You don’t need me to tell you that the weekend is upon us but I thought lucky Greenpointers that can call themselves car owners might want to know about the Town Tinker. We discovered this getaway last weekend when we were feeling all Huck Finn and craved a lackadaisical float down the river. Enter Google and a couple key words and within a few minutes a day trip was born! A quick two hour drive will get you to the town of Phoenicia and to the door of The Town Tinker, an inner tube rental business run by some EXTREME hippies on the Esopus River. You might want to choose a weekend when you’ve just gotten paid because tubing is a little less economical then I’d like to report. A Twenty dollar bill will get you a life jacket, an inner tube and a two hour pass on the tributary. Steep, but worth it, I swear.

Some questions you are asking now, that I should have asked myself: Do I know how to negotiate rapids? How do I feel about getting tangled in fly fishing lines? Will I know what to do if there is lightening?

We selected the beginners course (the alternative being “advanced”) and never found ourselves in water more than knee deep. But don’t let that mislead – there were occasional shoots that made me worry about my vulnerable shins. The fly fishers ended up being cautious and courteous which was good as I was preoccupied with the notion of being rushed to the Phoenician ER for a tetanus shot. Though we never encountered lightening, we were caught in the rain – but the answer is: if there’s lightening, get the hell off the water!

Bottom (fly fishing) line: we got Huck Finn all over the Esopus and its funny to see your friends in safety equipment.

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  1. My family has been vacationing in the Catskills for decades and I’ve been tubing the Esopus since the 80’s. It is so much fun. I’m glad to see in brought to Greenpoint. If you ever go back, try the “advanced” course. Its not any more difficult then the beginners and a bit more exciting.

  2. Lady Lorimer. I thought $20 was a pretty good deal for a tube, a life vest, and the free shoe rental!! think about our money spent bowling at the gutter?!?!

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