When Ryan and I were invited to experience Jet Boat Colorado during our visit to the Grand Junction area, I was simultaneously delighted and terrified. I love boats and I love the water, but ever since I had a scary river incident many years ago, I’m not particularly fond of getting out on a river of any kind, let alone the mighty Colorado River.
Despite my fear, I realized that some of the scariest things in life have been the most fun — snowmobiling and zip lining, for instance. So I would do it, even if it meant swallowing my fear and spending the entire outing with my eyes squeezed shut.
There was another motivator for doing this activity — Jet Boat Colorado is the only jet boat operation in the state and they just opened this summer. This means I’d be one of the first people to get to experience jet boating in Colorado and who doesn’t love being one of the first ones to do an activity such as this?
The temperature in Grand Junction had been soaring to over 100 degrees for the last two days when we arrived at Jet Boat Colorado in De Beque on a Saturday afternoon. De Beque is about 25 minutes east of Grand Junction along Interstate 70.
I was nervous and when we donned our lifejackets and headed down to the boat my stomach began to hurt a bit, but I was going to do this because, for one thing, one of the other riders was a preteen and if she could do it, I sure could.
I’d learned from owner Joe Keys, and driver Jason, that all the guys involved in Jet Boat Colorado have years of experience guiding river rafts and they know how to read a river. This made me feel a little better. A lot of jet boat companies operate on lakes and that’s an entirely different animal from operating a jet boat on a river, especially one the size of the Colorado.
I also learned that this is one of only four jet boats of its kind in Colorado, so this is truly a one-of-a-kind sort of jet boat experience.
So, did I like it? DID I LIKE IT? I LOVED IT!
From the first “Cowboy Spin” I was hooked. Ryan described it as feeling a bit like “snowmobiling on the water,” and that’s a pretty good description. The speed runs are exhilarating, the power slides exciting and the spins are downright crazy.
Jason raced Wild Mustang, that’s the name of the green, New Zealand-style jet boat, up and down the Colorado River. I couldn’t contain my steady stream of giggles as we bounced along. And this ride has a bird watching component too. We saw blue herons, swallows, ducks, osprey and several bald eagles.
I rarely use exclamation points when I write these posts, but I feel this post needs an exclamation point.
Here’s the deal, citizens, you gotta jet boat this summer! I guarantee it will be the most fun you can have with wet clothes on. And you will get wet. Also, wear sunglasses. If I hadn’t been wearing mine it felt as though the wind may have whipped the contact lenses right out of my eyes — that’s how fast we were going! Two exclamation points in one post. Oh, my.
Learn more about Jet Boat Colorado at JetBoatColorado.com.
Thank you to the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau for hosting our trip to your beautiful area and booking us with Jet Boat Colorado. Thank you to Jet Boat Colorado for the fun ride.
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Joe Keys and Jason are very experienced river guides and have been a vital part of tourism in the Delta county and Black canyon area for years. When I return to Colorado for a visit this is definatly on my list of things to do.
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They are great guys. I’d love to have a beer with them one day and hear all their stories.
Thanks for stopping by HeidiTown, Jolly!