Laura Bush walked down the concrete boat ramp at Almeda Park with four lifelong friends from Midland, Texas, to begin a three-day raft trip down the wild and scenic Rogue River. “We travel together all the time. We love national parks, and we like to do rivers too,” Bush said. “We’ve been adventurous all our lives.”
Brad Niva, owner of "Rogue Wilderness" is the company taking Bush & company down the wild and scenic Rogue River. Niva said the company kept the trip quiet for a few months for Bush's sake. "We are very pleased and excited to have her choose Grants Pass and Southern Oregon as her vacation destination." Soon they were floating down the Rogue through Almeda and Argo rapids, heading for the Rogue Rivers' wild section. "We're just thrilled to be here," Laura Bush said. Laura Bush's next stop: Crater Lake National Park.