#533 Go Tubing

Going Tubing was on my short list of things I wanted to do the last 2 years. It never really worked out due to vacation and baseball and this year was turning out to be a bust too. THEN, I was awarded the best of the best for Q2 at work and the incentive was tubing. I was stoked UNTIL they announced the date and it was the day I was leaving on vacation. So I pouted (to myself) in the corner and said if the date changed let me know. Well, Mother Nature intervened and rain was scheduled for the day they were to go and the trip was moved a day earlier. I.FINALLY.WAS.GOING.TUBING!!!!

Picture courtesy of Google

We were told to meet at Wolf River Trips and Campground in New London. A bunch of us carpooled and when I got there I realized that parking is at a premium. After everyone got there, we got our wristbands and tubes. Each tube comes equipped with a life jacket and "rope" to link tubes together. We also got a cooler tube so we could enjoy ice, cold (non-alcoholic) beverages. Note to self: get a tube with a back and bottom -- the float will be so much better.

Then we boarded the bus to head up river to the starting point. At the starting point, we waded in the Wolf River -- which was about up to our knees and starting join tubes. Somehow we ended up with the same ends at one point and just tied the tubes together. Once we got everyone tied together, we headed down the river.

Photo courtesy of Google

Not soon after we started down river, disaster struck. One of my co-workers fell out of his tube and couldn't get back in. The current was started to pull him under and we had to stage a mid-river water rescue without trying to tip our tubes. With a great deal of team work, we got him back in his tube.

After that it was pretty much smooth float down the river with the exception of those dang pesky rocks that we'd get stuck on. We learned how to paddle and steer clear of the rocks as a group for the most part. Sometimes we had to help one another of a particularly pesky rock. Luckily the water was pretty high so most of the rocks we could just glide over.

It took us about 90 minutes or so to get down the river. Since it's unlimited rides down the river, if we were back earlier we could have gone back down the river but the last shuttle had left for the day. Besides, I had to get home because I need to head to Saukville yet to spend the night at mom and dad's.

Tubing was not quite what I expected but I would do it again with the right group of people. If you've never floated down a river in a tube, plan a trip. It's relatively cheap entertainment -- $15 for unlimited rides down the river on the weekends in New London. I looked into tubing in the Dells and it was a bit more pricey. Just don't forget the sunscreen....