Personal Narrative: Wyoming River Trips
explanatory Essay
1813 words
Imagine traveling in an eight seater SUV with your seven member family and all that luggage for twenty-five hours to the great state of Wyoming. The joy in that vehicle was through the roof, let me tell you. Everyone was all smiles and sunshine all the time! Not. These trips are always dreaded until we arrive at our destination and then once again when we have to leave and go home. My warm, fuzzy feelings for my family were not at an all-time high. On our first day in Cody, Wyoming, my parents decided to raise everyone’s morale with a seemly white water rafting trip. Let’s just say that trip did not have the intended outcome. We arrived at Wyoming River Trips early on a brisk morning to get geared up and briefed on some information we needed to know. The only other people on our full raft were an older father and son duo. Starting us off, our easy-going, college-aged, brown haired guide with a crooked smile told us that only three rafts had ever flipped in the forty years the rafting company had been open. This obviously eased everyone's worries as we all relaxed our stiff-backed postures by a smidgen. Off we go, with the older man on the raft telling jokes to my two younger sisters Rhylanne, age nine, and Elliana, age seven. The guide would spout off facts, as all guides do, to keep the trip …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Describes the joy of traveling in an eight seater suv with their seven member family and all that luggage for twenty-five hours to the great state of wyoming.
- Describes how they arrived at wyoming river trips early on a brisk morning to get geared up and briefed on some information.
- Describes how their raft passed the biggest rapid in the river with ease, and rhylanne was calling to get more wet despite how cold the water was.
- Recounts how they tried to swim against the current but the river was too strong. they were exhausted by the cold and their attempts to reach their sister, rhylanne.
- Describes how their body was clumsy and fatigued as they tried to reach the river bank. they hurriedly grabbed onto stable vegetation and anchored their sister.
- Narrates how the guide reunited them with elliana and kiernan after seeing a body paddling downstream and he asked where the rest of the family was.
- Narrates how the rescue raft came about an hour later, with their mom in tow. the relief was palpable, and no one was dry eyed.
- Opines that defining moments can come in moments of extreme duress or in an ordinary run-of-the-mill day.
They can come in moments of extreme duress or in an ordinary run-of-the-mill day. No matter when inspirations come to us, it is something that will remain with us long after they strike for sure. There could have been no better outcome for the situation my family was put in, besides maybe not being terrified of large bodies of water now. All jokes aside, I never really thought of how important any one individual is to my entire family’s dynamic and almost losing them put that into perspective in a horrifyingly real way. As Michael J. Fox said, “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” and I could not agree
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- Personal Narrative- My Trip to Colorado Springsnarrative essayMy youth pastor pulled out of our church parking lot at three am in the morning loaded down with a bus full of twenty four teenagers including me. We were off at last head to Colorado Spring Colorado, little did I know, our bus was going to fall apart this very day.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how their youth pastor pulled out of their church parking lot at three am loaded down with a bus full of twenty-four teenagers including them. little did they know, our bus was going to fall apart this very day
- Describes how the anticipation of this day had been building up for some time over the last few months, and now it was upon them at last.
- Narrates how the youth pastor decided to call a mechanic and tow truck from colorado springs or get local help.
- Narrates how they and a few of their friends began playing texas hold'em. after playing for some time, they began to lose interest, so they suggested playing life.
- Narrates how they were irritated when their two vans arrived. after a long wait, they decided that their youth pastor and one of the other leaders would remain behind to wait for the tow truck.
- Describes how they were shocked to be staying in a hilton and how the hostess greeted them like old friends.
- Recounts how they waited three days for their bus to be repaired, swimming, sight-seeing, and watching tv. they realized they should have been grateful for a bus.
