Whenever out-of-town guests come to visit, one of our favorite summertime excursions is a jetboat trip on the Rogue River. Departing from the nearby riverside town of Grants Pass, Ore., these wild and wet fast-paced river tours are the perfect way to spend a few hours on a sizzling summer day. Hellgate Jetboat Excursions, a family-run operation for nearly 60 years, offers a variety of trips, some including meals at the company-owned open-air lodge perched along the river.

We always like to arrive in town a few hours ahead of the scheduled departure time, allowing us the opportunity to shop and grab some lunch. Grants Pass, a community of about 35,000, started off as a small mining town in the mid-1800s and quickly grew as a lumber town and county seat once the railroad arrived in the 1880s. Its downtown core still boasts many of that era’s brick storefronts, now filled with quirky boutiques and restaurants.

One of our favorite lunch spots (also open for dinner and live music on the weekends) is The Laughing Clam, a traditional brew pub with a menu focused on fresh seafood. Housed in one of those 19th-century brick buildings, the restaurant occupies a long, somewhat narrow room with exposed brick walls and an elaborate wooden bar towards the front.    At the rear of the dining room is an old fireplace with a small performance space where local musicians entertain the evening crowd. The most striking feature, however, is the row of beer tap handles running the length of the room . . . there must be over a hundred, at least.   There are always 16 rotating microbrews on tap and a generous selection of wines, with most of the Rogue Valley vintners represented.

The food here is excellent, with dishes thoughtfully prepared and elevated above simple bar food. While seafood-centric, there is something on the menu for everyone: plenty of starters (we didn’t indulge, but I’m dying to go back and try the crab and lobster-stuffed mushrooms), salads, sandwiches and burgers, pasta dishes and a handful of entrées. Harry always likes to try chowder when it’s on a menu, and the Clam’s was hearty, flavorful and boasted plenty of clams and chunks of potato cooked to perfection. He also tried the microbrew-battered Alaskan wild cod fish and chips, while his brother tried the shrimp po’ boy with prosciutto added in. Both enjoyed every bite. I couldn’t resist the CBLT — crab, bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheddar — which proved every bit as delectable as it looked and sounded.   Served with a side of apple-cabbage coleslaw (with a light, non-creamy vinegar dressing), it made for a very satisfying meal. We allowed ourselves a little more time to explore the Shop River Rock displays at the Hellgate gift store, which offers far more than your typical souvenirs. High-quality home décor, accessories, furniture, jewelry, artwork, perfumes and brands like Brighton, Uno de 50 and Pandora fill over 6,000 square feet on two levels.

We ended our afternoon with a 2-plus-hour ride on the Rogue with about 60 others, skimming along in a jet-engine-powered, non-prop boat, clearing by just inches the rocks under the water’s surface. Viewing eagles, osprey and deer along the way, we thoroughly enjoyed the drenching we got every time our driver-guide, Johnny, slammed on the “brakes” or spun a 360 and practiced tandem maneuvers with another boat.

It’s so nice to know we don’t have to travel far from home to enjoy a perfectly delightful day.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor