A Float Trip at Our Age? Heck YES!

Contributed by: Trish Gau, The Hive Overland Park

Remember the good ‘ol days when you would get together with a group of friends and tube down the river listening to some tunes and having a blast? What’s stopping you now? Recently some Hive women took the time to get away for a float trip.

We had to do some searching to find a way to float in comfort (we have limits on reliving the "good ol' days" with beds and AC now being a requirement ;) and we finally came across The Landing along the Current River in Van Buren, MO. It was perfect! The lodge has large, comfortable rooms (with AC), on site float rental, and a fabulous restaurant to enjoy after a day in the sun.

We had to drive a bit to get there so we planned some stops along the

way to break up the trip a little. Our first stop was the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and home! Do you remember loving those books when you were young?! It was a great little stop and amazing to think about the life of the those who settled in the Midwest. If you are in the area - it is a worthwhile stop.

Our next stop was a fun, family run place – Viandel Vineyard in Mountain View, MO. They have delicious brick oven pizzas and some wonderful wines and slushies for tasting. We loved their Blanca Fresca pizza and their dessert pizzas were the perfect ending to the meal. It has a great atmosphere and a comfortable patio space to enjoy the evening with friends!

Rise and shine! We started off the next morning with a hike at Big Spring, one of the 3 largest springs in the United States. Serendipitously, we ran into Ranger Shaun who told us all about the area and its history. It was a real bonus running into him!

We were amazed at the beautiful clear blue water of the natural spring and enjoyed a vigorous 2.1 mile hike that definitely burned off the pizza from the night before ;). We found a great local Mexican restaurant for lunch then headed back to the lodge to get ready for our float.

After a quick change, we loaded up in some vans with our supplies and off we went for an afternoon of fun. We climbed into four rafts with five women in each. Not going to lie, there were a few nerves from a few women but they conquered the fear and jumped aboard!

No float trip would be complete without some water guns or shooters which were broken out almost immediately. Nerves were gone and the laughter began. We made friends along the way with other floaters, even getting a wink from a group of teenage boys (or maybe that was the beverages playing tricks on us :) and did I mention that we laughed for a solid 3 hours? In no time at all, we were back to the lodge - what a fantastic time!

We finished off the day with a wonderful dinner at the lodge's onsite restaurant. Most of the women did not know one another at the beginning of trip so it was such a treat getting to see friendships form and connections made. This is what the middle-stage should be about - new adventures with new friends!

The following morning we packed up, had a lovely breakfast at a quaint place, took a few last photos, shared a few hugs and headed home. A weekend away is good for the soul!

There are so many beautiful waterways across the country that have float outfitters nearby. Let us know your favorite place to float in the comments below!