783 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative: My Canoeing Experienceexplanatory essay“Come on, “ my counselor Emily screamed from shore. The quick rapids made it very difficult to dig our paddles into the river. My cabin was stopping to eat lunch on our Tuesday canoeing trip. On Saturday, we had traveled down to Brownstown, Indiana for a week full of friends, fun, and God. My church stayed at a retreat center called Pyoca. Every year on Tuesday, we would go on a canoeing or rafting trip depending on the water levels. Emily, Annabelle, my canoeing partner, and I sat along the sand bank waiting for other canoes to come in. Many other groups slowly went by, while we patiently waited for other groups to come in. I was so hungry, I couldn’t wait. Canoeing had zapped all of my energy, and had made me really hungry. I began to quickly wade out into the river, so I could help the other canoes come in faster. Someone screamed, “Be careful” from the bank. Nate Epple, a counselor of
In this essay, the author
- Describes how the rapids made it difficult to dig their paddles into the river. emily, annabelle, and nate waited for other canoes to come in.
- Describes how their counselors, emily, allison, danika, and nikki, pulled their lunches out of a large brown paper bag. they were excited to eat because they were starving.
- Describes how annabelle and nate swam against the current for a while, then relaxed on their backs as it carried them down the river, waiting for everyone else to finish their lunch.
- Narrates how they ran toward the man and got him all wet. he lunged forward, grabbing them and picking them up over his head. on his steps towards the river, they don't give up.
573 wordsRead More - The Rideau Canal Leg of the Grand Tourexplanatory essayOn our approach to the Comfort Island dock, I noticed several members of Mom’s afternoon “discussion group” that had seen us coming and were waiting to help celebrate our return. Our landing was like it was following a script. The clock was striking five, and while Topper went to check for any new smells, the rest of us stayed on board to recount the adventure in the company of a refreshing libation.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the rideau canal system as a popular cruising destination through the canadian wilderness that exhibits incredible landscapes and amazing ingenuity.
- Describes the rideau canal waterway as a marvel of engineering and ingenuity.
- Explains that the work was accomplished with pick, shovel, and wheel barrow. stones for the locks were quarried miles away and transported during winter by farmers utilizing sleds and oxen. gates were constructed at the lock sites by blacksmiths.
- Explains that most of the seaway locks are operated by hand. boats enter the enclosure and water is released through an underwater channel to lower a boat.
- Narrates how deb and deb eased consuelo into each succeeding lock while deb tended the bow and stern lines. the locks have rubber-covered cables that hang loosely from the top to bottom of the enclosure.
- Explains the oddity of the rideau canal waterway is that the route climbs for over eighty miles and descends nearly forty miles down to lake ontario. the rule of thumb is "red right returning."
- Explains that dad had learned advanced navigation by taking the power squadron boating course and pointed out an interesting change to deb and me, "did you notice when the route started to descend after newboro, that the red markers are now on the left instead of the right?"
- Explains that the rideau waterway is a mecca for recreational boating in contrast to the seaway and the ottawa river.
- Explains that fiberglass was gaining in popularity at the time of their excursion. most of the boats we saw were used for fishing, touring or water-skiing.
- Explains that chris-craft, richardson, and mathews cruisers were popular at that time. the consuelo could only be operated from a forward position in the salon.
- Describes how they made their way through another fifteen locks on the second day including those located at the artistically oriented town of merrickville that boasts many victorian buildings and formal gardens.
- Describes how they walked into town at seven in the evening after the visitor center closed. every building we passed smelled like fresh chocolate, and the realization that they were missing an opportunity to buy a suitcase-sized supply of "reese's peanut butter cups" was reason to sulk.
- Describes how deb and i engineered another morning start, and we were cruising through the rideau lakes region by the time the coveted "chocolate shoppe" opened for business the next day. topper usually came and sat next to them as they piloted the boat
- Narrates how they learned about the consequences of stopping late in the day, and made it to chaffey's locks and the opinicon resort. al cross owned and managed the property and was a first class host.
- Describes the venue as a two-day boat trip from comfort island via kingston and an hour or two by car.
- Describes a long bench with five-foot wide sign hanging above the back that amuses them every time they think of it. on one side of the fish is the word "liars'" and on the other side is "bench."
- Describes how deb and i swam, played shuffleboard, and hit tennis balls. topper gave such a wag that he wiggled all over when we returned to the boat.
