All of our readers deserve congratulations for this. If you weren’t so dedicated to having fun outdoors we would never have earned the distinction this year of being one of Outside magazine’s Top 10 Outdoor Towns Ever. I’ve been working to promote Spokane as a great outdoor community for over 9 years and it’s amazing to see us mentioned alongside places like Park City, San Diego, Honolulu, Greenville, Boston, Bozeman, and others. Can we win the title? You can help by voting for Spokane at Outside’s facebook page here.

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Congratulations to Coeur d’Alene’s ROW Adventures. Here’s the details in a press release:

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho- On March 30th, President Obama signed the Public Lands Omnibus Bill into law, protecting 517,000 acres and 315 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers on the Owyhee River and canyons. With this news, Outside magazine has awarded ROW Adventures’ Owyhee Expeditionary Kayak Trip the 2009 “Trip of the Year: North America.”

Speaking of the signing of the bill, Rick Johnson, the director of the Idaho Conservation League explains, “…I was in the White House and watched President Barack Obama designate the first new wilderness for Idaho in 29 years. It was an extraordinary moment and an extraordinary culmination to years of work by many, many people.” This act will allow protection for Idaho wildlife such as: bighorn sheep, sage grouse, redband trout, river otters, mule deer, mountain lions and more. Now, one of the only ways to receive a guided experience of this area is with ROW Adventures and the 2009 Trip of the Year: North America on the Owyhee Expeditionary Kayak Trip.

ROW Adventure’s very first outfitted trip was conducted on the Owyhee River back in 1980. Founder Peter Grubb has been involved with the protection of the river since that time. Grubb states, “In 1988 we celebrated the passage of the Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that designated protection for 40 Oregon Rivers including the Owyhee. But this left the upper reaches of the river in Idaho at continued risk. It is with great happiness that today we can also celebrate the protection of the Idaho section, along with several important tributaries and the Jarbidge and Bruneau rivers.”

The Owyhee River Expeditionary Kayak Trip consists of 7 days spreading across 50-80 miles of river. The put-in is on the headwaters of either the South or East Forks of the river, around 5000′ elevation in northern Nevada. Due to the numerous rapids and narrow, rocky courses, ROW Adventures uses a small 13′ raft to carry the community camp equipment, and each person paddles their own inflatable kayak called “duckies” along with their own personal gear.

Grubb states “Our mission of “Sharing Nature – Enriching Lives” remains our focus and it is gratifying to be recognized by Outside magazine as the 2009 Trip of the Year: North America. I’m partial but I think they (Outside) got it right. This kayak trip is perfect for the adventure traveler who is looking to experience an untouched world and learn of its beauty and history, while truly getting away from it all, and now that it’s the nation’s newest protected area, it only makes the trip that more special.”

To learn more about ROW Adventures and the 2009 Trip of the Year: North America, please visit online at: ROWadventures.com or call 800-451-6034 or e-mail info@rowadventures.com. For other media, press inquiries, or photos please contact Peter Grubb.

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More about ROW Adventures
Since 1979, ROW Adventures founder Peter Grubb, and partner Betsy Bowen have poured their heart and soul into creating travel experiences that enrich lives and exceed expectations. What began as a company with a focus on white water rafting in Idaho, Montana and Oregon, has grown into an adventure travel company that offers an eclectic collection of trips to top destinations around the world. The uniting thread is an intimate connection and passion for each destination. Every trip is personally researched and developed with an eye on connecting guests in a relevant and meaningful way with the local culture, people and places they visit. Every ROW Adventures’ departure is artfully crafted, meticulously organized and enthusiastically conducted. Woven into this purposeful tapestry is an inherent commitment to honor, respect and preserve the character of the cultures, lands and waters they visit, traveling responsibly and sensitively. A sample of international destinations include: Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Jamaica, Turkey, Greece, Croatia, France, Algeria, and Egypt.

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First off: vote if you haven’t already. Doesn’t matter if you are in red Idaho or blue Washington, if you don’t vote you forfeit your right to say “I told you so” for the next four years–no matter who wins. There are some really important local races too. If you care about the outdoors the WA State Public Lands Commissioner is certainly one of them. Some cool links for this special day:

– Outside Magazine has a cool piece the importance, or lack of importance that physical fitness plays in a successful presidency.

– Topless Robot has the best piece I’ve seen on the best and worst TV/film Presidents. Who’s number 1? He’s a big outdoor guy.

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