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| Floating the James |
"Bass trackers, bayliners, and a party barge
strung together like a floatin' trailer park
anchored out and gettin' loud all summer long!"
- Craig Morgan, "Redneck Yacht Club"
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One of my favorite summer pastimes needs only three ingredients: a river, a tube, and some ice-cold brews. For a truly American experience, there's nothing quite like hitting the closest river for a few hours of tubing down stream with your closest friends!
Here in Virginia there are a number of rivers perfect for spending an afternoon or day out in the sun. We live within fifteen minutes of the James River, roughly at the halfway mark of the river's length, which originates in the Appalachian mountains of Alleghany county and ends in the Chesapeake Bay at Hampton Roads. At "our portion" of the James, the river is anywhere from 100 to 150 yards wide and averages three to ten feet deep. Catfish, bass, and muskies can be caught, and many different types of birds and snakes can be seen along the banks. On one of our tubing trips, we were aiming to land on an island that turned out to have a particularly long serpent just hanging out at the water's edge! You would've been impressed at how quickly we back-paddled!
We start our river-runs at Cartersville landing and land at West View on the James, a distance of about five miles. When the river is high, the float lasts only 2 to 3 hours, but when the river is at normal or low levels, it can take anywhere from 4 to 5.5 hours. It's a very flat section of the river with one minor riffle (hardly anything to write home about). The scenery features the beautiful woodlands of Goochland county on the north bank and Cumberland/Powhatan on the south. Since this particular section of the river is so close to home, we float it on a regular basis, armed with an armada of single tubes, "floating couches," and john boats all strung together. This year we've added a separate cooler float so we can pack lunches (and more beverages!) to attempt even longer distances!
The water is finally warming up enough for a float trip, and I hope we can squeeze in at least one or two runs this month before we leave for Germany!
Have you gone tubing before? What's been your favorite experience?
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It's #TravelTuesday! Today I'm linking up with Bonnie, Van, and other travel bloggers to share experiences!
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EDIT: If you do take beverages out on the river, avoid taking any glass, DO NOT LITTER, and practice moderation! Public drunkenness is a ticketable offense in Virginia!
