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Sep

08

2011

Airboat Ride of Your Life

 Airboat Ride of Your Life

For adventure seekers, zooming down the Mighty Mississippi River on an airboat might seem like a no-brainer, but for those of us who prefer our thrill seeking to involve solid ground, riding an airboat might seem a bit daunting.  I, without question, typically prefer dry land, but on this one particular morning I let my friends talk me into taking an airboat tour of the Mississippi River.

We met up at the Tunica RiverPark and headed down to the docks of the Tunica Queen. On the same docks, I saw this strange boat with something that looked like a giant fan attached to the back. At that moment, I wondered what I was getting myself into. I decided, being that I am an entertainment writer, that I should probably write about all types of entertainment, even that which I think might be terrifying. Luckily, this trip seemed to be a mix of excitement, adventure and peacefulness that I had never anticipated.

It turns out that I had greatly underestimated how peaceful an airboat ride could be. Sure there’s a giant fan loudly blowing air behind the boat to keep it moving, but once you start to feel the light spray and see the vast amounts of treed land and open water, you really start to take in the true beauty of nature all around you. It also brings to life the meaning behind the name “The Mighty Mississippi.” Gliding across such a mass of churning currents, past huge barges and boats, really puts the river’s power and size into perspective.

The next part of our airboat tour was exciting, suspenseful and terrifying all at once! Our airboat captain took us to see some calmer and more peaceful areas just off the river’s main stream and what did we discover? Flying fish (Asian Carp)! The captain had forewarned us about the possibility of  fish flying into our boat, but I had no idea he was serious or that he meant football-sized fish! Minnows, I could handle, but these fish were large enough to smack you in the face!  After everyone recovered from the fright of the first fish jumping in boat, the air immediately erupted with laughter. Grown men nearly jumping out of their seats at the thought of another fish jumping in the boat was hilarious to us!

After it was all said and done, we had a great time on our up-close and personal tour of the Mighty Mississippi via airboat. It was an unexpected type of fun and the best part is that I survived such a great water adventure! I guess I can cross airboat and flying fish off my bucket list now! I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a different kind of adventure. The airboat accommodates up to six people and costs $35 per person (age 5 or older) for a half hour. Click here for details on how to take an airboat cruise and visit TunicaQueen.com or call 866.805.3535 for more information.

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