Serious question. I had a friend born and raised near Seattle who I invited to come on a float trip in southeast Missouri. Her mind was blown that this is a thing people do - drinking and making a ruckus while floating down a river.
In MO, this is just a thing that people do. At least in rural areas. I had no idea it was regional. So, how far across this region does the concept of float trips go?
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We just called it tubing in Wisconsin.
I’ve always understood a float trip to be a large group of people going down rivers in rafts or canoes while consuming large amounts of alcohol. I haven’t been on one since 2010 and honestly it’s not my thing.
I’ve done tubing day-trips in WI and MN. There are a few really popular spots near the border of both states.
Drinking is a must. The rental/shuttle services count your beers ahead of time, count your empties upon return, and issue a small fee for each missing can.
Oh I like the can counting idea. They don’t gaf on MO rivers… I have seen entire coolers floating down the river before, not a canoe in sight. In those instances it’s like the river gods have provided you with river beer, but yea… not the best stewardship of our waterways.
In IA. I’ve heard it called tubing, I’ve also heard it not called a name, just “take some tubes”.
I’ve never heard float trip, but we do it.
Same I’ve always heard it called tubing, or simply “going out on the river” when I know they don’t have a boat
I know what you’re referring to, but we don’t call it a “float trip” here (Iowa). There’s no specific term for it. You just ask if you want to go tubing down the river and camp for the weekend. The drinking is implied of course.
My friends call it cabrewing. The mode of floating is pretty flexible. We’ve had tubes, canoes, kayaks, and large rafts on our trips
Same, cabrewimg for me too.
The rivers in western Washington tend to be cold and fast, full of rocks and rapids. As they widen and slow closer to the ocean they start winding through cities or industrial parks. Nobody’s taking a casual float out there.
I always wanted to float when I lived in renton but the river looks like this.
You could claim you took this pic in the Ozarks and no one would bat an eye, other than the building in the background.
you’d end up in a boeing plant or something weird like that
People do it in Michigan, but I can’t remember what it’s called. I avoid water like the plague.
We called it cabrewing here in Ohio.
Love that
Fairly standard rural activity in parts of Iowa, though with our water quality it isn’t exactly wise.
I’ve done sorta this in OhIo, but never with anyone who wants the ruckus part 😭 It’s been fun nonetheless
Common in central Illinois. Good times.
We called it tubing or canoeing. Find a slow river and some alcohol drop in and just float. Be sure to have someone downstream to pick you up. Also, don’t even try to swim in the Ohio River. I was young drunk and stupid.
Edit: Forgot to mention this is Southern Indiana.
Does Seattle have rivers you could easily float down? You gotta have lots of flat land to get a nice calm river.
Anyway, it’s a thing in Illinois, I know that.
I’m from the seattle area and this isn’t unheard of there but its really uncommon. A man in monroe washington used an innertube as a getaway after a bank robbery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Curcio
Theres plenty of rivers but most of them are not suitable for this. The state touches the ocean and is divided east/west by a giant mountain range. The NW peninsula is a giant mountain range. It’s anything but flat there. My last apartment there was about 100 feet from a cliff that fell off into the puget sound.
You’re more likely to get on a boat and paddle around and drink thank just get a river and see where it takes you. I’ve spent many an afternoon drinking beers in a canoe (you can have a fishing pole as cover)
This is a good point and probably explains it.
I knew what you were talking about, and I’m from the city. It’s not suuuper popular but people do it. I’m in eastern PA. I did one when I was a kid.
I live near the river now, and there’s trips organized and people probably float down on their own. I just go for a swim. Too much sun, otherwise.
