Every once in a while, though, we get feedback from guests who describe the magic or transformation we hope to foster in words we wouldn’t have thought to use, in descriptions that surpass even our expectations.

Chris and Belinda Manuel, of Denver, CO, recently joined us on a Yellowstone-Grand Teton Explorer trip. They sent us a note following the trip that quickly got passed around the O.A.R.S. staff:

“At the end of the trip, on the drive back to the hotel, I remember looking at all the people parked on the side of the road or at the turn-offs taking pictures of the Grand Tetons. I remember feeling a little sorry for all of them because many of them were not ‘experiencing’ the park like we did. They were only going to capture a picture and then get back into the car. The park is so much more than a picture, and you get to appreciate this on your OARS adventure. Last year was our first O.A.R.S. trip. We enjoyed it so much that this year we are going with O.A.R.S. down the Colorado River to experience the Grand Canyon. We wanted more than a picture.”

Thank you, Chris and Belinda.

We can’t wait to see you on the Grand Canyon.

The post Guest Feedback: Yellowstone And Grand Teton National Parks appeared first on River Currents.

People often categorize themselves by the types of vacations they take — which does reveal a lot about their psyche, I think, but not nearly enough of them say, “We do rivers.”

You hear, “I’m a beach girl.” Or you hear, “We loooooove cruises.” Maybe he says, “Gimme the right duck blind, and I’m in heaven for a week!”

Well, they’re all missing out. Honestly. Let’s run through all the possible vacations you might take and examine why a river trip should forever tarnish their image in your mind’s eye:

1. The Beach — We all have this fantasy of an isolated, white-sand beach with crystal blue waters at just the perfect temperature, and nary a soul around to distract us. In truth, we all end up paying too much for the hotel, fighting for enough space to lay down our towel, fighting with our beach umbrella, listening to the kids nearby whine about being hungry, repeatedly getting run over by the bodybuilders chasing volleyballs and frisbees, and realizing the $20 sunscreen we bought because we forgot our own is only SPF 3 not 30, so now we’re delusional from sun poisoning. These things just don’t happen on a river trip.

2. Any Marvel of Engineering — If you’re like me, you’ve got that person in the family that wants to go see the Eiffel Tower or the Navy’s largest aircraft carrier or, the worst, some factory. They try to lure you in with some factoid they read on the website, like, “Can you believe there are over a million hex-head rivets in it?” What’s really dangerous is when this person finds a point of interest based on the destination, as opposed to the other way around. That’s how you end up standing in front of an oil pipeline in Alaska, learning what a “pig” is.

3. Tours Based On Pop Culture — You can ride a bus around New York and see every place they visited on “Seinfeld.” You can get a map of the stars and go stare through the gates of mansions in Beverly Hills and say you saw where all your favorite celebrities (supposedly) live. You can even take a bus tour based on the “Real Housewives of New Jersey.“ Actually, if we have to convince you a river trip is better than this, well, never mind.

4. Too Many Plane Connections — If your travel agent, or whoever makes your vacation arrangements, starts suggesting your pre-trip reading include websites such as www.sleepinginairports.net, you should be worried. Although you might have to take a plane to meet up with your river trip, after that you’ll quickly forget the stale fluorescent lighting, the stale overpriced food, the stale air and the stale robot voices on the intercom system of the airport.

5. The Wrong Kind Of Adventure — The U.S. State Department issues those warnings for a reason, so be wary of that intrepid backpacker boyfriend of yours who starts talking about the wonders of the street markets in Kabul and his pickpocket-proof travel vest. If you get passed this link to start comparing hotels, call us and we’ll try to persuade you why an experienced international outfitter might be a good idea.

6. Theme Parks — We’ve previously explained 5 reasons a rafting trip beats the pants off an amusement park vacation. It can’t hurt to give you more. Like, for instance, that most of them are so expensive that people will consider bargain options that will prove “you get what you pay for.” So, if your vacation partner starts extolling the virtues of “Fantazy Land,” be very, very afraid. And then call our adventure consultants to parry with a better vacation idea.

7. A Cruise — A boat’s a boat, you might say. Hardly. Remember that crowded beach? Remember the insanity of the theme park? Well, now imagine yourself trying to relax with all of that thrown together on a boat, trapped out at sea. And, we promise, there are no Vegas-exiled lounge acts masquerading as evening entertainment on our raft trips.

8. Speaking Of Vegas — You never hear people coming back from Vegas saying, “You know I just feel so relaxed. Really, it was just great to get away and recharge.” Mostly, they’re quiet because they’re exhausted, or broke, or they’re observing the code (“What happens in Vegas …”). If you really want to reinvigorate, if you really want some soul food, if you’re OK with your bright, flashing lights being the purple wisps of the Milky Way and moonlight on rippling waves, there’s a canyon not far from Sin City, and it’s got a river at the bottom of it. (Which we happen to run trips on, just to clarify.)

9. The Family Road Trip — Yes, you probably have incredible memories of visiting the world’s largest ball of twine on your family’s famous summer road trip. But, you’re forgetting that little Billy also got the crayon stuck up his nose, sister Jenny discovered her allergy to shellfish, and the two of them spent four-fifths of the trip screaming about who was bothering whom in the back of the station wagon. Fact: Children have never thought to draw an imaginary territorial dividing line in the back seat of a raft. They’re having too much fun to even think of it. So, don’t waste gas, get on the river.