- Recounts how they had logged eight days and nights of what seemed all but certain to be a ten-day cruise. they had an unforeseen burden to deal with when their "stern line tender" was taken ill during the night at opinicon.
- Describes how they knew they were getting close to home when the cavallarios came through washburn lock going the other way. they owned a restaurant by the same name in alexandria bay.
- Describes how they cruised thirty miles and went through eight locks before the lock-tenders finished for the day. they were at upper kingston mills, where trains pass over the top of the locks.
- Explains that deb showed her creative talents by preparing another tasty meal on board. their dining choices were limited by the outdated galley, but deb produced dishes like corned beef hash with egg on top or joe’s special that combined egg, spinach and hamburger into concoctions.
- Analyzes how dad seemed to be gaining strength and showing promise in his more active lifestyle whereas mom was beginning to flag. he piloted the consuelo through the final four locks at 9:00 am the next morning.
- Describes how they learned the rideau waterway, the bateau channel, and the trident yacht club. kingston was the venue for the 1976 olympics.
- Describes how the consuelo guided its return through the quiet passages between shoals and islands fronting several waterfront restaurants, four or five marinas, and numerous cottages.
- Narrates how topper and the rest of the crew stayed on board to recount the adventure in the company of a refreshing libation.
1594 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative: My Trip To Yellowstone National Parkexplanatory essayYears ago my family took a trip to Yellowstone National Park. I chose this common experience for this memory assignment. First, I made a list of all the things I remembered from my trip at Yellowstone. I remembered we traveled in our motorhome and got halfway to our destination and parked on the side of the road and slept there for the night. I remember seeing the famous geyser; Old Faithful, in addition to seeing lots of bison, and bears. I recall one night that we stayed in a campground bears were in the campground and we were being told to stay in our campers. I also remember during the trip my dad would give me all the spare change and I would collect it. I saved the change up to buy souvenirs or candy. I also remember going to a shirt
In this essay, the author
- Recalls their family's trip to yellowstone national park. they remember visiting the geyser old faithful, seeing bison, and bears.
- Narrates how their mother describes the yellowstone trip. she recalls seeing a black bear, old faithful, and all the hotpots.
- Narrates how their older brother briar remembers seeing buffalo, old faithful, and visiting the large waterfall. they also remember their dad buying a grey shirt that said yellowstone.
- Explains the fuzzy trace theory, a term used to explain what caused us to remember "the gist" of our vacation rather than "specific details."
- Explains that each person's memory was unique to their remembrance. personalization makes memories unique because we all remember our individual experiences.
- Explains that their mother's memory from seeing the massive waterfall was different from when their brother told about that same waterfall. their mother remembers the park ranger looking for the dead body.
- Explains that they made a false memory due to retroactive interference, which is when old memories interfere with the retrieval of newer memories.
- Explains that their mother and brother recall more details and information from their yellowstone trip compared to their brother.
888 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative: Rocky Mountain Hikeexplanatory essayWhen I woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning to go hike up a mountain, I did not expect to have an exceptional day with my cousin Kelsey. We were about to trek up Mount Chiquita in Rocky Mountain National Park. What made this hike unforgettable was the morning before the hike, the hike itself, and the great time we had afterward.
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how they woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning to hike up mount chiquita in rocky mountain national park. the hike itself and the great time afterward made the hike unforgettable.
- Recounts how they woke up on august 21st wondering if scaling mount chiquita was a great idea. after much contemplation, they decided to do it.
- Describes how the hike to mount chiquita was the best part of the day.
- Describes how they huddled at the top of a rock wall that blocked the wind and created warm air. they ate snacks, drank water, and took in the view.
- Describes how the drive to the alpine center took a while because of the dirt road. they sat down at the café and talked about the amazing time they had going up to mount chiquita.
- Opines that they will always remember the morning, hike, and the afternoon of august 21st, 2015. one day, kelsey and they are planning their next adventure.
