When we were rafting, the guide let us jump out and float in the 38 degree river if we wanted to. My Dad, along with almost everyone else, wanted to. I tried it, but it was too cold so I got right back in the boat. That meant I was the one pulling people in when they were ready to get back in the boat. I was the one who tried to pull my Dad in. My Dad is about 6 foot, 2 inches, and a big guy - not fat but really muscular and heavy. I had my feet locked under the boat side (as we were instructed) and was leaned back with all my considerable weight and using all of my meager strength, getting nowhere. So one of the guys who was rafting with us, pushed him from the water underneath to help me. He and his friend were from Arkansas and were pretty funny guys. Anyway the following conversation ensued:
Dad: "Who is grabbing my balls?"
AR guy #1: Shifting away from my Dad to another part of the boat, "That's what we call a forklift in Arkansas."
The conversation continued once we were all in the boat.
AR guy #1: "In AR, when you give someone a forklift, it's go time."
Phollower: "Go time? Where do you go from there?"
AR guy #2 (AR guy #1's friend): "WE don't really call it a forklift. He does."
Me: "What is like to be friends with a guy who has his own name for grabbing a stranger's balls?"
So the forklift was a joke for the entire week.
Showing posts with label white water rafting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label white water rafting. Show all posts
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Stop #2: Arkansas River
From Crestone, CO, we headed to the Salida-Canon City area.
The big draw to this area was to go white water rafting. My Dad and I had rafted about 12 years ago nearby with the same company, River Runners. We rafted the Royal Gorge, under the highest suspension bridge in America. It was amazing. Here are a few pics from our rafting adventure.
This first one is before we hit the "photo" rapid. The guide, Kelly, told us the camera was there. Phollower decided we should all stick our tongues out, Michael Jordan style. You can see Phollower doing it there in the left front, and maybe the guide in the left back (unless he's just thinking). My Dad is in the right front, with my brother behind him, and me behind my brother. My step-mother, Baby B, is in the seat in front of the guide.
This is in the following rapid. Seating is the same.
Rafting was excellent. Our guide was awesome, really experienced, and very laid back and cool. I will let Phollower write about the crazy stuff he did while we were rafting. River Runners really is a class act. I would raft them anytime.
We went to dinner at the Laughing Ladies Cafe and had a great meal. If you are in Salida, CO, don't miss it (but make a reservation or you will).
We stayed at the Big Horn RV Park in a little cabin. This place was ok. There was an area in front of the cabin to sit out at night. There were two double beds, but the pull-out couch was trashed. So my brother, Kaarrrl, had to sleep on the couch, but he never complains. It wasn't grimy, but it wasn't 100% clean. It had the smallest shower I have ever been in. You could not turn around without banging your elbows on the wall. I think everyone liked it more than I did. I was glad we just slept there and were pretty busy the rest of the time.
So overall, I'd do the rafting again for sure. And I'd stop for a meal at the Laughing Ladies. But I might try to find a different place to stay.
The big draw to this area was to go white water rafting. My Dad and I had rafted about 12 years ago nearby with the same company, River Runners. We rafted the Royal Gorge, under the highest suspension bridge in America. It was amazing. Here are a few pics from our rafting adventure.
This first one is before we hit the "photo" rapid. The guide, Kelly, told us the camera was there. Phollower decided we should all stick our tongues out, Michael Jordan style. You can see Phollower doing it there in the left front, and maybe the guide in the left back (unless he's just thinking). My Dad is in the right front, with my brother behind him, and me behind my brother. My step-mother, Baby B, is in the seat in front of the guide.
This is in the following rapid. Seating is the same.
Rafting was excellent. Our guide was awesome, really experienced, and very laid back and cool. I will let Phollower write about the crazy stuff he did while we were rafting. River Runners really is a class act. I would raft them anytime.
We went to dinner at the Laughing Ladies Cafe and had a great meal. If you are in Salida, CO, don't miss it (but make a reservation or you will).
We stayed at the Big Horn RV Park in a little cabin. This place was ok. There was an area in front of the cabin to sit out at night. There were two double beds, but the pull-out couch was trashed. So my brother, Kaarrrl, had to sleep on the couch, but he never complains. It wasn't grimy, but it wasn't 100% clean. It had the smallest shower I have ever been in. You could not turn around without banging your elbows on the wall. I think everyone liked it more than I did. I was glad we just slept there and were pretty busy the rest of the time.
So overall, I'd do the rafting again for sure. And I'd stop for a meal at the Laughing Ladies. But I might try to find a different place to stay.
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