By John Tredrea, Special Writer
Chill!
That directive, which apparently started with a generation that was quite young at the time, is a slang way of telling you to relax.
Taken literally, to chill is to cool off, which is relevant to relaxation.
It’s July. A good way to chill your mind at the same time you chill your skin is to float down the cool Delaware River in a tube for a few hours.
Delaware River Tubing and Jet Boat Tours can help you do that.
If you’re by the Delaware River often in these parts, you’ve likely seen some of their customers riding the big river’s current. They ride rafts, canoes and kayaks as well as tubes.
"The water is great for tubing right now," said Greg Crance, owner of the business, before the recent downpours.
"Last year was tough because of all the rain, and other recent years were affected by Katrina and other storms we had. But the height, flow, clarity and temperature of the water now are all perfect for tubing."
Mr. Crance’s outfit, based in Frenchtown, will get you to the water and back to your vehicle when your trip downriver, which usually takes three to four hours, is done.
"Our custom inner tubes have a head rest and three chambers and a life jacket," he said. "We also have custom straps I invented that keep tubes together. This is good for families and other groups. The straps are easily connected and disconnected. This is a much better setup than connecting tubes with rope. If the rope gets tangled up on something — a tree branch, say — you can’t just make a disconnect the way you can with these straps. It’s much safer."
You can get paddles with the tubes if you want them.
Midway through the ride, you stop at an island on the river for a chow-down that’s covered by the base price of the trip.
"I run the hot dog stand there, but we serve a lot more than hot dogs now," Mr. Crance said. "We also have chicken, burgers, including veggie-burgers, and other choices. Everyone loves this stop. Being on the water like that definitely whets the appetite."
All in all, it can make for a memorable afternoon.
"You’re floating easily on the water, surrounded by great scenery, immersed in nature and in history," said Mr. Crance, noting the tube ride ends near the point on the Delaware at which Washington led the Continental Army across the river on the way to the Battle of Trenton, a turning point of the Revolutionary War.
So chill.