If you share your ideas for the worst vacation ever or other reasons that a rafting trip is better than them all in the comments, you’ll be entered in my personal imaginary giveaway for a package trip to Fantazy Land, accompanied by the 2012 South Korea National Elvis Impersonator Competition champion.

Take it from us: chances are, you’ll love it.

The post 9 Vacations A River Trip Will Put To Shame appeared first on River Currents.

You booked yourself an awesome adventure vacation, and you’re making all the necessary preparations for a week or two, not only out of the office, but out of the reach of any and all modern communications.

So, if you’re organized and prepared (i.e. not like this guy), you’ll actually remember to create a voicemail greeting for your cell phone letting people know you’re on the trip, and even an automated “out of office” email reply to all your customers and coworkers.

You might be thinking, well, anything I say about the amazing place I’m going and how utterly soul-satisfying a trip I’m on is not going to win me friends. And, sure, that’s a possibility.

But, what’s more dangerous is not preparing people for the renewed vigor, optimism and peace of mind with which you’ll return. That’s why you need these carefully crafted “out of office” replies.

(Fact: The Dalai Lama still uses this same approach whenever he leaves his folks behind for a retreat. Which, according to the parts of the Internet we read, is to go rafting.)

To ready your friends and coworkers, we suggest using the following:

• The simple and direct email reply: “I’m on vacation, so I won’t be able to get back to you right away. If you promise not to flood my inbox while I’m gone, I’ll promise not to make you look at all the pictures I took on this amazing trip when I get back.”

• Tell them in your voicemail greeting, “By now, you’ve no doubt heard about the awesome river trip I’m on. However, before you start to speak ill of me on the next conference call, I’d like to point out all the ills that might befall me on this trip: sunburn, sand in everything I own, rattlesnake bite, giardia, water up the nose, sand in my food, blisters in places you didn’t know you could get blisters, swarms of mosquitoes, leaking tent, swarms of mosquitoes bringing sand into my tent …”

• Get your phone right up next to your computer speakers and record these birds and waterfalls on your voicemail greeting. You can narrate over it: “Before you get jealous that I’m off communing with nature, keep in mind that bird’s singing because he stole my lunch.” Depending on the climate of your office, you might describe the bird doing worse than stealing the sandwich.

• Alternate work e-mail auto-reply: “You’ve received this because I’m away on a life-transforming river trip through the Grand Canyon. I might never be back, actually. I should probably give you the number of a co-worker here at the office who can help you in my absence. Instead, I encourage you to call my adventure vacation consultant and follow me. The number is below.”

And, if you attached the number for an O.A.R.S. adventure consultant, well, we’d be mighty flattered. Whatever you do with your “out of office” voicemail, don’t be this guy.

The post Suggested ‘Out Of Office’ Replies While You’re On The River appeared first on River Currents.

It’s a feeling that I can’t ignore because it builds and builds until I finally go somewhere, anywhere. More often than not it’s a quick escape to the woods for a weekend of camping. But sometimes that feeling is a sign that I need to pull the trigger on something bigger, where I have to (no, scratch that, need to) hop on a plane and leave for some place new.

I’m making it seem like I’m the most spontaneous person in the world and I’m always jetting off somewhere, I’m not. In fact, I’m a free spirit locked down by an inner-planner. This means I’ve got excuses just like everyone else.

“I really want to go, but …” Insert long list of excuses here, right? I can’t take that much time off of work. It’s too expensive. What are we going to do with the cats, dogs, kids, etc.?

I get it.

I’m sad to say I’ve talked myself out of several big adventures in the past few years (please don’t talk to me about Thailand). But I’m also glad to say that I’ve talked myself into a few great trips in recent memory too (Puerto Rico with the girls, New Zealand on a whim for a pre-honeymoon and rafting the Colorado River on a solo journey!).

I’ve decided to travel more, travel often and put it at the top of my priority list because it seems (in my world at least) to re-balance life.

Yet, when my husband and I were supposed to take a trip to Belize earlier this year, the little voices in our heads started getting to us. February had sounded perfect for hiking in the jungle, exploring Mayan ruins and snorkeling one of the world’s best barrier reefs. How could it not?

Somehow as our trip got closer though, both of us had some anxiety about going. We were going to miss meetings, deadlines and have to play catch up for weeks (excuses). We went, of course. We’re not crazy.

And something amazing seemed to happen after I stepped off the plane in Belize. All the noise in my head disappeared. I was able to completely enjoy this adventure we were having without thinking about what was looming back home, back in reality.

At some point on our trip I wondered if my husband was as blissed out and enjoying life as much as I was. I asked him if he had been thinking about work while we were away. But I knew the answer. He had lugged his laptop all the way to Belize just so it could sit unopened in a closet.

I think I found the answer to why we travel.

