NEW HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut summer staple is back in business. Farmington River Tubing is typically open from Memorial Day through Labor Day but was forced to close for much of July due to rain and unsafe water levels. It was back in business Friday after being closed for weeks.
“It’s like a trip to some other planet or something,” said first-time visitor Fran Harmeyer of Watertown. “It was fabulous,” she said while exiting a blue bus after spending an hour and a half floating down three miles of the Farmington River in New Hartford.
“We’ve been wanting to come my whole life basically but never got around to it,” said Chuck Schall, also of Watertown.
“We’ve been wanting to come here for weeks. We’ve been calling their number every day, getting a message that the dam was releasing so much water, it was too much in the river.”
Harmeyer and Schall were among the first tubers out on the Farmington River when the seasonal experience re-opened Friday.
Manager Jeremy Harraden has been waiting for warm weather, clear skies, and a receding river.
“This is the first day I had a smile on my face in about the last three weeks,” Harraden said. “Rain after rain after rain. Closed days after closed days after closed days the last three weeks.”
Experienced tubers making some adjustments after hitting the river following rain.
“Typically, I’d take down water bottles and my phone but since it’s more of a rapid today because of the rain, we’re just going bare—bare minimum,” said Charity Wongkam of Dayville.
It costs $25 to float for over an hour before a bus brings customers back to the Main Street entrance.
Farmington River Tubing is open through Labor Day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. People are encouraged to visit the Facebook page or call before visiting since hours are weather dependent.
Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.