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.

Dizzying Heights and Camping Delights

June 17, 2011
On a clear day – even from a distance – Saddle Mountain steals the scene across the Oregon Coast Range: a distinct landmark that's hard to deny! It is even harder for hikers to resist on an Oregon State Park Trail that will steal your heart. Each step up Saddle Mountain's two and a half mile… More
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Oregon Coast , State Parks , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Camping , Hiking & Backpacking , Trip Ideas , Attractions ,

A Getaway to Green Peter Lake

June 12, 2011
Oregon offers so many reasons to go on the road where the asphalt unwinds the state's scenic secrets. It's time to travel into the Cascade Mountain foothills on a getaway that offers a camping, fishing and a backcountry byway at Green Peter Lake. More
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Willamette Valley , Sweet Home , Covered Bridges , Lakes & Reservoirs , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Camping , Rivers & Streams , Family Fun , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Discover the Oregon Dunes

June 3, 2011
It is a sight that takes the breath away and fills us with surprise! It is a timeless coastal treasure a giant sandbox with plenty of elbowroom to stretch out and play The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area covers forty-two miles from Florence to Coos Bay and it is an Oregon landmark for outdoor recreation.… More
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Oregon Coast , Florence , State Parks , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Family Fun , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Encounters at Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area

May 13, 2011
An artist's brush is like a treasure hunt where each stroke is a revealing clue that can lead you somewhere new. For me, it was a chance encounter with wildlife artist and La Grande resident, Jan Clark, whom I met at the Foot Hill Road Viewpoint within the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area. More
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Eastern Oregon , La Grande , Birding , Trip Ideas ,

Horsenecks, Quahogs and Steamers

April 21, 2011
You'll really dig this adventure! Oregon's springtime super low tides are the best because that's a time when the dinner table is set. Mitch Vance, Shellfish Biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said that any of the really good low tides during daylight hours provide ample opportunities to harvest Oregon's varied bay clam… More
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Oregon Coast , Garibaldi , Culinary Experiences , Trip Ideas , Eat & Drink ,

Cape Lookout Whale Hike

April 14, 2011
There's a whale of a wildlife show along the Oregon coast at a place that requires you hike the extra mile – the Cape Lookout State Park Trail lures you along with splendid scenery at every turn with moments of wonder and surprise and sights that are simply breathtaking. The trail courses the full length of… More
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Oregon Coast , Pacific City , State Parks , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Family Fun , Sustainable Travel , Hiking & Backpacking , Trip Ideas , Attractions ,

Explore the Wildlife Safari

March 10, 2011
There are lions, tigers and bears – plus another 1,000 animals that roam free while visitors are in the cages at Winston, Oregon's Wildlife Safari. It's like a zoo except you are in the cage. Wildlife Safari stretches across more than six hundred acres of rolling, oak-studded hills and savanna-like grasslands in southern Oregon's Douglas County. There's… More
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Southern Oregon , Winston , Aquariums & Zoos , Family Fun , Trip Ideas , Attractions , Events ,

Snow Shoe to Trillium Lake

February 24, 2011
If you can't find enough snow in your local neighborhood for a wintertime outdoor adventure, consider this week's getaway. I've discovered several local wintertime destinations where you can snow shoe, it's an easy sport that's close at hand in the Mt Hood National Forest on the trail to Trillium Lake. Jeff and Emi Nishimura love to… More
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Mt. Hood & Columbia River Gorge , Lakes & Reservoirs , Favorite Trips , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Rivers & Streams , Snow Sports , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Oregon Heritage Trees

February 3, 2011
If you go the extra mile, you can find some real giants living in the Oregon outdoors. This week, we visit "Heritage Trees" made famous for their age, their size and also their stories –stories that link us with the roots of Oregon history. When you've a "Heritage Tree" in your line of sight – and you've a camera in hand… More
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Portland Region , Hillsboro , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Trip Ideas , Culture & History ,

Grant’s Getaways: Hiking to Drift Creek Falls

January 6, 2011
If you spend enough time in the Oregon outdoors, you realize that when it comes to winter weather, luck is a good partner to have by your side. So it was on a recent streamside stroll into a watershed where the rain is often measured in feet – not inches but where huge surprises waited at… More
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Oregon Coast , Hiking & Backpacking , Trip Ideas ,