Taking on the Niobrara

"So, Allysa, are you going to buy a swimming suit?" asked Tiffany.

"No, silly, why would I go and do a thing like that?" I asked.

"Because, you're going to get wet!" replied Tiffany.

"Aren't we just going camping?" I questioned.

"NO!  We're tubing down the river!" exclaimed Tiffany.

~~~

I don't know exactly what I was thinking when Steph and Amber called a few months ago and asked if I wanted to go camping at the Niobrara.  I guess I pictured staying in a cabin, playing games, and making s'mores.  It didn't even occur to me that we would be floating down a river.

Although this is a very non-Allysa sort of activity, there was no way I would  have turned down a trip with these people.

So, on Friday, after our LAST EVER GRAD CLASS, we packed up the cars and headed north.

After their not-so-positive experience from last year, they decided to book a cabin (with air conditioning and indoor plumbing) for this year.  Thank goodness!  It was actually quite nice!

And we enjoyed a lovely view of the river.

On our first night there, we played games and enjoyed each other's company:

And went to test the water in the river:

The next morning, we busied ourselves making sandwiches and packing our coolers and bags.

Soon enough, it was time to go!

Regrettably, I don't have any pictures from our journey down the river.  I was advised not to bring my camera, as things tend to get wet when you ride on a raft for five hours.

That night, my friends served me a birthday cookie!  My actual birthday was on Friday, but I wasn't feeling well, so we kind of forgot about it.

We spent our last night playing more games and just hanging out.

Though I don't consider myself a nature enthusiast, it is hard to deny the beauty of this view. 

 

Although I was quite skeptical about this being an enjoyable experience, I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised!  I would most definitely do this again!