866 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative: The Platte Riverexplanatory essayWe left Fort Kearney and we are walking along the south side of the Platte River. We are aching like crazy, especially our feet. We are always very tired because it is really hard to sleep, having to sleep under our wagon with one blanket again. Our other blanket that we brought was lost during the storm. I do not even like to talk about the storm because it breaks my heart because of what happened, but it still happened and I am happy that everyone lived. Soon, the Platte River will be dividing and we have to cross it to start walking along the North Platte River.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how their oxen and horse were sore and aching after climbing the hill. they used multiple ropes to keep their wagons in one piece.
- Narrates how the ives told the wagon train they would be getting to chimney rock, but it'd be another 14 miles. lucy is tired, while larry is holding onto and controlling all three of their oxen.
- Describes the scariest thing about crossing the platte river. they had to rely on the sand bars to hold their wagon and the wagon's weight.
- Describes how they got some sleep in the grove of ash trees and headed to courthouse rock. they were a little better walking because they had energy.
1113 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative: Back Country Campingexplanatory essay“Back country camping?” It had been a decade since I camped last, and I recalled it being a jam packed, smokey, noisy family campground. I had only been camping in the “real woods” once, and that was literally decades ago - four of them. And now, Wendy, who is a self-proclaimed Queen-of-the-wilderness, introduced a weekend in the interior of Algonquin Park as one of our - Canadian Destinations.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that algonquin provincial park is ontario's oldest provincial park, and wendy tells them that it also offers a variety of recreational opportunities.
- Describes how their kokatat pfd was a relief, even though they were sporting it, as was wendy. they barely knew it was on, and it had pockets for everything.
- Narrates how they approached their portage point on the other side of the lake.
- Explains that when they saw the site, they knew it was the one! they climbed out of their tent.
- Lists canadian destinations mag's top 10 picks for camping gear in a separate article.
- Describes the loons who swam up close to us and flew underwater right under our canoe.
- Narrates how they went out to find some dry wood and found some old stumps where the wood was.
- Explains how they used a portable stove to cook over the fire instead of using the stove.
- Narrates how they returned to their tent hoping the rain would let up.
- Narrates how they left the tent and were happy to see bluish skies.
- Narrates how the stove was life-giving during the trip, and by the end of the day they were back in their tents and looking forward.
- Narrates how they were blown away by the fact that it was snowing!
- Narrates how they had a snack and hot tea, bought gifts for some special people in their lives, and drove home.
- Opines that it was shockingly fun battling the elements, mostly because we were not fighting for our lives.
- Explains that they were able to cook their meals with ease, sleep comfortably, stay cozy and sleep well, and enjoy our amazing canadian destination.
- Opines that we will honour dad's memory once again, in the back woods, with my queen.
- Describes how wendy introduced a weekend in the interior of algonquin park as one of their - canadian destinations.
- Narrates how they went to algonquin park with their father, uncle, and big brother mike when they were nine. it was fun and exciting, except for the fear of meeting a bear.
- Narrates how their travel partner suggested they visit the same place they visited when they were a kid. they were impressed by the vastness of algonquin's interior of maple hills, rocky ridges, and thousands of lakes
- Describes how 2,000 kilometres of canoe routes connect thousands of pristine lakes that can take a lifetime to fully explore.
- Describes the portage store as an excellent source for gifts and a great unique restaurant.
- Describes the landmarks along the way such as a miniature lighthouse and totem pole.
- Describes how wendy was comfortable carrying her 115 l sealline bag and the canoe in one simple trip to the next lake. the best part? everything was totally dry.
- Narrates how sea to summit's packing cells and stuff sacks kept their massive packs organized. the wilderness queen set up a fire without gasoline and therm-a-rest provided mattresses.
- Describes how they enjoyed their surroundings and listening to the eerie calls of the loons swooning to each other from afar.
- Describes how they tried to make the best of the day but the rain didn't let up. the rain turned into a drizzle and they were able to canoe across the lake.
- Narrates how they wore coldpruf underwear and patagonia outerwear throughout the day. they were both amazed that no jeans, trackpants, or rubber suit could do this.
