Posted : March 11, 2014
Our blog is chock full of great ideas for fun things to see and do in York Durham and Headwaters. We are always adding new content and updating old posts, but sometimes you might stumble upon something from our vault. If this article has inspired you to hit the road, be sure to double-check that the featured stops in this post are still welcoming visitors.
If you are 17 years old and you say to someone that you are going snow tubing.
You’ll probably hear these comments
“That’s cool…Awesome…Wow…Sounds like fun!”
But
If you are (ahem) 47 years old like me, you’ll hear something more like
“Are you serious…You’re too old…Be careful you don’t get hurt!”
That’s the exact scenario that I went through when I decided to hit the hills at The ROC (Recreational Outdoor Campus) in Georgina, Ontario. The comments were all the same and were all said with a little chuckle.
Seriously, I’m not that old!
How dare my friends and family imply that I wasn’t physically capable or that I didn’t have the guts to fling myself down a hill while lying about 1 foot off the ground on top of an inner tube at high speeds in -10 degree Celsius temperatures!
Granted, I had never done this type of thing before (even when I WAS 17) and I’m not generally known to lead a very adventurous, active, devil may care lifestyle. Besides kids do this ALL the time, it’s a perfectly safe ride and it’s about time that I experienced the thrill of adventure.
The more people tried to discourage me, the more I had to do it.
At the Georgina ROC, I had something to prove…
With fellow travel writer Sharon of dreamtravelmagazine.com holding my hand every step of the way, we hit the hills!
Here’s what happened next:
Step 1: Choose your tube and approach the conveyor with apprehension dragging your tube behind you.
Step 2: Get nervous while reading all the warning and safety signs near the conveyor. See the children happily pass by you as they make their way up the conveyor without fear.
Step 3: Make sure that you are tall enough to ride (or hope that that you are TOO short so that you have an excuse why you didn’t ride).
Step 4: Take a deep breath and step onto the conveyor. Ignore the pounding of your heart in your chest as you go higher and higher up the hill.
Step 5: Step off the conveyor and realize that the hill seemed much shorter when looking at it from the bottom of the hill. Take a moment to collect your thoughts and find your courage.
Step 6: Approach the tubing ramps and choose the one that looks the slowest. Realize that they are all the same and use eenie meenie miney mo method of choosing.
Step 7: Lay down on your tube. Take a deep breath as the young man pulls you towards the edge and flings you off the hill.
Step 8: Laugh and scream with delight like you haven’t laughed in probably 30 years.
Step 9: Remember what it was like to be a child without a care in the world.
Step 10: Repeat as many times as you can. Warm up in the café with a congratulatory hot chocolate and return home with a huge smile on your face knowing that YOU DID IT!!
Here’s a short video of our ride.
Things to know:
- The ROC is a year-round playground with a nature trail, pioneer village, café and activities such as skiing, tobogganing, snow tubing, ice skating in the winter and beach volleyball, baseball, rock climbing, high-ropes course and zip-lining in the summer
- Available for birthdays, events, corporate events
- Helmets are available upon request
- Pay as you go, hourly or all day passes are available
- Visit the website at http://www.georginaroc.ca/ for times and ticket prices
Georgina ROC
26479 Civic Centre Road
Keswick, ON L4P 3G1
(905) 476-4301 ext. 2354
Thanks to everyone at Central Counties Tourism and the ROC for helping me find the little girl lost inside of me.
Mary Chong, a Mississauga based travel writer, is Editor-in-Chief/Lead Writer (World Cruiser) of Calculated Traveller Magazine. An online magazine offering friendly advice, informative reviews, and inspiration on all things travel.