Traveling is therapeutic. Throwing yourself into the unknown is energizing. Seeing another culture is inspiring. Barreling down a river in a raft is liberating. Connecting with another human being on the other side of the world is life-changing. And perhaps most important, but often disregarded, is that taking time for you is healthy.

So why do so many of us continue to make excuses and convince ourselves NOT to travel?

We have to keep telling ourselves that there will never be a better time to go on that trip of a lifetime than right now. We have to keep telling ourselves until we make it a priority and go.

Because when we do go, when we finally escape, it’s so worth it.

The post Making An Excuse To Travel — How To Say Yes To The Itch appeared first on River Currents.

After 5 days and 4 nights of rugged luxury rafting with O.A.R.S., she changed from an apprehensive first-time rafter, to a wilderness enthusiast.

I completely understood her enthusiasm. This was my first rafting trip, too. I loved the idea of spending more time in the mountains, but with 2 small children at home and a fear of adrenaline-rushing experiences, I put off the idea as too risky and hoped to do it “someday.”

‘Someday’ Arrives

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to change that “someday” to “now” and joined O.A.R.S. on the Rogue River. As Dan, another member of our rafting trip told me one night while sitting in our camp chairs next to the hypnotic white noise of the river, “You need to live your own adventure — otherwise you’ll end up telling other people’s stories instead of your own.”

Those words would stay with me for the duration of the trip.

There were 17 very diverse members of our group. There were brothers, the eldest at 75 years old, and his younger brother who walked with a cane from injuries incurred in the Vietnam War. There were two women, long time friends, in their mid-70‘s — one having been on many rafting trips herself, the other excited about being on her first. There were active young married couples, others with physical limitations, and even some single travelers.

Despite our differences, we quickly formed a tribe and connected over delicious camp meals with wine glasses in hand. Like many people who have never been on a rafting trip before, I made up the story of what it would be like and who it would be with without living the real experience. Reality was far more interesting.

The Preparation

There were 3 different types of rafts that we could choose from while running the river — an oar raft, a paddle boat led by a guide that had seats for six rafters, and the “duckies” which were inflatable kayak rafts. The level of effort you put into the rafting experience was similar to an exercise video with a selection of intensity levels — easy, moderate, and challenging. You were never pressured to go beyond your physical abilities.

After an instructional safety meeting with our expert guides, we were ready to paddle onto the Rogue. Helmets on and personal flotation devices snug, we pushed off. Within moments, as we were passing into the Wild and Scenic part of the trip under Grave Creek Bridge, one of the rafters in a ducky lost control and flipped into the river.

This is when the trip got real. As we were instructed, our guide blew three quick whistles, alerting our tribe that a rafter had become a swimmer. We paid close attention as our guide maneuvered the paddle boat to get the swimmer back to riding the rapids. While initially shocking, it was essentially an effortless non-issue with the guides keeping our trip safe.

Our guide had us lift our paddles in a glistening yellow peak above the paddle raft, “On the count of three —one, two, three — WILD AND SCENIC!” Our adventure got off to an exciting start.

The Magical Journey

We navigated the river through large canyons covered in a thick shag carpet of trees towering above us. We explored waterfalls surrounded by the shimmering emerald leaves of Alder trees, and had fun jumping off cliffs near turquoise pools of creek water. We had a nice mix of rafting time, relaxing moments during our meals, and dry time hiking the banks.

At the end of our days, our guides prepared our gourmet dinner. We sat back and, aside from effortless tent set up, enjoyed a work-free vacation. We delighted in an incredible dinner of ceviche, and caprese salad skewer appetizers paired with Pisco Sours, salmon moussaka entrees paired with Oregon wine, and crème brulee with a wedge of dark chocolate perched on top. It was unbelievable that we were eating so well on the banks of the river.

After dinner, the early risers hit the sack while the night owls spent the evening laughing and discovering constellations under the starry night sky. Basking in the darkness never got old. We slept soundly, lulled by the waves of the Rogue.

My Own Stories To Tell

I decided to experience the single ducky on my own, paddling exhilarating rapids while Steelhead jumped out of the river next to me, and Osprey circled above watching their every move. The water was refreshing, and the adrenaline now addicting.

At camp, we noticed a black bear meander down from the opposite side of the river, snacking on wild blackberries and happening across a gigantic wild salmon in the water. He scooped it from the river and carried it to a rock, where we watched him eat his dinner — slowly savoring every bite and licking his lips. Meanwhile, we relaxed on the rocks sipping wine and craft beer, enjoying a real life National Geographic moment.

At the end of our rafting journey, people began telling stories of previous adventures to pass the time on the drive back to our cars, and Dan’s words echoed in my mind — “You have to live your own adventure, otherwise you’ll be telling other people’s stories instead of your own.” This was certainly not going to be my last wilderness trip, and the next time I go rafting, I’ll be able to share my story about my adventure on the Rogue River.

“I went rafting down the wild Rogue River with O.A.R.S., and had this amazing adventure with bears, almost tipping a raft, and swimming through a rapid, all while eating incredible gourmet food …”

This essay was originally created for the 2012 O.A.R.S. catalog. For more compelling stories from other renowned writers, request your catalog copy today!

The post Confessions Of A First-Time Rafting Trip Paddler appeared first on River Currents.