- Narrates how wendy forgot her gloves so she had to put her wool socks on her hands. they packed up their gear, got into the canoe and headed back.
- Opines that they can't wait for the next camping experience, and they're bummed it's a few loooong weeks away.
2558 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative: The Suwannee Riverexplanatory essayFor as long as I could remember, my father was a Boy Scout Leader for troop 232 in Orange Park, Florida. My brother, Robert, was in the troop and being the little sister, I weaseled my way into the troop as well. I was appointed the “mascot”, which allowed me to attend all of the camping trips, my most memorable one being in 2008 at the Suwannee River. The Suwannee River isn’t just a song, it’s a place full of aquatic life, known for beautiful scenery and natural springs; but it’s also the place where I almost lost my life.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how their father was a boy scout leader for troop 232 in orange park, florida, and their brother, robert, was in the troop. the suwannee river was the place where they almost lost their life.
- Recounts how their dad took them canoeing down the river early in the morning. they saw an alligator's babies sunbathing on the shore and jumped into the water.
- Describes how their life vest quickly filled with water and they frantically tried to get to the shore, but all they could feel was their body being dragged further and further away towards the rapids.
- Describes how they watched as their dad plummeted from the cliff into the water, and started swimming towards them. they could have died that day, but the man who helped bring them into this world put everything on the line.
484 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative: White Water Raftingexplanatory essayI recall in vivid detail the scenery around us as we embarked on our perilous journey down the Nantahala. We arrived at the drop-off point in the early afternoon the next day. The sweet smell of fresh pine trees was floating in the air and a soft midsummer breeze was brushing against our faces. After receiving directions and safety precautions from our rafting instructor, we geared up, boarded our raft, and set out for our voyage down the treacherous Nantahala. Sharing the experience with me were my mother, aunt, uncle, and cousin; along with out rafting guide. We were all ready for a fun and safe ride down the Nantahala.
In this essay, the author
- Recalls a time in their life when their family and i went white water rafting for the first time.
- Describes the scenery around them as they embarked on their perilous journey down the nantahala.
- Narrates how they felt disappointment as they drifted down the river, seemingly inch by inch. the water was crystal clear and almost as flat as a sheet of glass.
- Describes how the current became stronger and the river became more rocky and rough. they passed many small falls, being splashed and soaked from all directions.
- Describes how their raft almost sank due to the constant splashing of water into it. they were always passing jagged rocks and giant boulders that could have easily flipped or got them stuck.
- Describes how the last fall was the largest and most dangerous on the entire river. the rapids had grown fierce and furious to the highest degree of extremity, surpassing any that had ever faced before.
- Narrates how they were overcome with suspense and anticipation as they approached the top. before they plunged to the bottom, they noticed a kayak broken in two pieces. they were scared to death because they thought they would hit it and flip over.
- Narrates how their family recalled which parts of the trip they liked the most and disliked, and decided to do it again if they got the chance.
635 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative Essay: My Family Trip To The Colorado Mountainsexplanatory essayOne of the most enjoyable things in life are road trips, particularly to the Colorado mountains. Getting to spend time with your family and friends, while being in a beautiful place, is irreplaceable. The fifteen-hour road trip may feel never-ending, but gazing at the mountains from afar makes life’s problems seem a little smaller and causes worries to become a thing of the past. Coming in contact with nature, untouched, is a surreal experience. My family trip to the Colorado mountains last summer was inspiring.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that road trips are one of the most enjoyable things in life, especially to the colorado mountains.
- Describes how the road before them seems to stretch for eternity. the only thing to see are the open fields full of cows and restless horses.
- Describes how they finally reached the place they'd been longing for, oklahoma, which infuses them with awe, and an eerie feeling of being strongly enclosed by huge mountains and tall trees.
- Describes how their excitement to ride smoke overcame all their fears. they could never have chosen a more wonderful way to experience the beautiful colorado mountains than astride him.
- Opines that their departure from the mountains did not make them sad. although they didn't want to leave, they knew they would soon be back.
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