MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 2015

Oh, California, you are still most beautiful. With skies so blue, we linger while sipping our coffee or tea and looking out our watery eyes on the quiet landscape around the rivers. In this year of limits, we are able to go rafting. On two rivers, we paddle the whitewater as aggressively as before. And, we approach this weekend as we have the last 37 years on our guided whitewater rafting trips.

It's time to go rafting! California's benchmark, this weekend, guides us carefully through the treachery of the holiday. So many people, so much to do, and the Gods above have deemed the weather in the 80's with a high of 84 degrees. Perfection!

Two rivers to go rafting: South Fork American and Middle Fork American River. Both very popular with the populations in Southern California, San Francisco Bay Area, and our Valley communities. Our office resides in the state capitol of Sacramento. Just an hour from the river. Traveling in cars and riding Hwy 50 or Hwy 80 corridor will take you there.

Every outfitter is vying for the guests. Every single one of us. With a lot of new outfitters taking over older companies, we step back and remember 37 years of friends, families, scouts, youth groups and corporations who have gone rafting with us since 1978.

We love all of you. Sincerely. We do. Join us for Memorial Day Weekend and go rafting!
We got Whitewater!


Online store discounts:
raftwet-store.com

Call us 888.723.8938!
Or visit the links above to diy reservations!
(Please reserve at least 24-48 hours before the trip date)


Photos by: W.E.T. River Trips
Blog written by: Elizabeth Lopez

Writing, again

Phone is ringing. Again. And, the rings are blurring into a musical cacophony of tunes echoing a distant song. Turn your computer down, please. The sounds are confusing and filling my head with a noise that is distracting for my work. I am writing again.

I've always written. I love words. The sounds of the words and the rhythm of their music have always filled me with a joy that is hard to describe unless you have a soulful presence in perhaps, art? All who write know what I mean. I dream and then I write.

Just me

Why have I not written in so many months? What has stopped me? Blogs are quick and dirty writing. Perhaps the pressure of this whitewater business and the job it unfolds was too daunting for the artful words to flow. I don't know why a writer stops writing, or why we write at all. Something compels us to write the words from our head and heart. Something mysterious and profoundly unjust at times. Forcing me to write is like having a chef cook with spoiled ingredients and tainted meat. The end result is always bad, no matter how finely tuned the knife is executed or how creative the chef. Bad is bad, always.

The minutea of every part of my life comes in clear focus. I haven't felt like writing for a long time. And, every time the urge starts, I wonder why, but then I write... and write... about nothing. Just thoughts that drift aimlessly in my mind producing words on the screen forever more in the digital expanse.

I look outside my window this morning to a clear blue sky. The cool breeze drifts in making the curtain shimmer with the same rhythm of the music of words that I type. Life is very good. Perhaps, I will sit here all day just writing.

~ EL aka RJ
This blog belongs to California Whitewater Rafting W.E.T. River Trips blog and all the contents and images and my heart, too.

Excuses, Excuses... Poor Grandma!

Whitewater rafting trips are happening all over California and the western USA. W.E.T. is booking many paddling enthusiasts as this is shaping up to be a historical year for water and rafting in California.

A big snow pack and late storms are proving to be godsend for Northern California's spring rivers. A long season of spring flows until probably end of June? For real!

But, I digress, as I usually do when writing about the insignificant minutiae of the reservation office as we all sit here talking to guests, booking reservations and overseeing the online store for rafting trips.

What I do know is that guests are reserving later and waiting until the last minute to book a trip. We know one of the reasons is because of cancellation policies. It's a dilemma for both the company and the guest.

We have to have a cancellation policy or people won't show up. Any excuse could prevent

them from showing up! So the guests wait... until the last minute to book.

The entertainment for those of us in the office this month has been the excuses for canceling trips. You would think it would be about the weather which is a reasonable excuse given that May's weather was quite unpredictable. Some people do not like to do anything outdoors in the rain. Ok. That's cool, we understand.

Some of the best reasons for the dreaded "no-shows" have been unreal. We hope you understand, if your reason was real and it is listed here... it was just hard for us to believe!

TOP 10 REASONS (Excuses) for Canceling a Rafting Trip

10) I lost my driving directions, so I missed the trip.

uuuhhh... driving directions were sent w/ confirmation... they even called the day before to confirm directions again...

9) My boyfriend made dinner last night and it made me sick.

hmmm... we all wondered what he made...

