Bob's River Place

After the Fourth of July weekend we headed (all 20 of us) to Bob's River Place. It's a little over an hour from Waldo, on the Suwannee River. 

Bob is just a retired guy in his eighties who, over the years, has built up decks and wooden platforms on the river bank of his property and hanging rope swings off the huge live oaks from which you swing out into the river and let go. You pay to park and that's it. No lines, just people taking turns. Bob has no insurance (as the signs posted on his property attest) so you just swing at your own risk with no hope of a large settlement of you get hurt. 

It was really fun. Like a red neck water park, complete with karaoke you sing in your bathing suit between death defying rope swings called "the demon" to name one. 

My nephew Adam was in his element, swinging and dropping like crazy, the entire time we were there. 

Bob also had a canal of sorts that he dug out and pumped water through as a swimming hole that was shallow and non-moving like the river. (Log roll right over Violet's head.)

Here is little Penelope on the easiest swing. 

 There was also a high dive (on the left) or, you could climb up into a tree and jump off that. Cash is letting go in this picture. Lincoln and Jackson are climbing up behind him. 

Even though she couldn't swing on the ropes Juliet had a great time playing in the splash zone and floating down the river with me and her aunts. 

And speaking of dreaming... That night after we got home I had weird dreams about college students floating through the air on ropes and landing in the 

water. It was like when you are in a car accident and you keep living it over and over in your sleep. Weird. It didn't really hit me how dangerous it was until after we got home and my head hit the pillow. But a little risk was a great reward. We had an awesome fun day as a family. Thanks, Bob!