getaways. You’ll find activities to engage any kid, from archery to clamming on the coast to hunting for thundereggs to zip-lining through trees in an aerial adventure park.

Grant explored many of these outings as a child on family trips and later as a father with his own children. A big believer in teachable moments through touchable history, he’s expert in providing educational content that kids truly enjoy. This is a detailed reference book for outdoor adventures geared for family fun and activities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781513260464
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	06/06/2017
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,028,175
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

A fifth-generation Oregonian, GRANT MCOMIE is a journalist, author, and teacher who realized he hadn’t seen enough of his native state and he has spent much of his thirty-year career as a news reporter exploring Oregon. He ended up enjoying his getaways so much that he decided to share these “teachable moments with touchable history” in a new Grant’s Getaways series of guidebooks.

McOmie, Travel Oregon, and KGW-TV produce Grant’s Getaways segments in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State Parks, and the Oregon State Marine Board. The weekly segments and half-hour programs feature themes such as fishing, urban hiking, surfing, geocaching, and more. The book series also benefits from tremendous support from both Travel Oregon and KGW through cross-promotion efforts with each. His show reaches approximately 2.8 million households annually, and brings to life many of the state’s varied natural and cultural resources that inspire year-round travel throughout the state.

Read an Excerpt

Kids Flock to Wetlands

“Whatizthat?” “Whatizthis?” “Wherezitfrom?” “Wherewegoinnow?”

“Huh? Mr. McOmie, huh? Whatizit?”

Field trips are interesting affairs! I call them my “Whatizit?” trips—the times when I volunteer to lead groups of youngsters on an outdoor adventure to teach them more about the natural world, times when my energies are tested to the max, as a somewhat uncomfortable knot develops in my neck from the quick swish panning this way or that to answer all of their questions.

“Mr. McOmie, Mr. McOmie, whatizthatbird, whatizthatplant, whatizthatfish?”

I love to teach young people about the great outdoors! I started my professional life in a classroom, and I always considered my jump into television broadcasting but an expansion of the class size. But the truth be told, television audiences can never be reached in the same way. There’s a special moment when you can see that lightbulb of new knowledge click on in a youngster’s eyes, followed by a nod and a knowing smile. That’s my reward for time outdoors.

One of the friendliest places to see what’s new in the outdoors is at one of the newest wildlife areas of the Portland metro region. Situated on the southern doorstep of one of the fastest-growing communities in Oregon, Jackson Bottom stretches across more than seven hundred acres near Hillsboro in Washington County. It offers varied wildlife habitat of marshes, meadows, ponds, and Douglas fir and ash tree stands that in turn attract all kinds of wild animals—especially birds: from waterfowl to blue herons to such raptors as hawks and eagles.

Lori Prince, Outdoor Recreation Manager for the preserve, recently told me that attitudes about wetlands are changing. “Our wetlands and marshes have always been treated as forgotten corners of the local neighborhood or city. Most communities have looked the other way when they deal with these areas because marshes weren’t considered very pretty. Truth is, these places are rich and diverse and hold many secrets about keeping our water clean—and our wildlife thriving. Wetlands really are critical to a healthy plant and animal community.”

Jackson Bottom was little more than “a dumping ground” for many decades. The open meadow areas were often grazed over by cattle, and even local businesses would dump all manner of waste and debris on the land. The attitude reflected a simple philosophy of “Out of sight, out of mind.” That attitude began changing in the early 1970s when people saw that wetlands, marshes, and other so-called marginal lands might deserve a different perspective. That is, these places are important, and if wetlands could be restored, wildlife could be helped, too. According to Prince, an ambitious project and partnership began at Jackson Bottom using water supplemented in the drier summer by treated wastewater from the nearby Clean Water Services wastewater treatment plant. The landscape was sculpted with bulldozers into pond-like areas and filled with the treated wastewater, which helped restore the wildlife habitat. The water became even cleaner as it was filtered through native grasses and sedges, bushes and trees, before it was returned to the nearby Tualatin River.

A measure of the wetland’s success has been the dramatic increase in populations of wildlife, such as frogs, turtles, great blue herons, and waterfowl that nest in the cattails and sedges. In winter, the remarkable sight of several bald eagles is great testimony to the wetland’s value. In fact, not only wintering bald eagles, but also a nesting pair, have made Jackson Bottom their home for the past decade. With their bold white caps and tail feathers, the big raptors are hard to mistake. And the eagle nest is gigantic and hard to miss. Each year the pair of adult birds has added more sticks and branches to their nest, so that today the five-foot-tall nest is very distinct and hard to miss.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Map
Acknowledgments

Spring: Outdoor Talk Essay

APRIL
Bayocean: A Spit You Can’t Resist
Wahclella and Memaloose Falls
South Slough Hiking
Zippity-Do-Da-Ziplines!

