Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Page 11
Garnier’s B&B ‘treemendously’ uplifting
By CHRIS HILL
Correspondent
Nestled among trees in
Takilma is a bed-and-
breakfast unlike any other in
the area.
In fact, Swiss Family
Robinson would have felt
right at home.
Since 1989, The Out
‘N’ About Tree House
“TreeSort” Resort on Page
Creek Road off Takilma
Road, has steadily ex-
panded, and now offers
campers the choice of nine
on-site tree houses, two off-
site tree houses, one cabin
and one room in the main
house.
The unique experience
campers receive at the resort
is what keeps them coming
back, said owner Michael
Garnier.
He said he got the idea
to start the business in 1989.
“I tried many ideas, and
this one worked,” he said. “I
got a degree in psychology
and did drug counseling for
a while. Then I worked for
Kauffman Wood Products
and built pole fences, pole
barns and did some craft
work.
“I came out here over
30 years ago and was the
first physician’s assistant for
the Takilma People’s Clinic,
which is now the Siskiyou
Community Health Center,”
Garnier said.
While his idea of a bed-
and-breakfast business
eventually worked out, Gar-
nier said that it was rough
getting started.
“I built the cabin and
nobody came,” he said.
“Then, I built the first
tree house, Peacock Perch,
and it started attracting at-
tention, and people started
coming. I got my money
back from what I put into it
and started building more
and more and it continues to
fill up.
“I turn away 10 or 15
people a day. We’re booked
for the rest of summer,”
Garnier explained.
However, there’s still
plenty for people to do, al-
though they won’t be able to
book a room in the trees.
with a claw-foot bathtub.
Campers are invited to the
house, where they are
served home-cooked meals.
At night, they can gather
around a camp fire to roast
marshmallows and join in
MICHAEL GARNIER (Photo by Chris Hill)
“We offer horseback
riding, zip lines, rope climb-
ing and different classes like
tie-dye classes and tile mo-
saic classes,” Garnier said.
“People get going up to 35
mph on the line. It’s an
adrenaline rush.”
The 37-acre facility,
which Garnier purchased
more than 30 years ago, is
backed by the national forest
and offers plenty of trails for
horseback riding and to ex-
plore while staying at the
resort. There is also a small
freshwater pool available for
those who wish to cool off.
Some of the tree houses
are equipped with plumbing.
In the suite, campers can
enjoy the comfort of a full-
sized bathroom complete
sing-alongs.
Despite the fact that the
tree houses are as high as 35
feet, Garnier said he’s not
worried about the integrity
of the tree houses, nor is he
concerned about anyone
falling out.
“It’s no different than
being on a third-story hotel
balcony,” he said. “I don’t
worry about anyone falling
out, but I do worry about
little kids climbing over and
falling, which hasn’t hap-
pened,” Garnier said.
His plans for the resort
include building a
“toiletree” house, which will
be complete with a bath-
room. He also plans to com-
plete the platforms and cable
bridges which will wrap
around the house. Currently,
the platforms and bridges
stop about half-way around.
In addition, Garnier will
convert the house into a
lodge.
In some cases, the
bridges are the only access
to some of the taller tree
houses. Other, shorter tree
houses have stairs that lead
up to them.
“We’ve had people
come out here who weren’t
able to cross the bridges, but
they were able to trade with
others who were closer to
the ground,” Garnier said.
Garnier, who has seen
people come from all over
the world, including Austra-
lia, Germany, France, Sin-
gapore and India, said that
much of his worldwide
popularity is due in part to
the fact that the resort has
been featured in widespread
media.
“The Travel Channel is
doing a piece on us right
now,” he said. “HGTV is
going to be coming out
again. We’ve been in all
sorts of magazines. ‘Life’ is
supposed to come out this
summer,” Garnier said.
However, the popularity
of the resort is almost too
much too handle.
“I had to hire someone
to answer the phones all day
just to tell people that
there’s not any vacancy,” he
said. “If we don't have a
vacancy, then we rent satel-
lite tree houses at secret lo-
cations across the valley and
keep those filled up too.
“It’s almost like a fran-
chise. There are certain cri-
teria the properties must
meet, but I can guarantee
that at least 150-200 days a
year that it will be full,”
Garnier noted.
For more information
on the Out ‘N’ About Tree
House Resort, phone 592-
2 2 0 8 o r l o g o n to
www.treehouses.com
West Nile Virus ‘here to stay,’ reports state vet
A dead scrub jay found
Aug. 9 in Grants Pass tested
positive for West Nile Virus
(WNV), said Josephine
County Public Health Dept.
The first sign of WNV
in Oregon this year was
found recently in a dead
crow in Medford..
“Oregonians need to get
in the habit of protecting
themselves from mosquito
bites, because West Nile
virus is here to stay,” said
Dr. Emilio DeBess, DHS
public health veterinarian.
