Rapid Observations - View this location on map 'In the 70's, before Moab became known as the mountain-biking capital of the world, whitewater rafting was the big buzz. Red River Adventures (877-259-4046; $40 a person for a half-day trip) offers traditional raft trips, above, as well as guided tours using inflatable kayaks (called 'Duckies' for the way kayakers line them up single file to enter a rapid). In the fall, the Colorado River is at low water, a perfect run for beginners. Winding through the slack waters between rapids, the guides point out dinosaur tracks or wax poetic on the land. 'See those trees up there?' the guide and owner, Carl Dec, begins. 'Those are 40-foot pine trees, and they look like shrubs. Your perspective here is just so ... .' Then, leaning back and looking upward, he says to no one in particular, 'Well, you have no perspective.''' New York Times 1371 North Main Street, Moab, Utah Active, Kids

---