Happy Birthday Daddy !

Monday would have been my father's 88th birthday. In celebration of his life I would like to share with you an article which was published May 1993 in the Portland Oregonian newspaper:

Henning Helstrom, considered by some to be the father of modern-day angling in Oregon, died Thursday of causes related to age. He was 75.

Helstrom was the owner of the old Foster Sporting Goods, believed to be the first and largest self-service hunting and fishing equipment store in the world. He began it as the Foster Cycle Co. in 1945, selling war surplus, bicycles and motorcycles.

He also began publishing "Henning's Fishing Guide" in 1958, ultimately covering Oregon, Washington, California and British Columbia with seven state and regional booklets.

The guides continue to be published and updated by Flying Pencil Publications of Portland. They are complete and current guides to angling areas throughout the Northwest and in Helstrom's time were the result of personal visits to each place he wrote about.

As late as 1992, Helstrom had sold his publishing business, but nevertheless produced a guide to boat ramps of Washington, after having visited each of them and taking photos.

Helstrom was considered an innovator in marketing, beginning the concept of self-service shopping for fishing tackle in small pans and baskets, sponsoring the Northwest's first fishing derbies, stocking fish ponds at public expositions and printing the fishing guides.

Several local sporting goods dealers, including Larry Schoenborn of Larry's Sports Centers, and many local angling guides began their careers at Foster Sporting Goods.

So next time you wonder where I developed my spirit of adventure, you will know it was "inherited" from my father. That and his love of people were the most valuable inheritances a daughter could have ever received from her father.

Thank you daddy, I know you will enjoy your birthday with the angels and all those wonderful gospel singers.

I can almost see daddy shaking his head in amazement as we head off tomorrow on yet another adventure...stay tuned for "Baja Slow and Easy" with Adventure Caravans !