Around the rest of the world, trains are an everyday mode of transportation -- whether it's the high-speed bullets of Asia and Europe, or the achingly slow, rustic rides we've endured in Sri Lanka and Bolivia. But in the States, nobody takes the train anymore. In fact, American train rides are such a rarity that they're now sold as touristic experiences.
In business for 27 seasons, Cascade Raft & Kayak is the largest whitewater company operating on the Payette River. They had invited us out for a day of rafting, and I had just assumed that my parents -- who had come up from Ohio for a short visit -- would be content to wait around and read a book while we got wet. Nope! Although my dad had to sit out due to the flu, he only did so very reluctantly. And my mom didn't hesitate at all.