MAY
Forests for Families
Olys Are Back!
King of the Clam Gun
Written in the Rocks

JUNE
Downtown Salmon
Oregon Rail Riders
The Forever Fund-School House Project
Petersen’s Rock Garden

Summer: Outdoor Talk Essay

JULY
Wapato Greenway State Park
All Aboard at Molalla Train Park
A Butterfly Playground
Let’s Go Camping

AUGUST
Salmon Fishing is a Family Affair
Mt Hood History and Huckleberry Hounds
You’ll Dig Oregon’s State Gem
Oregon’s Floating Museum

SEPTEMBER
Oregon Tourist #2 Returns
Digging Fossils in Fossil
McKenzie River Campout
Cloud Cap Inn SB=Olallie Lake Basin

Fall: Outdoor Talk Essay

OCTOBER
Oregon’s Fish Whisperer
Secrets in the Sand
Oregon’s HooDoos
Taking Aim at Archery

NOVEMBER
The Oregon Connection
Just for Kids
Islands in the Sky
Written in the Rocks SB

DECEMBER
Hooking Kids on Steelhead
Caring for Oregon’s Wildlife
A Wildlife Artist @Elkhorn Wildlife Area
Forgotten Ghost Towns and New Beginnings

Winter: Outdoor Talk Essay

JANUARY
Basecamp Baker
Diamond Lake Snowmobiles
Cape Foulweather–Where Oregon Began
Off Road Riders

FEBRUARY
Kilchis Point Reserve
Beauty Beyond Belief
Higher Education
Menucha: A Governor’s Playground

MARCH
Marine Discovery Tours
Shellburg Falls
Wildlife Safari
Underground Ft Stevens SB=Oregon Cannons Come Home

Index

Interviews

There is nothing more rewarding than adventuring with kids. I've detailed 48 of my favorite Oregon destinations and included safety tips/sidebars on: Zip-lining with Children; ODFW Crab Class; Hiking with Kids; On the Coast with the Kids; A Word About Children and Safety on the Water; Kayaking with Kids; Family Camping Basics; and ATVing with Children. Get out and learn about the world around you!

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Grant McOmie and Grant's Getaways:

"Grant has a way of capturing the Oregon experience in a way that is both casual and compelling. He leaves you feeling as if you'd just shared a cup of coffee with a good friend as he reveals the secret details of an upcoming adventure. . . and invites you into it! His writings capture this spirit of his personality and exude his 'Get out here' approach to life, the outdoors. and all things Oregon."
—Todd Davidson, CEO, Travel Oregon

"KGW8's popular outdoor reporter, Grant McOmie, has published Guide to Wildlife Watching in Oregon, WestWinds Press, $16.99. The well-written book (every page is interesting) is conveniently categorized by season, with its dozens of seasonal locations also keyed on a map. It covers the gamut of Oregon's extraordinary fish and wildlife. Grant McOmie has built a career of discovering the secret places we all seek. . . be they quiet, peaceful, serene, interesting, challenging, or rewarding. . . Most are in our own backyard. All are in his book."
—The Oregonian

"Grant has long been a favorite of mine and now he's sharing the how, what, where, and when of his insightful outdoor adventures. Whether tree climbing, cooking up a crawfish boil, digging clams and fossils, kayaking, snowshoeing, or soaring skyward, Grant offers 101 concise vignettes that intrigue and encourage us to lace up our boots and get out there. As Grant so aptly puts, 'Why live here if you don't go searching for those singular moments which set Oregon apart.' Amen."
—Wild in the City

"Think you know Oregon? Find out more! Grant McOmie is a walking encyclopedia of information on the Pacific Northwest's out of doors."
—ifish.net

"Grant (who is an Oregon treasure) describes Oregon's traveled and not-so-traveled roads in a manner that will spur readers to gather the family, gas up the vehicle, grab outdoor equipment, and experience our glorious Oregon. Grant's enthusiastic and easy-going style comes across on each page. Keep Grant's Getaways and a map in your car any time of the year there are adventures and memories to be made. I'll see you around the state."
—Gerry Frank, columnist for the Oregonian and author of Gerry Frank's Oregon

"Grant's new book of Oregon getaways offers a fine collection of places for some of the state's best fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities. His getaways will set you on the right track to enjoying Oregon's natural wonders. So, as Grant likes to say, 'Get out there and explore the Oregon outdoors' and be sure to grab a rod, binoculars, and this book before you go."
—Roy Elicker, Director, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

"Every week, Grant McOmie thrills KGW's audience with his exciting outdoor stories. Now, this book gives readers that same opportunity to adventure with Grant!"
—Rick Jacobs, Executive News Director, KGW Media Group

"I've been a fan of Grant McOmie since his cub reporter days in Seattle. He is the voice of the great Pacific Northwest outdoors. Capturing not only the story of the destination, but sharing the legends, yarns, and accounts of the personalities that make Oregon this unique place we call home. Great read, makes me want to get outdoors even more!"
—John Williams, creator/host of Wheelchair Destinations

From the Publisher