Until rivers were invented, whitewater rafting excursions involved kiddie pools filled with industrial fans and gallons of white paint. Take advantage of advances in water with today’s Groupon: for $49, you get a one-day rafting trip and lunch (a $99 value) with Kings River Expeditions at Twin Pines Camp, about an hour and a half east of Fresno.

Kings River Expeditions offers scenic rafting expeditions in the Sierra and Sequoia National Forests led by professional, experienced guides. Both beginners and intermediate whitewaterers can experience the welcoming spray of the class 3 Kings River during a one-day trip that begins at either 7:30 a.m. or 10 a.m. at Twin Pines Camp. After undergoing a safety orientation, rafters embark on a bus ride that takes them to the starting point ten miles upriver, where sailless sailors are divided into crews of up to seven before hitting the rapids. Then, encircled by the loving caresses of a life jacket and the gentle grippiness of blue and yellow paddles, boaters submit themselves to the wild whims of the Kings River as it winds through beautiful wooded hills and smashes around stony sandbars. Both trips include a satisfying lunch of burgers and chips. Post-trip, rafters can partake in volleyball and horseshoe shining before returning to their land-life.

Kings River Expeditions became the first company to offer rafting trips down the Kings River in 1972 and has maintained an outstanding safety record throughout its nearly 40 years of operation. Select trip dates are based on availability and are subject to river conditions.