About the Author

Grant McOmie

Grant McOmie is a Pacific Northwest broadcast journalist, teacher and author who writes and produces stories and special programs about the people, places, outdoor activities and environmental issues of the Pacific Northwest. A fifth generation Oregon native, Grant’s roots run deepest in the central Oregon region near Prineville and Redmond where his family continues to live.

Grant’s Getaways: Fall Wanderings in Oregon

November 10, 2011
Bald Peak State Park has been a parkland since the 1931 and offers competing views that may steal your heart: Willamette Valley to the east where Cascade Mountain peaks dominates the horizon on a clear day. Plus, Tualatin Valley to the west - with farms nestled on rising flanks of the Oregon Coast Range Hills.… More
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Willamette Valley , Salem , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Oxbow Park on the Sandy River

November 4, 2011
This week, I traveled to park that is prized for its wild salmon and ancient trees and yet it's only a half hour drive from Portland: Oxbow Park on the Sandy River. Oxbow Park offers one of the richest outdoor experiences in the entire metro region where you can walk thru stands of 800 year… More
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Portland Region , Portland , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Hiking & Backpacking , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Discover Oregon’s Historic Pioneer Cemeteries

October 28, 2011
History runs deep across Oregon with fascinating, colorful and surprising stories. This week, we'll visit some of  Oregon's pioneer cemeteries that are heritage sites and offer a peak through "Windows of Time." Lone Fir Cemetery is as much a celebration of life as it is a resting site. Frank Schaefer, Chair of the Friends of Lone… More
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Portland Region , Lake Oswego , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Trip Ideas , Culture & History ,

Fall Feathers at Sauvie Island Wildlife Area

October 14, 2011
Each fall, a feathery invasion drops in to Oregon's fields and wetlands as a quarter million Canada geese arrive on fixed wings with a rowdy chorus. On the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, look closely and listen carefully for another bird species that stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Sandhill cranes are hard to miss and… More
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Portland Region , Portland , Birding , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Bonney Butte Raptors

September 29, 2011
On a clear day, the view from Bonney Butte onto southern flanks of Mount Hood is brilliant and awesome. Raptor specialist Dan Sherman said that his camouflaged blind is the "best seat of the house:" "Well, there aren't many offices that have a view out a window like this one. I look straight in front… More
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Mt. Hood & Columbia River Gorge , Birding , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Oregon Redwoods

September 1, 2011
Oregon has a "Banana Belt?" Oh yes, it's true! A near tropical land, but you won't find any pineapples, mangoes or papayas growing from the ground. When you travel to the Brookings area you will find soaring giant redwood trees and a wonderful collection of Oregon State Parks in this week's "Grant's Getaway." In summer… More
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Oregon Coast , Brookings , State Parks , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Trip Ideas , Attractions ,

A World of Wonder at Wallowa Lake

August 18, 2011
This week, we travel to northeast Oregon's "Swiss Alps" and Wallowa Lake State Park. Wallowa Lake State Park is at the southern edge of Wallowa Lake near Joseph, Oregon. State Park Manager, Todd Honeywell, said that visitors will find plenty of recreation in a year round campground that offers more than 200 sites for tent or… More
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Eastern Oregon , Joseph , Lakes & Reservoirs , State Parks , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Rivers & Streams , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

History Hikes in Oregon

August 4, 2011
Today I want to take you on three "History Hikes" that provide some of the greatest stories ever lived in Oregon. Great drama is easy to find in the great Oregon outdoors – if – you know where to look. In fact, there's a compelling three-act drama right off Portland's front step and each offers… More
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Portland Region , Oregon City , State Parks , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Hiking & Backpacking , Trip Ideas , Culture & History , Attractions ,

Ready, Set, Fore! (Adventures in Disc Golf)

July 7, 2011
There's a new way to "play a round" in the great Oregon outdoors but surprise: you don't need clubs, carts or golf balls to play this round of golf. And you just might need to yell "Fore" at the new and very first forest disc golf course set at Stub Stewart State Park. The new… More
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Portland Region , Gales Creek , State Parks , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Family Fun , Trip Ideas , Attractions ,

Wolf Creek Inn, Oregon’s Oldest Operating Hotel

June 23, 2011
In Southern Oregon, history runs as deep as the forested canyons where we hit pay dirt with a special getaway into Oregon's gold mining region. This week, we visit the oldest operating hotel in the state in a region marked by "Forgotten Dreams and Hidden Treasures" at an Oregon State Park that makes you feel right… More
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Southern Oregon , State Parks , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Trip Ideas , Culture & History , Attractions ,