Most notably, I have to say that I'm really disappointed at how close THE river is to me. I always thought it was some special far away place that required a road trip involving snacks for the road and stops to the gas station on the way. And considering we met up at a QT before we left, I don't think it was very wrong of me to think this. Luckily I wasn't in the mood for snacks and I didn't have time to get a cold one at QT, so I was able to keep these ideas to myself and I didn't feel like an idiot. Anyway, so that's misconception number one, and it turns out it's only like a 20 minute drive to get there, which is basically like a drive to ASU.
Misconception number two: I thought I would have to drive on a long and bumpy road to get there. But nope. The road to get there is AMAZING! On my gosh. Smooth riding, dips, and curves gallore. I kinda wanna go back just so I can drive on that road again.
Misconception number three: I thought everyone had to park in some dirt lot that basically had a sign that said "Break Into Cars Here -->" and that a tiny little run down bus transports you to the starting spot. Needless to say, I was very happy when I found out that I got to park in my very own paved, marked parking space next to lots of more desireable (to burglars) cars. And the bus really wasn't bad.
Misconception number four: I thought tubing down the river was going to be more like white water rafting...but with tubes. I had images of me gripping the tube for dear life as I went careening down fast-paced currents, watching out for jagged rocks and making sure I didn't capsize. Wrong again. A lot of the time I had to paddle myself to really get moving, and when there were currents the only thing I had to worry about was making sure my boo-tay didn't run into any of the rocks on the ground. Actually, I take that back. I did have to make sure I didn't crash into the trees or rocks because when river would curve, the water wouldn't, so we'd go straight towards the edge of the river. It was pretty scary at times
One thing I was not wrong about: basically everyone that goes is drunk or gets drunk while there. We even passed some pot smokers. There were sirens in the distance & someone said "Shoot! It's the cops!" So there are some lovely people to meet while there.
In the end, my experience of tubin' down the river for the first time was a success. I had a lot of fun and I didn't even get sunburnt. Actually, that fact is a mystery in and of itself because out of all of us, I was the one with glow in the dark skin and I was the only one not to get burnt. As the day went on you could see skin colors slowly turn red (or purple in some cases), but mine stayed the same. This isn't because I'm immune to sunburns or that I put more sunscreen on than everyone else, so I guess my skin just likes to absorb the light and become whiter. Yay for no skin cancer.
I'll have to try to go back one day before I leave...so if you're in the valley hit me up & let's go ASAP. I'll drive, you pay :) Just kidding.
