Rafting the Grand Canyon
At the prospect of turning 50 I thought about things I've always wanted to do but haven't yet. At the top of the list was the Grand Canyon. But I didn't want to drive or fly all the way from the East Coast to just stand on the edge and look down. I wanted to get down in it. I didn't think I could hike it, and the donkey thing didn't sound all that appealing. A rafting tour was just the ticket!
Upon learning that the boats would hold around 20 people I got to thinking how much more fun it would be if all those people were people I know and love. So I talked to Bonnie at Western River, and she helped me hone in on the smallest boat that didn't have anyone on it yet. That trip was over a year out, which gave me plenty of time to rally as many of my friends as possible. Bonnie held seats for a couple of weeks to give me the chance to try to fill the boat.
In all we had 15 passengers on our advent-eh-expedition and 11 of them were me and my friends. The other four people fit right in, and by the end of the trip I counted a total of 15 friends. Make that 18, because our guides became friends too.
Joe and Steph did a terrific job of explaining what was to be expected and setting the mood for a fun expedition that would somehow be both exciting and relaxing. We ran rapids, we cruised easy currents, we hiked, we swam, we jumped, we climbed, we laughed, we learned, we saw some of the most incredible scenery on earth.
The trip was expensive, and asking my friends to spend that kind of time and money was asking a lot. But in the end we all agreed that this was truly a once in a lifetime amazing experience, one that we will all cherish. Thank you Western River for the fantastic memories we all now share. We definitely had an expedition of a lifetime.
