Back in my younger days, it wasn’t summer until I heard Will Smith on the radio singing, “Summer Summer Summertime… Let’s just sit back and unwind.” (You’re welcome for the earworm.)
These days, summer in North Georgia kicks off for me when Margaritas in Helen opens up. This year, we were lucky enough that they opened super early thanks to our warm weather, but it doesn’t really feel right until tubing kicks off. See, Margaritas sits above the famed Chattahoochee River, and watching the tubers go down the river is always entertaining. Occasionally you get locals floating past who clearly know what they’re doing, but mostly you get tourists from Atlanta and let me tell you…. you put a person in a tube on a river who’s never done anything like that, and well… let’s just say it’s entertaining.
The first mistake people make is tying their tubes together. It’s a rocky river so it greatly increases the odds of getting stuck. The tubing people sell straps just for the purpose of tying the tubes together, so I can only assume they know there are people like me sitting further down river with a camera just waiting for people to get stuck.
You can always tell the first-timers because they are usually wearing flip flops. This woman also wore a dress and brought her purse. Maybe it’s waterproof, but seriously… what in the world could you possibly need going an hour down the river in a tube that would require a purse?
I’m guessing either these two are locals, or it’s not their first float down the Chattahoochee. The guy managed to get wet up to his neck getting them unstuck, but he never dropped his cigarette. *clap* Well done.
And then towards the end of the day, you get this guy whose job it is to float down the river and collect errant tubes. He probably doesn’t make much, and he probably puts up with a lot of jerks, but he definitely doesn’t have the worst job in the world.
Don’t worry, the tubing isn’t the only draw at Margaritas. There’s a couple guys playing songs you love but forgot about, and occasionally you get some folks who bust out in some line dancing. At least I think that’s what these chicks were doing. I can’t remember what song was playing, but I’m hearing “Walk Softly” by the Kentucky Headhunters in my head right now. Will Smith to Kentucky Headhunters. I don’t know either.
Did I mention you can get a 32 ounce refill of Bud Light for $5? Times are tight, man! They also sell 32 ounce mixed drinks that I swear I saw the girl put a 1/4 bottle of liquor in. Maybe that explains why every once in a while you see someone slouched over at their table. Amateurs.
Watching the tubers is something Guitar Dude and I like to do at least once or twice a month during the summer in North Georgia. What’s your favorite summertime activity???
