Whitewater on the Ocoee River

Chuck and I love to do adventures that create a little fear in us...such as whitewatering or ziplining. So every year we try and find something to do that makes our hearts beat a little faster. We refuse to let our bodies believe we are seniors. We like to go down around Benton, TN and go whitewatering on the Ocoee River, which was the site of the 1996 Olympic Whitewater Competition. The Ocoee River flows thru a beautiful gorge in the Cherokee National Forest and is one of the country's premier rivers that has Class III & IV rapids. This area has many recreational things to do such as ...guided mountain bike rides, learn to kayak, rappeling and tubing. There are also plenty of camping areas, cabins, and motels nearby. You will also find numerous rafting companies where you can schedule a trip on the rapids. One such company is Quest Expeditions http://www.questexpeditions.com/ . You need to reserve a spot with one of the rafting companies, so you might want to plan ahead for this adventure. Rafting is usually open April -May and September - October (on weekends) and open daily thru the summer months of June, July, and August. It is a very exciting, challenging thing to do in the summer months when it's nice and warm (the water is a bit cool running out of the mountains). We did not fall out of the raft, but we've seen some fall out. The guides are trained to rescue you and you have to wear a helmt and lifejacket. We loved it... You only get one shot at this life...got to make the most of each day. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS HANG ON AND PADDLE...