8) We followed a truck with a raft on it and ended up in Tahoe.

we had a serious good laugh over this one... giggling still... lemmings are alive in California!

7) My friend organized this trip w/ my credit card, but he didn't give me any info.

right. someone uses your credit card & you don't have any info over a thousand dollar charge... sure.

6) I put the wrong date on my calendar.

this is actually a common error... double check peeps!

5) I got up too late, realized it was too late; so I went back to sleep.

WHA? this one was amazingly arrogant... couldn't they at least call us...

4) We got drunk last night and we were hung-over.

our fav excuse of all time! so honest and candid... we rescheduled them.

3) My grandmother is dying in the hospital.

this same guest used this excuse 4 years in a row... hmmm...

2) My grandmother died.

and the same guest used this excuse in between those years... 2nd or 3rd year...

and... TA DA-A-A-A... the top #1 excuse in the last few years...

1) I have to go to my grandmother's funeral.

and finally, the same guest used this one for a reschedule in another year... when we could not reschedule him due to a sold out date; he kept his original date and told us his grandmother was dead anyway and probably would not want him to miss his trip... hmmm... she probably would also wish he didn't use her as an excuse! Poor grandma...

Ok. For those who really did have the grandmother excuse, our prayers are with you. For those who used their grandparent for an excuse... well, I hope nothing ever happens to grandma. She deserves better respect than that!

We discussed this phenomenon and we all agree. The best excuse is this, "We have to cancel due to personal/work reasons." It really is none of our business why you didn't show up. It is only our business if you demand a reschedule.

Memorial Day weekend is coming up next. Saturday is packed and there is still some room on Sunday. Do us a favor and try... oh please, try... to book your reservations early next week. We want to make sure everyone is reserved in a timely fashion!

See you on the river,

WET Reservations

W.E.T. River Trips

RAFTWET.com

raftwet-store.com

Note from the editor: ...sounds like the office staff needs to go on a whitewater rafting trip...

All blog content including photos are the property of W.E.T. River Trips and related sites and networks.

Rafting for Groups

The calls are coming in requesting pricing for group rafting trips. The scouts, families, bachelors, companies and friends are calling for the yearly fix of whitewater rafting. We don't sell sorrow; medicine for illness or a service to make you lose weight. We don't sell drama; fixing your car after an accident or counseling you during a divorce. We don't sell a vice; providing you with tobacco, alcohol or gambling.

We sell joy, happiness and adventure. We sell a personal journey. Our trips make you feel good without compromising your beliefs, religion or way of life. You come to us to share a joyful time in your life. We provide the means to do just that safely.

Not many of us in business have this privilege of selling you a dream or personal challenge. The ski industry does that, whitewater rafting companies do that, and most of the adventure travel industry do that everyday somewhere on this earth. We are the lucky ones.

The profit margin is low, but the joy we feel when you share your words, your photos or your friends and family with us is the greatest reward that any company can receive. And, we want to thank you all for that. Now, here's to 2011 and a great whitewater rafting season!

W.E.T. will be on the water on March 4th / Friday. Both rivers will be available at that time; South Fork American and Class 4+ North Fork American Chamberlain Falls run. Come on out... wetsuits are on us!

W.E.T. River Trips

RAFTWET.com

1.888.723.8938

Note: More videos can be found on WET Youtube channel

http://youtube.com/wetrivertrips

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Holiday Specials! WET River Trips

We just posted our new rates and discounts. Here are some incentives for those of you who are organized and ready for early deposits for 2011 rafting season. Loyalty counts in a major way. Those of you who are past customers, please email us directly for your special quotes. (We are gonna take care of our peeps first with the best discounts that reflect your past patronage.)

Email:

And for new reservations, just mention that you went with us before and give us the name of your trip organizer. We will pass some cool savings to you, too!

Happy Holidays everyone!

I hope you are all skiing or boarding on that fluffy madness now, because come this spring, that snow will turn into class 4+ whitewater rapids on your favorite California rivers.

Need a gift?

Gift Resources: popular gifts

• whitewater gift certificate ($100)
• chili bar run (most popular)
• 1-day trip w/meals & camping
• 2-day wilderness trip

Deadline for mailed gift certificates is Dec 20th.

After Dec 20th, we can only send via email.

Peace and goodwill,

W.E.T. River Trips

WET Staff