#9 The Annual Family Trip

Every year, for my dad's birthday the whole family and some close friends all go tubing down the Rifle River. We have been doing this for about 4 years now and it gets more and more interesting every year. 

The first year we went we decided to go canoeing instead of tubing. My parents were in one tube, my brother and I in another and then my oldest brother, his now wife and my youngest brother in another. Within the first 5 minutes my oldest brother tipped his canoe traumatizing my youngest brother who was only about 7 at the time. He sat in the canoe with a death grip on the sides and just looked straight ahead without saying a word for a solid 3 hours. He made it very clear that he never wanted to go canoeing ever again and to this day still feels that way.

So the next year we decided to go tubing instead. I personally enjoy tubing a lot more simply because all you do it sit there. You don't have to row or do any kind of physical activity. You just float. Of course you run into some trees and stuff along the way but that is what we had my dad for. We tied all of our tubes together and he does all the steering. 

It being August, there is always hundreds of people on the river. Some tubing and some canoeing. It is always an odd sight to see. Everyone drunk from the sun and excessive amounts of alcohol, their dogs sitting in tubes or on canoes wanting to jump into the water but too scared to actually do it, kids crying because they're bored or hungry. It is so peaceful. 

Just this past year when we went my mom almost got into a fight. She was drunk of course. But we had about 20 of us between my family and the two families of my parent's best friends. We were all tied together and just minding out own business when this old lady in a canoe was trying to speed down the river and was getting mad because of the 200 people taking up the river. She was going past us and yelled at my brother and his two friends who are only 10 years old, swearing at them and telling them to move. My mom hearing her say these things to three 10 year olds freaked out, as any mother would. She yelled at the lady until she got so far down the river that we couldn't see her anymore, and even then my mom kept yelling. You could say my mom is pretty protective.

But overall, every year I am so excited for this trip. I hope we continue to do it for many more years. From the people watching to floating down a river, soaking up the sun with a cold drink in my hand (non-alcoholic of course) we always manage to have an amazing time and I wouldn't want to spend this time with anyone but my crazy family.