Whitewater Rafting Family Style

Recently, I was lucky enough to visit the Vail- Beaver Creek area of Colorado for a family wedding. My Niece Kelli found her true love Rob, and they tied the knot at the Lazy J Ranch in Colorado. So I packed up my family and we headed West, to join in the celebration of love and family.

While we where there we looked into some day trips, I wanted the kids to get a sense of the beauty that Colorado has to offer. My husband, not being a great swimmer was weary of the rafting idea at first. My three daughters, ages, 10,13,and 15 were ALL IN! Needless to say my husband followed and we ALL had a blast!

I did some research and found Lakota River Rafting, they have offices located in the Vail-Eagle Valley area and also Aspen and the Arkansas River Valley. Lakota has been in operation for 30 years, and has offered family fun trips as well as crazy adventure seeker trips. They offer trips for beginners, intermediate, advanced and expert. You decide what level of fun your seeking, or if you want a half day or a full day filled with adventure and tons of fun. The highly trained professionals and well skilled staff at Lakota consists of hikers, mountain bikers, skiers, snow boarders, and college students. Safety came first, all guides have to go through a series of training classes, and all know CPR in case it's needed. I felt very safe! Everyone was fitted with a helmet and PFD (personal floatation device).

Our choice, the half-day trip down the Shoshone Canyon River Valley. And what a choice it proved to be, the Shoshone River valley offered excellent rapids, beautiful mountains views, blue Sky's above and areas where if you looked hard enough you could see wildlife at its best. Paul, our guide was amazing, even though he didn't warn me of the big drop off when I was thrusted downwards into the base of the raft landing on the spare emergency paddle. In hindsight I guess it was better to fall in, than to fall out. Our adventure twisted downwards and ended in Glenwood Springs; Lakota offered a fabulous fajita lunch complete with cookies and soft drinks for the hungry rafters. They even offer a professional photographer that follows your raft from the land, he captures the big toothy grins on every ones faces as they go over the rapids and down the Colorado River. During lunch he plays a slide show of your adventure for all to enjoy, you may purchase a cd disc of your raft trip for a reasonable amount of money. I bought one, and loved each and every photo! What a great memory for my family to have. I can't remember ever looking at pictures of an event when every person in my family was smiling and laughing all day long..

So, if you've got kids and your looking for the next family fun trip, check out Lakota River Rafting, you will not be disappointed.

Lakota River Rafting

http://www.lakotariver.com/

also

White Water Photo's

970-470-2666

http://www.douglasbrownimages.photoreflect.com/

The Witches of Ogulin

There is a little fairy tale town in Croatia called Ogulin. The town is small and the people are friendly. Fairy Tales are for children you say, not true say the people from Ogulin, not true!
I stayed at The Hotel Frankopan during my visit to this magical little town. The Frankopan is located in the very heart of the fairy tale town next door to the 16th century Frankopan Castle.
Ogulin grew around The Frankopan fortress-castle, which was built by the aristocratic family Frankopan. Prince Bernardin Frankopan, son of Stjepan, in his town of Modrus around 1500, issued a document to the newly built town of Ogulin, by which he marked the boundary between Modrus and Vitunj on the first geographical map of Croatia, Ogulin was called Julin Grad, linking the name of the town to the legend of Dula, who threw herself into the gorge of the River Dobra due to a broken heart.
The flow of the River Dobra ends in a canyon passing through the very center of town. The river disappears through a huge opening under the sharp cliffs. The abyss of the River Dobra got it's name from this young girl Dula. The legend dates back from the 16th century. Dula was of notible origin and her parents promised her to an elderly nobleman. However, a young handsom Captain, Milan Juraic arrived in Ogulin and stole Dulas heart. It was love at first sight! Milan was killed in battle while defending the Frankopan Castle and when Dula heard the news she couldn't bare the thought of life without Milan and threw herself into the abyss of the River Dobra. If you look closly at the rock above the abyss you can see the profile of a man looking down into the deapths. The people of Ogulin believe that this is the face of Milan gazing towards his beloved Dula. Legend says that if you listen very carefully, early in the morning you can hear Dula's spirited sobs echo from the canyon.
Dula is not the only women to have had her heart broken by a man, but she is the only one to still show her spirit in the canyon of the River Dobra.
The near by Mountain of Klek has also been inspired by folk imagination, resulting in the legend of the 'Witches of Klek'. According to the legend, in the midnight hour on stormy nights, Klek becomes the meeting place of witches,warlocks, fairies, and elves from around the world. It is said that they fly down from the mountain and storm through the village and if you listen very carefully you can hear the mighty rumpus from the mountain echo through the town of Ogulin
During my visit to this cute little town I never heard Dula's cries nor did I see any witches in flight, but I did find some spirited fun locals to visit with at The St Hubert Hotel.
My time spent in Ogulin was short, but my memories will last a lifetime. I remain in contact with a few special people from Ogulin. My last night out on the town will forever stay in my memory and I still laugh out loud today when I think about the fun that was has in the samll little town of Ogulin. KAAATSIEEE!!!

www.hotel-frankopan.hr
www.sthubert.hr

Free Style Music Park, It's Not Just For Music Lover's...

When John Stine, Director of Sales and Marketing for Myrtle Beaches newest theme park, The Freestyle Music Park, started to talk about all the different adventures that the park offers, I could barely contain myself. Being a relatively young Mom of three, very active and adventurous daughters, I am not new to riding roller coasters. Granted it's never at the top of my list but all the same I do it for the kids. I would never want to be branded as the one who didn't have fun! I only wished my kids could have been along for this ride.

The Freestyle Park spans approximately 55 acres, and has somewheres in the neighborhood of 14 million annual visitors. It's loaded with more than 50 attractions, including roller coasters, restaurants, fireworks nightly, and Polly Nesian's Splash Bash, a kids water park complete with a crashing bucket of water that lands down on the heads of the waiting people below.

A must see at the park is 'Adrenaline Rush', it's a fast-paced, high energy extreme competition show. It's a cross between BMX, roller blading and skate boarding. They even light a stunt man on fire and he free falls to a waiting pool below. Kids of all ages will love this!

You must also ride 'The Time Machine', over 150 feet in the sky,this coaster has a total of six inversions: a 120-foot-tall loop; a 95 foot tall cobra roll, and reaches speeds of 65 mph, making it the fastest and tallest coaster in the Carolina's. The 'Round About' is no joke either, this ride was my favorite. It's a cross between a coaster and a Ferris Wheel, you climb in your motorcar and prepare for the ride of your life. Once you reach the top of the Ferris wheel portion of the ride, it lines up on a track and launches you off at super speeds, twists and turns, when your done with this one you'll know your ALIVE!

If you find yourself in the Carolina's you must check out The Freestyle Music park!

Freestyle Music Park
211 George Bishop Parkway

Myrtle Beach, SC 29579

website http://www.freestylemusicpark.com/