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: 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 ,

History Takes Flight at Tillamook Air Museum

December 23, 2010
From many miles away, the gargantuan size draws visitors near. Is it the eleven acres of arched roof? Perhaps the hundred-foot-tall letters boldly printed on its side? Or maybe it's the a-4 jet perched on a pole to signal that they've arrived? Regardless of how they find it, size is: Massive! Enormous! Colossal! Those exclamations and more are on… More
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Oregon Coast , Tillamook , Museums , Trip Ideas , Attractions ,

Harvest at Oregon Olive Mill

November 18, 2010
The Oregon Olive Mill at Red Ridge Farms includes fine wines that are produced from the Durant Vineyards and offers olive oil tasting and more – you can spend the night in a fully furnished apartment that offers a stunning view to the surrounding hills. More
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Willamette Valley , Dayton , Culinary Experiences , Trip Ideas , Eat & Drink ,

Mushroom Hunting

October 28, 2010
This week's Grant's Getaway entices and intrigues, but it also offers a dining reward as we join a pro who knows where to find Oregon's state mushroom called Chanterelles. Longtime chef and local restaurateur and all around Oregon adventurer, Leather Storrs, figures it's simple:if you want to harvest wild mushrooms, learn their habitat. In the Tillamook… More
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Oregon Coast , Tillamook , Culinary Experiences , Restaurants , Trip Ideas , Eat & Drink ,

John Day Fossil Beds

September 9, 2010
This week I took a colorful hike through time through one of Oregon's most spectacular landscapes - the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. From its headwaters in the Blue Mountains to its salmon-rich confluence with the grand Columbia more than 225 miles away, the John Day River twists, turns, and carves a path through… More
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Eastern Oregon , John Day , Family Fun , Trip Ideas ,

Rogue Jet Boats

August 5, 2010
If travel is a state of mind, Oregon sure makes you wonder how one region can offer so much wide-ranging recreation and scenery--and how you will ever be able in one lifetime to experience it all. Even for the seasoned traveler, an endless supply of secret places is available for exploring. So, slow down and… More
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Southern Oregon , Lakes & Reservoirs , Tour Companies , Boating & Jet Boating , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Rivers & Streams , Family Fun , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

See Portland from the Water

July 30, 2010
See the city of Portland from a different point of view when you enjoy this adventure. This week, I'll show you some cool ways to get around town on the river that runs through the heart of Oregon. When the temperature soars, the line grows longer at Willamette Jet Boat Excursions along the Portland waterfront… More
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Portland Region , Portland , Lakes & Reservoirs , Kayaking , Tour Companies , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Rivers & Streams , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Kam Wah Chung

June 4, 2010
If you know where to look across Oregon's vast high desert landscape, there are powerful human stories found in small, quiet places. This week, we go to a "time capsule" of sorts in Eastern Oregon's John Day, where a unique and memorable chapter of the Oregon story comes to life. There is a timeless feeling… More
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Eastern Oregon , John Day , State Parks , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Family Fun , Museums , Trip Ideas , Culture & History , Attractions ,

Grant’s Getaways: High Desert Museum

April 2, 2010
It's funny how some of the best surprises are often found right in your own backyard. So it is from the eastern Cascades point of view where elbowroom is measured by the wide-open vistas of snow-shrouded landscapes; the kinds of scenes that capture your heart and may lead you to wonder aloud: "Why have I never… More
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Central Oregon , Bend , Culture & Heritage Events , Family Fun , Museums , Trip Ideas , Attractions , Events ,

Gem of a Museum

February 26, 2010
In the vast Willamette Valley—with a little imagination—you can travel into a turbulent and tumultuous chapter of geologic history, when gigantic icebergs carried by floodwater that was more than four hundred feet deep floated across the broad-shouldered valley. It may be hard to believe, but it's true! In the blink of a geologic eye, a… More
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Portland Region , Trip Ideas ,