Gringos on the American River

What happens when you get a few families, seemingly normal folks, out of bed a little too early on a Saturday, and send them off to the American River?

It may appear that all is well when you see the grins on their faces, but really the delerium is just settling in.

The next thing you know they'll start bouncing off the walls...or each other.  (Oh, and keep an eye on that fellow in the upper right corner.  Jim Book is a sketchy ol' fellow,  and he's money with a super soaker!)

The truth of the matter, is that the kids in this group are actually much better behaved that the adults!

 These guys were a spicy crew, changing their names to Salsa, Pepito, Chalupa, and Taco Head.   Accents from south of the border were used as frequently as their paddles which doubled as a means for moving forward and drenching friends in and outside of the boat.  

Which included their children who were left to fend for themselves in another boat, with a daring guide.    Except for the time when Cortney was clobbered in the face with a paddle, or when the men climbed onto their boat to toss them all out into the river,  they were pretty mellow.

The gringos in this boat however made quick enemies with a few other boats as we collided and engaged in fierce water battles with everyone we passed.  The battles were not limited to those in the other boats though.  We were each tossed out of the boat more than once by one of our amigos paddling along side of us!

 We had enough thrills to keep the smiles on our faces.  We had enough sunshine to warm us from the icy river water that was constantly splashed, shot, or submerging us throughout the day.  We had enough laughs to make our tummies ache.  We had just enough sleep to make everything seem silly, all day long.    And when we were done, we had just enough sense to drive just a little ways down the road to the only real possible place to eat dinner.  A little Mexican restaurant called GRINGOS of course!