After a night of camping at Cades Cove in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, we all drove (the twisty, windy, turn-your-stomach mountain roads of the Great Smoky Mountains) over to Bryson City, North Carolina for a day of whitewater rafting with the fine folks at Nantahala Outdoor Center.
This was mom’s first-ever whitewater rafting adventure, my second (though both were on the same river), and Jim’s fourth (all on different rivers).
We went on the Nantahala River. Boring piece of trivia:
Nantahala is an Indian name meaning “Land of the Noonday Sun.” (Suz, did you know that?) It reflects the fact that the sun only reaches the floor of the deep gorges and valleys when directly overhead at midday. Which explains the icy-cold water temps that this river is known for!
It’s also one of the easiest rivers to raft on. Thought it would be just perfect for mom’s first whitewater trip… though at the day’s end, she actually begged to “go on a rougher river next time!” So there you have it… I think mom might be more comfortable with whitewater rafting then I am!
While I’ll do each of the following activities, I’m certainly not a big fan of things like: roller coasters, flying on airplanes, or whitewater rafting. Notice anything in common? I guess I prefer to be the one in full control at all times.
Mom, on the other hand, was sitting near the front of the boat and she kept getting doused with boat-loads of H20! And our “guide” was trying so hard to toss Jim out of the boat (…cuz this river was “too tame” for Jim) that mom was nearly plucked from her seat a half-dozen times! But she was a trooper… Hung on for dear life and kept begging for more.
Here’s a brief video clip of what it’s like at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. (Our guide for the above trip was Angus — the guy in this video.)
What I Learned Today:
My mom out-shined me at whitewater rafting!
We moved from Florida to Tennessee in 2001. All signs point to the fact that we will probably retire here — by choice. We L O V E Nashville! Our favorite places to live are just south of the City — we’ve had houses in Brentwood, Franklin, and Spring Hill. And we have properties in Leipers Fork, Cookeville, and Lewisburg. This site is where I share my best tips for moving your family to Nashville and/or visiting Nashville for the first time — with the ultimate goal of helping you find fun things to do in Williamson County and Davidson County. When I’m not out & about enjoying the Nashville area, you’ll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 500 articles on this site! Many of them have upwards of 100K shares.
