I’m so thrilled that my article “Ciders & Sliders: How-To Tips and 4 Fabulous Pairings” for Plum Deluxe is up, and just in time for 4th of July weekend. It’s packed with helpful tips, recipes and great ciders. So if you’re interested in pairing ciders and sliders, be sure to check it out.
Northwest Cider Pubs & Taprooms
Interested in sampling the latest hard ciders in the Northwest? Check out my new article in the current issue of Northwest Travel Magazine about these four cider pubs and taprooms.
History Abounds in Fort Worden State Park
Located at the northeast tip of Port Townsend, WA, Fort Worden State Park comprises over 400 acres of wooded hillsides, coastal wetlands, and sandy beaches. Originally a US Army base, begun in the late 19th century, Fort Worden was decommissioned in the 1950s and sold to the State of Washington. Fort Worden State Park opened in 1973.
When you arrive, follow the park’s main avenue to the Guardhouse Gift Shop and Information Center. Here you will find trail guides, park maps, and information on Fort Worden’s year-round events. Open daily, the park is home to a variety of family-friendly outdoor activities for all ages and abilities, from ADA hiking trails and easy access beaches to mountain biking and kayaking. Fort Worden also offers bike and kayak rentals, on-site lodging in historic houses, campgrounds with RV sites, and picnic areas.
Any history or military buffs in the family? If so, be sure to explore the park’s historic buildings, expansive parade grounds, and interpretive museums. At the Coast Artillery Museum, experience coastal artillery bunkers firsthand. Or join a free tour of nearby Point Wilson Lighthouse, held on Saturdays in the summer.
Family-Friendly Story Ideas in Oregon’s Rogue River Region
From experimenting with soap bubbles at a science museum to rafting along the Rogue River’s rapids, southern Oregon’s Rogue River region offers travel writers and travel writer bloggers lots of great family-friendly and outdoor adventure story ideas. Not too long ago, my family and I enjoyed several days exploring the kid-friendly side of this diverse area.
Like another lucky writer at the Travel and Words ’13 conference, I was fortunate enough to win a drawing for a research trip hosted by regional marketing tourism groups Travel Medford and Grants Pass Tourism. These friendly folks are great contacts for travel writers looking for new stories ideas as well as writers on assignment that need help crafting an itinerary.
Famed home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland also has a lot to offer families. On the outskirts of the city is the innovative ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum, which offers 26,000 sq. ft. of interactive exhibits and science shows for all ages. Just east of Ashland, farm tours and farm stays are available at Willow-Witt Farm. Or find outdoor thrills at Rogue Valley Zipline Adventures. Activities in Ashland proper include Lithia Park, North Mountain Park Nature Center and the Schneider Museum of Art.
The newly relocated Kid-Time Discovery Center in Medford, located next door to the Southern Oregon Historical Society Center, offers children two stories of creative and interactive exhibits. My three-year-old son Finn loved playing in the construction exhibit. Bumper boats, miniature golf, go karts, batting cages, and arcade games are all found at the Rogue Valley Family Fun Center. Other great kid-friendly activities include train rides at the historic Railroad Park and exploring the Bear Creek Nature and Bicycling National Recreational Trail.
In Grants Pass, find green space and construction-themed play equipment at Riverside Park, 60,000 cubic feet of tube slides and ball pits at Club Northwest “KidZone”, build Lego creations at Rebel Bricks, or cruise along the scenic Rogue River with Hellgate Jetboat Excursions. You can also experience the art of glass-blowing up and personal at The Glass Forge.
Less then ten miles north of Grants Pass in the small town of Merlin, Rogue Wilderness Adventures offers travel writers a treasure trove of outdoor stories. For over 40 years, this local company has offered world-class rafting, hiking and fishing getaways along the Rogue River. My husband, our son Finn and I had a wonderful time viewing Oregon wildlife at the Wildlife Images Rehabilitation Center, an impressive clinic, interpretive center and animal-holding facility that tends injured and orphaned animals.
In Oregon’s scenic Rogue River Country, family adventures and stories abound for travel writers, travel writer bloggers and travel photographers.
2014 Northwest Writers Conference
Fellow writers, the annual Northwest Travel Writers Conference, Travel and Words, is a fantastic event for both aspiring, beginning and experienced travel writers. I’ve attended the last three years and many of my article assignments came from contacts I made at the conference.
Travel and Words is designed to help attendees cultivate story leads. As of February, confirmed editors on this year’s editor’s panel are:
- Northwest Travel Magazine editor Allen Cox
- Montana Magazine editor Jenna Cederberg
- Chile Pepper Magazine editor Rick McMillen
- Washington Travel & Life, Prime, Inland Business Catalyst and Spokane CDA Woman editor Stephanie Regalado
- Idaho Magazine editor and publisher Kitty Delorey Fleischman
The conference also features tourism exhibitors from throughout the Greater Northwest to help travel writers focus their leads. These representatives share information about the regions they represent, which include Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and Alaska, to help you take story ideas to the next level.
Attendees can also choose to attend up to two conference workshops. This year’s topics are:
- Create Killer Pitches for Editors Near & Far
- Expand Your Freelance Writing
- Tune Up Your Travel Articles
- Cast A Wider Net: Expand Regional Research
- Writing Travel Guidebooks & Travel Memoirs
A Networking Mixer with no-host bar on Sunday will offer hearty appetizers prepared by the Davenport Hotel and selected regional wineries and cideries. “Travel & Words is an interactive forum for travel and tourism industry professionals, editors, publishers, and freelance writers to connect, share resources, and explore story ideas,” said Myrna Oakley, Chair of the conference.
For further details or to register visit the Travel and Words website.
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