places

Oasis Resort

By Scott Richmond

One of the Deschutes River's most cherished landmarks prepares for changes.

nglers have always been fond of traditions. On Oregon's famous Deschutes River, one of the most cherished traditions is the Oasis Resort in Maupin. For decades, its good home cookin' and warm hospitality have made it a popular stopping point for visiting anglers who like the resort just the way it is, thank you very much. Nothing stays the same forever, though, and changes are afoot at the Oasis.

The Oasis has been in the McLucas family for over forty years. Mike and Gloria McLucas have owned it since 1972, and before that it was managed by Mike's parents, Don and Virginia. But Mike and Gloria recently added some new blood to help manage the place. Fortunately, the new blood is still in the family: the newest additions to the management team are their daughter Marni McLucas Malefyt and her husband Mark. So in a few more years the Oasis will celebrate a half century of family ownership--three generations of serving anglers and river runners.

While a few things may change, one tradition is certain to continue: Marni's husband, Mark Malefyt, is a fishing guide on the Deschutes, as is Marni's father, Mike. In fact, if you look at a photo of Marni and Mark, you'd swear you were looking at Mike and Gloria 30 years ago.

Counting Worms and Listening to the River's Song

The Oasis Resort is in east Maupin, across the bridge from the main town. In the early part of this century, it was known as "Williams' Camp Cabins," and visiting anglers were housed in canvas wall tents. In 1928, wood cabins that once housed railroad workers were skidded in to replace the tents, and the resort became "Oliver's Oasis."

Mike McLucas's parents, Don and Virginia, bought the resort in 1955; Don had grown up in Gateway, near the Deschutes' tributary Trout Creek, so he knew the area and wanted to return. At the time, Mike was a young man in college. In 1967 Mike's father died, and his mother ran the resort. Five years later Mike left his job managing the Port of Hood River; he and Gloria moved to Maupin and took over the Oasis.

What was it like growing up in a fishing resort? "I used to resent it," Marni says. "All the Maupin kids lived on the other side of the river. I played with the children of guests. I envied kids who had sidewalks to ride their bikes on." She and her younger sister, Erin, had their share of chores, too. They sold worms and grasshoppers to anglers (in those days, bait was allowed on the Deschutes), then worked up to sorting pop cans and scraping dishes. By the time she was 13, Marni was working shifts in the cafe, doing full-time duty throughout the summer.

When she was in high school, Marni went to South Africa as an exchange student. "I'd try to explain where I was from and what it was like," she says. "It wasn't until then that I realized how much I loved Maupin and the Oasis." In an essay about the resort for her English class in South Africa, she wrote, "The river sings it's power below, and one stops a moment to envy those fortunate enough to drift to sleep and wake to that song." Now, the thought of losing that song--the thought of the Oasis leaving the family that has nurtured it for almost half a century--is more than Marni can bear. "I could never stand to hear talk of selling the place," she says. With a little luck, she won't have to hear it again.

Cottonwoods and Milkshakes

The old railroad cabins are still there. If you want bland Holiday Inn style cookie-cutter rooms, go somewhere else. The Oasis' cabins are clean and basic, but there is character and tradition in every nook and cranny. Most have a simple kitchen and a bathroom. Prices range from $50 for a room with a single bed, to $65 a night for larger units.

Marni recently embarked on a re-decorating project. A couple of cabins, however, are left "as is" because some of the regulars can't bear to see them change. "Anglers can be lovers of tradition," Marni says. "We've got people who have been coming here since the 1940s, and they want 'their cabin' left alone."

Something else that's been left alone is the big cottonwoods that shade the Oasis' green lawn. In summer, anglers will rest in the shade of the big trees, listening to the rustle of leaves and the roar of the river, and sharing stories of the day's fishing. Some days, you can hear the equally happy (but generally more honest) babble of children's voices, because this can be a good place for families.

In fact, the Oasis can arrange babysitting for families that want to go fishing but feel the river is not a safe place for little ones. Fly fishing writer Dave Hughes and his wife Masako sometimes stay at the Oasis. They go to the river to cast for rising trout, but leave their two-year old, Kosamo, in the care of a sitter. "Masako and I can go fishing together," Dave says, "and know Kosamo is being taken care of. If we want to cook, there's a small kitchen in the room. But if we don't feel like cooking there's great food at the cafe. It's heaven for a couple with a small child."

The Oasis' cafe--famous for its burgers and milkshakes-- is in front of the cabins, on US 197 just across from the river. The Oasis complex also includes a T-shirt shop, River Central, next door, and a quarter-mile upstream there's the Oasis Riverview Campground. The resort is open from April 1 to October 31--"from Fool's Day to Ghoul's Day"--but there is talk of opening up for winter weekends to take advantage of year-round trout fishing.

The Oasis can be reached at 541/395-2611. Besides the food, lodging, camping, and T-shirts, they can book you for a guided fishing trip, arrange shuttles, write up a boater's pass, sell a few fishing flies, tell you where the big ones are biting, and make sure you feel welcomed and have a good time on the river. Those are Oasis traditions. And as one generation passes the torch to the next, it looks like those traditions will continue.

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 10/20/1998.

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