He advised five key
prevention steps:
*Screen doors and win-
dows should fit tightly. Re-
pair or replace screens that
have tears or holes.
*Wear long pants, long-
sleeve shirts and other pro-
tective clothing outside.
*Eliminate all sources
of standing water that can
support mosquito breeding
such as clogged gutters,
birdbaths and old tires.
*Avoid playing or
working outside at dawn
and dusk, when mosquitoes
are most active.
*Repellant use, prefera-
bly one that contains DEET,
Picaridin or oil of lemon
eucalyptus, is advised. Fol-
low label directions care-
fully. Never apply DEET
directly to children or put it
on children’s hands. Apply
repellent first to your own
hands and then on the child.
Do not use oil of lemon
eucalyptus on children un-
der age 3.
WNV first was reported
in Oregon last year. DeBess
said that most states have
had significantly larger
numbers of cases in the sec-
ond year, as the virus
spreads to susceptible birds
throughout the state.
During 2004, Oregon
recorded WNV infections in
five people, 23 birds and 32
horses.
DHS has an active sur-
veillance program under
way to test birds, chickens,
and mosquitoes for WNV.
In addition, physicians
and other health providers
are encouraged to test pa-
tients who have neurologic
symptoms compatible with
West Nile, according to De-
Bess.
DHS has set up a toll-
free West Nile virus hotline
for people to phone for re-
corded information in Eng-
lish and Spanish at (866)
703-4636 (statewide).
Oregon computers keepin’ them down on the farm
Oregon is number one in
the nation when it comes to
farms with computer access
and farms that own or lease
computers, according to a
nationwide survey.
The latest numbers con-
firm that computers have be-
come as essential to most
Oregon farmers and ranchers
as tractors or any other com-
mon type of equipment found
in an agricultural operation.
“I’m not surprised that
Oregon is at the top end when
it comes to on-farm computer
use,” said Katy Coba, director
of the Oregon Dept. of Agri-
culture. “It’s great that we
have so many farmers and
ranchers that see the com-
puter as a good tool for their
business.”
According to the U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture’s Na-
tional Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS), Which con-
ducts the nationwide survey
every two years, 80 percent of
Oregon farms have access to
a computer with 78 percent
either owning or leasing a
computer,
In both categories, Ore-
gon leads the nation, followed
by New Hampshire, Idaho,
A drop in the number of information-seekers at Illinois
Valley Visitor Center was noted during July.
There were 4,118 visitors to the site in Cave Junction dur-
ing July this year. But that’s a decrease of 877 from the same
month a year ago, the I.V. Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors was told by Dulcie Moore, office manager.
The board met Tuesday, Aug. 9 at Wild River Brewing &
Pizza Co. Moore said indications are that the price of gasoline
and hot temperatures have slowed visitations.
Temperatures are on the chamber’s Website:
cavejunctionoregon.com.
Don’t read this.
You have the opportunity to use the
Community Calendar in the ‘I.V. News’ to promote
fund-raisers and other special events; or issue birth-
day greetings or other congratulatory messages.
The deadline for the Calendar is Monday, Aug. 22.
The Calendar will be printed in the Aug. 31 issue.
Don’t be left out. Come to the ‘Noose’ office
to sign up. Hey, it’s only $4 for three lines!
IVC
an DO
Riverside Physical Therapy
Full Rehabilitation
Services:
*Occupational Therapy
*Anodyne therapy
Linda Sallman
TWO LOCATIONS
TO SERVE YOU
128 S. Redwood Hwy.
Cave Junction OR 97523
Cave Junction Office
218N. Redwood Hwy.
(541) 592-6580
541-592-4541
Auto - Home - Life - Commercial
Numbers at I.V. visitor site
show decrease during July
and Montana. Comparing
with 2003, Oregon has sup-
planted Idaho as the leader in
both categories.
Nationally, only 58 per-
cent of farms have access to
computers, with 55 percent
owning or leasing computers.
*Physical Therapy
Across from Select Market on Redwood Hwy.
Open Mondays - Fridays, 9 to 5
THERMAL IMAGING technology has come to Illinois
Valley Fire District (IVFD) with acquisition of a Bullard
TI Commander Unit through a Homeland Security
grant. Among firefighters trained in use of the device
by Lt. Will Sowell was Kamron Ismaile. Through the
grant, Sowell attended a one-day training class in
Washington, D.C. The thermal imager can be used for
search-and-rescue, locating hot spots, finding the seat
of a fire, and numerous other aspects to assist fire-
fighters. (Photo by Dale & Elaine Sandberg/IVFD)
Grants Pass Office
1619 N.W. Hawthorne Ave.
Suite 109
(541) 476-2502
Jeff Wood, M.S., P.T.
There’s something
positive going on and
you can be a part of it!
I LLINOIS V ALLEY C OMMUNITY
D EVELOPMENT O RGANIZATION
Call 592-4440 today!
This Ad sponsored as a community service by
Evergreen Federal Bank