Sound Excursions – Leavenworth River Tubing
This was the 2nd year in a row that we signed up for some river tubing in Leavenworth through Sound Excursions! We really enjoyed it last year, and so we had to do it again this year! They also have a lot of other events going on too!
They pick you up on a bus from either Seattle or Bellevue at the given time you sign up for, and then head towards Leavenworth on roughly a 2 hour drive. On the way, they provide snacks, and also a trivia game as well to play against everyone else on the bus. It definitely makes for a fun way to make the time go by quickly. Hopefully before getting on the bus, you have put on your swimsuit, otherwise, it’s a bit of a challenge to get changed in the small bathroom on the bus!
After getting there, deboarded, and sunscreened up, we heard a safety speech and information about the gear, etc… On to the river! Each float itself was great! The bottom of the float is a tight mesh, and the part you sit on is another layer of mesh, which allows you to put some things under where you are sitting and it doesn’t float away! Aside from that, they have a cup holder, and a pocket for Frisbees that they provide to be used as paddles. Or, you can always throw them to other friends that have signed up with you on other floats. Speaking of that, they also have a way to connect floats to each other. There’s also a nice headrest too!
The float down the river took us about 2 hours, but we didn’t stop at any of the small beach areas along that way. There are some that you are allowed to stop at, but others aren’t options being privately owned. Others took up to 3 hours and more to float down the river. The weather was warm, and the water was refreshing and not too cold. We got to the end of the river, and carried our floats ashore on a short walk, and then proceeded to change our clothes in the area provided.
On the bus ride to Leavenworth, the leader for our trip (Rhya, in our case) was very nice and did great! Our trip cost included a free bratwurst, or hotdog, or a couple other options (that I don’t recall at the moment) after (in our case) the rafting. Depending on the time you sign up for, perhaps the food is before the rafting… I am not sure. Lunch is provided in a beer garden, so there are definitely drink options if so desired, along with a couple beer pong tables, and a ping pong table along with a stage for a band to potentially be playing while you are there. We both ended up getting a brat with toppings of choice! After eating, we had a great time walking through town with the time we had remaining.
The bus ride back was fun too. Jackie, who was still training at the time, came back with us on our bus. She did very well too! They put on a movie to watch… our options were either Spiderman or Pitch Perfect, and most on the bus voted for Pitch Perfect. I guess someone on the bus had too many beers (and/or jello shots) before getting back on the bus, and ended up creating a bit of a mess in the bathroom, but they were fully equipped to clean it up fast!. They were all very prepared and made for a great trip!
We are hoping to go again next year!