Becky loves a good adventure, and despite suffering from motion sickness, that occasionally includes a good boat ride. So I gave her one for Christmas last year!

This is part of our 100 Things in 2017 challenge. Here’s the full list. Click on the photos for a closer look!

Willamette Jetboat Excursions boards on the same pier where the USS Blueback is moored. Becky and I made our way down there one sunny Saturday morning, making sure to bring our adventure hats and sunglasses, and prepared ourselves for a good soaking. These boats like to do quick-reversal spins, which have a tendency to send the boat into its own wake, and spray a lot of water onto the passengers.

It turns out that where we sat – dead center in the front row – is one of the driest spots on the entire boat. That and our hats meant our feet were the wettest parts of us by the end; we got a good cooling spray every once in a while, but the people on the rail at midships got the real show.

The boat goes all the way down to Willamette Falls, near where Becky grew up, and then back again. We had a pretty good time, got to know Portland from the river (including some interesting facts about the flood of ’96), and mixed in a few shots of adrenaline. Recommended.