One of America’s Finest Rivers to Tube and Drink is in Wisconsin

If you've lived in Illinois or Wisconsin and haven't had a float and drink day at least one point in your life, have you really lived?

I grew up in Chicago and while that wasn't something I realized was a thing until we moved out to a rural area I understand the reason for why it happens.

What I didn't realize was that there are some rivers that are better than others for a day of floating and boozing.

First though, what makes one river better than another when all you need is a floating device, a cooler, and some pals?

Apparently, quite a bit because Thrillist managed to put together a whole thing devoted to the summertime activity.

Their article The Best Rivers in America for Tubing + Drinking takes a close look at the 10 best and lo and it turns out one of the very best for an excursion of that type is in Wisconsin.

Thrillist says the place to be in Wisconsin for a float and a drink is Apple River located in Somerset, Wisconsin.

One of the great Midwestern traditions that doesn't involve football, cornhole, or stuffing your face with brats is a float down the Apple River. Riders tie their tubes together (with a communal beer cooler in the middle), and the scene is almost like a floating Mardi Gras. Beads are worn (and thrown), and there's even a sandbar midway down the river where the party is always kicking with food, drinks, and beach volleyball.

Interested to see what others thought of Apple River, I was prepared to see some serious negativity from reviewers.

I wasn't disappointed.

One TripAdvisor reviewer said, "we witnessed half-nude drunk people stumbling out of port-a-pots, people camping out of the back of U-hauls announcing a live DJ starting at 10 pm that night."

Another reviewer mentioned "this is not a place to bring your family" with a "bunch of young drunks, flashing each other."

However, one person did have a positive experience saying "We went on a Thursday night in early summer. There were not many people and we had a truly excellent time."

Have you been to Apple River? Is it really as insane as it sounds?