White Water Tubing, Anyone?

I always like trying new things, but this Saturday, I really went above and beyond. After being coaxed into a Saturday afternoon activity with all of my colleagues, I never knew that River Rapids, a tubing facility on the river on Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, would totally kill my body this bad and twist my shoulder worse than you'd ever imagine. But while I opted out on the camping experience that everyone else participated in afterwards (I'm sorry, camping's just not my thing), I got my full three hundred sixty degree experience of Mother Nature on the Shenandoah. And while most people forget that an hour outside of DC is pickup trucks and Confederate Flag tattoos, I got to witness all of this and even got to take home algae in my bathing suit bottoms as a souvenir being the one person in our group that fell off of their inner tube.
The logistics? For $50, you too can rent an inner tube and be school bussed off to the mouth of the Shenandoah. But don't expect a lazy river experience; Though you'll have a tube with you filled with booze and snacks, you'll also make your way through white water rapids and see some of the local wildlife (thank God I was three cocktails deep when I saw the garden snake), but be prepared, because I was well over it after only about one hour of the four. Some fun memories from my day in West Virginia?

• My general all-around anxiety upon crossing over onto the West Virginia state lines. I'm sorry if you're from there, and I've only been on one other occasion, but the state is just not for me. Period. But the mountains are really pretty to look at, FYI. 
• The fact that I was told we were required to wear footwear with our bathing suits last minute, and the only appropriate ones I had (after my idea of Grecian sandals was nixed) were my eleventh grade Hendricken Hawks white cheerleading sneakers. Man, did I look sexy!
• When I got lost from the group at one point, was tubing at a rapid speed over rocks, and a garden snake leaped out of the water and hissed at my in front of my face. Upon shrieking, a nice woman in Teva sandals told me "to relax, they're friendly animals". Whatevs. 
• The fact that I decided to breast stroke kick on my tube while laying on my stomach. All with white sneakers on, I might add. 
• The great picnic we all had on a dirt patch next to some rock. We figured that we were almost done so decided to have some treats to celebrate out survival. Little did we know that the halfway point was only up in front of us. 
• Everyone told me to bring alcohol. Instead, I brought one bottle of Malibu. So, out of desperation, much of the tubing down the river consisted of people passing off the handle to one another. Needless to say, the boys weren't very happy. 
• When I went home to shower, there was a maple leaf stuck to my bum. TMI, I know, but it goes to show you how truly one with nature you are when you decide to white water tube. 

Though I don't think I'll be partaking in this again anytime soon, it was definitely a fun experience. For an hour and a half, that is. 

Check out River Riders, the tubing company in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, at www.riverriders.com. Packages for tubing start at $50 a person.