The River

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Long ago in our marriage, my husband and I took a FABULOUS vacation for a week in Colorado. We stayed a couple of days with good friends who had recently moved there. We rode an old steam train through the mountains and picnicked in a wilderness preserve. We went to the Science museum, the Garden Of The Gods, and Royal Gorge. And, of course, we stood atop Pike's Peak admiring the spectacular miles-long view! To this day it's still my favorite spot on Earth.

But there was a drawback to our dream trip in the form of nearly impossible logistics back at home. For months before we traveled, hubby had to work many, MANY hours past his normal 10-12 daily to pay for our adventure. Plus, he had to pay his entire crew their wages while we were gone despite the fact that they can not work without him. When he returned, the business decisions to be made had piled up, and any relaxation he had brought home with him dissipated instantly. We had waited four long years to take that vacation, but it took only a day for it's effects to leave us entirely. That's when we decided that for us, weekend jaunts on a whim are our best option for a get-away. For us, it works beautifully. That means, obviously, that we mostly just explore our own state, but I have found that our state is not nearly so boring as the kids in high school warned me when I moved here all those years ago. In fact, some places are even fun enough to warrant repeat trips. That is what we did this weekend.

Hubby and Me

The last time we had been to float the river, I was 5 months pregnant with our daughter. We had left my son with family to go with our best friends, a couple who announced to us on that trip that they were moving. It was a bittersweet vacation. We were making memories with them for one of the last times. But such fun memories they were! This time we took all three kids to that same spot for Labor Day and had a blast!

A Beautiful View

The laughs began while we were still packing for our one day jaunt. My children had never before been to the river, and I had a hard time convincing my daughter that her prettiest pink swimsuit and sparkle shorts were not the most appropriate choice. "But I don't want to look ugly," she protested. "You pretty much have to," I explained. "We all will. It's part of what happens when you float the river. You get muddy and sweaty and I'm telling you - it's one of the most fun trips we'll ever have together!" She looked at me with a mix of confused suspicion and ornery mental formulation. But she came back with the right kind of clothes. Bleach spotted denim and an old faded t-shirt.

"Catching" Minnows

The trip to the river seemed to take FOREVER! As we pulled onto the turnpike and began to explain river floating to the kids, I think their eagerness started to outweigh the speed we could travel with so many state troopers patrolling roads for the holiday. A stop midway at McDonald's proved to bring unexpected laughs when a girl about 16 or 17 years old walked in wearing VERY short purple hotpants, neon green stilettos, flaming red hair and a red and grey striped long sleeve top. Hubby and I eyed each other in discomfort over her immodesty when my five-year-old piped up, rather loudly "Hey, Mom! Look over there! Is that ELF?!" I nearly blew Dr. Pepper out of my nose.

Cooling Off

Then , we were back on the road. Two things my husband and I have shockingly NEVER had a fight about are money and navigation. We're blessed in this, I know. I described our options as he sensed how to manuver the screwy exchanges and road work and we pulled into town making good time. We passed a Native American Pow-Wow and Labor Day festival on main street, making note to return in time to let the kids play on the many moon bounce activities, but extra time on our river trip eventually won out. Before hitting the road to the river, we stopped at a gas station for snacks that were priced about four times what they are anywhere else. This proved to be quite a mistake for reasons that later transpired.

Un-soggy Snacks Before The Gun Down!

Making our way past the outfitters on our way up the river road, the first hint of fall could be detected in the faint smell of burning wood chips and a sweet breeze. Still, it was HOT and we were ready for the water! We pulled in just as the bus was about to leave to take all rafters upstream. The outfitter owner held the bus for us as we paid our fee, then became perplexed as we unloaded our cooler. She didn't think there would be room for us now. What a blessing this turned out to be. She called for a smaller bus and we rode alone, sans Crazy Drinking College Kids to our drop off point.

Dropping In

But as we dropped in the water and prepared to go, Crazy Drinking College Kids could be seen around the very first river bend, where they had already docked on a bank and were being, well, Crazy Drinking College Kids. We decided to paddle past quickly, thereby leaving them behind us while treating our kids to the feel of raging waters, even it was just from flinging it off of the end of our oars. There are no rapids on this lazy river otherwise. I will say that this particular group did at least make an effort to settle their behavior and colorful language as we approached and departed and were generally polite in saying hello. This was in contrast to Rude, Smoking High School Cussers we later came upon. And yes, we really did dub our fellow rafters with such titles, for the sake of making certain impressions upon our children, of course. Other groups included Silly Kissy Honeymoon Couple, Super Cool OU Pirate People, The Professional Kayak Ladies, The Other Nice Family, and The Watergun Fun People (who politely ASKED if they could shoot us before launching a full-on assault). This was where our previously carefully protected $6 cans of Pringles met their ultimate demise. The bottom of our raft resembled a roller coaster cart after a particularly sickening ride, if you know what I mean. We had to turn it upside down and wash it out to even think about riding in it again. That was the only time we saw the big fish this river holds. Apparently Pringles are the preferred brand of large carp in these waters.

The Stick We Just HAD To Hit

Not knowing how my children would do, I booked the shortest trip, a six mile float whose fifth mile we were shocked to have passed before two hours was up! The float was so fun, leisurely, with A LOT of bumps against fallen branches and underwater rocks. We joked the whole way about how bad we were at avoiding the obstructions. Once we honestly thought we had popped the raft on a wide part of the river with only one stinkin' stick that we somehow managed to roll right over! Having finished most of the trip so fast, we milked out the last mile for all that we could. Banking at a particularly deep area, we spent a good hour or more swimming, people watching and walking a 1/4 mile up the bank to ride the currents back down again and again. Then as I sat scooping up rock from the river bed, the first one I drew up was jet black with a precise hole in it - perfect for a necklace to commemorate our trip. This led the kids to spend at least 45 minutes finding other rocks and shells so we each could have one. That is something we will work on some Friday night together.

Skipping Rocks

Rowing back to our outfitter, we realized this was a trip the kids were going to want to repeat again soon (possibly in a week or two, with our neighbors!). Next time, we definitely will book a longer float. As we made our way back into town, we noticed the festival was over already (so early?) so we went hunting for a Mexican restaurant. If there are two things you have to love to live in our home, it's water sports and Mexican food! When we found that two of the three Mexican restaurants in town were shut down, we quickly realized that the remaining one was either really good, and had thus put the other two out of business, or really bad, but the only choice. We took our chances. The food was pretty good. The service - mmm, no bueno.

Leaving near 10 o'clock with a three hour drive ahead of us, I let the kids change out of their wet clothes and into soft flannel jammies before driving off into the night. How sweet it was to look back at them huddled into one crumpled pile, seatbelted and asleep under an orange half moon shining through the back window. Hubby and I had rare uninterrupted conversation for a while until I fought like crazy to stay awake, eventually losing against my tortilla-filled belly. But hubby got us home safely. When we finally hit our own beds, we were tired, contented, and sporting one last tan before the summer sun disappears on another year. Good memories of the river. No bitter. All sweet.