Tubing in Norfolk, Nebraska: A Midlife Adventure Worth Taking

We may have been compensated through an experience or products from the links and companies mentioned in this post. Thank you for supporting my small business. Please see my disclaimer for more info.

Travel has this sneaky way of teaching you things. One minute you’re smiling for a photo, and the next you’re wrestling a spider off your swimsuit while floating backwards down a river. (Ask me how I know.)

I recently took a trip to Norfolk, Nebraska—though the locals pronounce it “North Fork,” and here’s why:

Back in the 1800s, settlers named the town after its location on the North Fork of the Elkhorn River. But when they submitted paperwork to establish a post office, someone assumed “North Fork” was a typo and helpfully corrected it to “Norfolk.” The town stuck with the new spelling—but they’ve been saying it their way ever since. Gotta love a community that doubles down on their own identity.

And tucked right into downtown is one of the coolest outdoor surprises I’ve seen: the North Fork Whitewater Park, a three-mile stretch of tubing-friendly river with seven engineered water features (yes, rapids—more on that later), a surf wave, scenic trails, and spots for kayaks, paddle boards, and yes—nervous, over-50 women looking for a bit of adventure.

Anyway, in Norfolk, I decided to revisit something I hadn’t done in over 30 years: tubing.

Now, technically, I had been tubing before, back in my carefree Michigan days when packing a floating cooler full of snacks and beverages was the priority and sunscreen was optional. But this was different. This was a new body, a new decade, a new river. Which makes it basically brand new, right?

Over 50 and Getting Into a Tube: Norfolk Tubing with Humor and Heart

My new friend Tony, from North Fork Outfitting, helped me into my tube—and by “helped,” I mean he held my hand as I plopped onto the tube. Then he gently shoved me from shore while I flailed into position with all the grace of a caffeinated walrus.

Tony runs a fabulous local business that rents out tubes, kayaks, paddle boards, and even bikes. They offer shuttle service too, so you don’t have to think about logistics—just show up and float. It’s an incredibly convenient way to enjoy the Whitewater Park, especially for folks like me who are more into river fun than river planning.

Entrance to North Fork Outfitting in Norfolk, Nebraska, showing kayaks, a blue rental tube, and a wooden porch with signage for outdoor adventure rentals.

But hey, I was in. My Olawa water bottle was wedged beside me (cupholders are for last year’s tiny water bottle—mine is meant for business and it stuck with me through every bump, spin, and loop), my GoPro MAX 360 was ready, and I had one of those stubby little paddles that’s more decorative than functional.

The first thing I noticed? My two 20-something companions were already halfway down the river. No biggie. I had a paddle!

Except… turns out the paddle mostly helped me spin in slow circles. I wasn’t steering so much as participating in a graceful water ballet choreographed by chaos.

Letting Go of Control: Life Lessons from Tubing Solo at 50+

Somewhere between spin #3 and tree branch #7, I had a revelation: I like control. I’ve always liked control. But there’s something oddly freeing about realizing you don’t have any, especially when you’re bobbing along in a river with your behind barely skimming the water and your dignity hanging by a thread.

Eventually, Lydia (bless her outdoor-loving heart) caught a protruding branch, held on, and waited up for me. I grabbed onto her tube like a lifeline, which left me with one hand free for paddling and zero hope for coordination. But we floated together for a while and had a great heart-to-heart—proof that deep chats don’t have to happen over coffee or a quiet meal. Sometimes they happen in swimsuits with river muck between your toes.

Leveling Up My Tubing Experience at North Fork Whitewater Park

Tony reappeared like a tie-dyed tubing angel, offering a larger, more comfortable tube. Unfortunately, the place where we tried to swap was what I’d call quicksand-adjacent, so we agreed to wait for firmer ground.

By now, I’d heard whispers of “water features”—those engineered rapids built into the Whitewater Park to make tubing a little more exciting. Reader, I was not excited. I was nervous.

But before I could overthink it too much, Tony helped me into the new tube just in time for the first drop. Spoiler alert: I survived. I may have screamed and clutched my paddle like a magic wand, but I made it.

One down. Six to go.

Solo Tubing Challenges: What Getting Stuck Taught Me at 50+

I wish I could say it got easier. But somewhere after the first rapid, I hit a magical mid-river vortex where the wind picked up and I… stopped. Just stopped. In a moving river. Like a floating lawn ornament.

And then—just for kicks—I started floating backwards toward the rapid I’d just conquered.

This happened not once. Not twice. Six times. I was stuck in a looping current, unable to reach the shore, yelling into the void while mentally drafting my resignation letter to midlife adventures.

It was humbling. It was frustrating. It was the exact kind of moment that makes you want to cry, laugh, and write a blog post all at once.

Eventually, I broke free (still not sure how—divine intervention or dumb luck?), and rejoined the route.

View from a river tube on the North Fork River in Norfolk, Nebraska, showing a mounted GoPro camera and pink water shoes with trees lining the waterway.

Tubing Solo in Midlife: Overcoming Anxiety and Bugs (Literally)

There were more obstacles, of course. Low-hanging branches, random underwater weeds that felt suspiciously like monster tentacles, and bugs that seemed personally invited to feast on my flesh.

At one point, I lost sight of everyone. I was alone. Floating. Frustrated. Sunburnt knees, no sunscreen (it was safely stashed in Lydia’s waterproof dry bag on her tube), and a water bottle that had somehow become my emotional support object.

So I did what any resourceful, over-50 woman would do: I turned on my iPhone playlist (don’t worry – my phone was well-protected in my tried and true magnetic drybag on a lanyard), laid my sunhat across my legs, and prayed my way to the end.

Surviving Tubing in Nebraska: What I Learned on the River at 50+

And you know what? I did it.

I tubed a river in Nebraska with strangers. I got stuck. I got frustrated. I cried. I laughed. I faced down imaginary alligators and real-life doubts.

But I did it.

And when Tony helped me out of the water at the end, I felt something I haven’t felt in a long time: pride. Not just for finishing, but for starting in the first place.

Why Women Over 50 Should Try Something That Scares Them (Like Tubing)

Here’s the truth no one really tells us about aging: it’s not that we can’t do the things we used to do. It’s that we have to do them differently. Maybe slower. Maybe with more support. Maybe with extra padding (for both body and ego).

But different doesn’t mean less valuable. In fact, sometimes it means more.

When I was in my 20s, I went tubing for fun. In my 50s, I did it for connection, courage, and growth—and I walked away with a story I’ll be telling for years.

So to all my over-50 girlfriends who are staring down a new adventure and thinking, “What if I fall?”—I say, “What if you float?”

Try the thing. Book the trip. Get in the tube.

Because we’re never too old to learn something new… even if it comes in the form of a watery spin cycle and a runaway paddle.

A woman floats solo in a blue inner tube on the North Fork River in Norfolk, Nebraska, framed by wild greenery and out-of-focus purple wildflowers in the foreground. — Image courtesy of Lost with Lydia

Need a Place to Stay in Norfolk, Nebraska?

Want More Stories Like This in Your Inbox?

Travel isn’t just about destinations—it’s about discovering who we are along the way.
Join the Hip Grandma Life email list and get heartwarming (and hilarious) stories delivered straight to you.

If you liked this article, you will probably like these, too!

Table of Contents