Roughing it? If you’re rafting on a river trip somewhere and “roughing it,” you’re doing it wrong.

Go totally 5-star when you get on a river trip and never look back. Here’s why:

River Food

Ramen noodles? Try Rogue River gourmet rafting instead (as just one example). Food on a river trip should be as delicious as the trip itself. Don’t skip the fine dining just because you’re a million miles from civilization.

River Beverages

Wine’s nice. Wine tasting with a premier vineyard as you sit riverside and sip the nectar of the gods is really nice. Or do the same thing with craft beer. That works, too.

River Beds

Sure, you could sleep on the ground with a tree root for a pillow. But why? You’ll be much happier in the very cushy digs around some of the world’s greatest campsites. Trust us on this.

River Equipment

Going down a river in your brother-in-law’s canoe is one thing. Floating in top-of-the-line rafts and hand-crafted dories is something else entirely. Also top-of-the-line: the guides.

Cargo

OK, this one’s cheating a little, but here’s a secret: River trips are like car camping without the car. Meaning, you don’t have to carry your stuff on your back. That’s what the boats are for.

It’s really not much of a choice.

Go plush when you go on the river. You’ll never, ever regret it.

Have a question about how, exactly, not to rough it? Leave it in the comments.

The post 5 Reasons Roughing it is for Schlubs appeared first on River Currents.

No one does. It’s why vacations are so important. You’ve got to make every second count.

But you don’t want to be in “hurry up and relax”-mode the whole time.

You want something to do with your family that everyone’s going to like. And it can’t be all tourist-trap-y.

You need some real-deal vacation time.

Well, I’m here to give you the answer: white water rafting.

Seriously. Scenery? It doesn’t get better than a white water river. Fun? Throw buckets of water on your kids all day … ‘nuff said.

Adventure. Relaxation. Great food (no lie, the food is a highlight). A river trip has it all.

Here are 20 reasons why a rafting trip is the perfect family getaway:

1. Incredible value, and all-inclusive price (no extra fees for parking, meals, or ride tickets).

2. Getting hit with waves from all sides is ridiculously fun.

3. If they don’t already, your kids will think you are the god of awesomeness for booking the trip.

4. There are pools between rapids for swimming, water fighting and relaxing.

5. Your guides are just about the nicest, funniest, coolest people on earth.

6. Food is somewhere between incredible and amazing.

7. It’s good for the spirit to spend time on moving water.

8. Two words you’ll never hear on a river trip: I’m bored.

9. Rapids come in all sizes; we take you to the ones that are family-size.

10. You will get at least one photo that will be a guaranteed wall-hanger.

11. The sound of rushing rapids + laughter is one your family will never forget.

12. The family that splashes together stays together.

13. You can push your much-loved family members into the river.

14. Absolutely no iPods, iPads, iPhones, icomputers, or idistractions allowed.

15. If your kids get messy at lunch, just chuck them in the river.

16. Tame enough for mom, exciting enough for dad (or vice-versa, about half the time).

17. Your guides take care of everything for you; your only job is to have fun.

18. Prepping a family for a river trip is easy, and we help by giving you all the info you need.

19. Along with the fun, there’s a lot to learn out on river trips. Families love that part.

20. There is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.

Ok, I stole that last one from the “The Wind In The Willows.” But still, totally true.

Fact: Family river trips rule. And those are just 20 reasons. Got more? Throw us a comment.

The post 20 Reasons Why A Rafting Trip Is The Perfect Family Getaway appeared first on River Currents.

Here’s a fact:

If you do a lot of whitewater river trips, you’ll hear stuff that, well, doesn’t make a lot of sense once you leave the river.

Here’s a short list of a few choice pieces of verbage: 

1. “You’re going to have to pull your pants up before you get back in the boat!”
   Not surprisingly, river currents that seem gentle can be, ah, strong.

   It’s not an everyday thing, but people have been known to lose their shorts to the whims of the river. Luckily, there’s a simple fix.

   Tie those suckers.

    

2. “Now it’s time to eat pudding with your face!”
   Family trips rock.

   One reason is because if the kids get messy, all you have to do is throw ‘em in the river for a rinse.

   Simple. Clean. Effective (and fun).

    

3. “When ancient map-makers wrote ‘The End Of The World’ on their maps, they were imagining this next rapid.”
   Guides have been known to, um, exaggerate.

   River stories are the imagination’s most fertile ground for tall tales. A big wave can easily turn into “a tsunami that blocked out the sun!” just moments after running it.

   Interesting fact: River stories get bigger and better details the farther away from the river you get.

    

4. “Actually, when we ran this at high water …”
   A continuation of the tall tales mentioned above, but high water stories are a special breed.

   After hearing a particularly good high water story, you’ll be convinced that everyone involved had just stepped out of Clash Of The Titans, and the river was overflowing because it was filled with unicorn tears.

    

5. “Today is going to be one of the greatest days of your life.”
   Ok, you won’t only hear that one on a river trip.

   But, on the river, you will hear it surprisingly often.

Got a personal favorite not on the list? Let us know in the comments.

The post 5 Things You Will Only Hear On A River Trip appeared first on River Currents.