We found ourselves in the car again for a while, but this time we were headed to the Pigeon Forge River for some White Water Rafting!! I was so excited!! I have always wanted to do this and it was a beautiful day. Brian and I, being the people people we are, met many different and amazing people. People from DC vacationing with their parents, a beautiful family with three college aged sisters, and the group that we shared our boat with. Nine guys were down in the Smokies enjoying a bachelor party weekend and we were in a boat with 5 of them. Between them and Colin, our guide who is a Chicago native college student looking for an adventurous summer, I was only only female in our boat and they were a rowdy and crazy bunch. So needless to say... we fit RIGHT IN!!! Brian and I were so fortunate to be put in a boat with such amazing guys and we laughed, splashed, paddled and didn't paddle our whole way down the river. Come to find out, this group of guys all graduated from Noblesville High School and live around Hamilton County. I am pretty sure all of Indiana had Gatlinburg on their calendars for the beginning of June!
We had such a great time though and I wish the groom and his bride every happiness and who knows? Maybe we will see them around town!
The guy right behind me was the groom-to-be
See the guy in front of me glorifying the paddle? Yeah, he was thrown from the boat a little while after this picture was taken. No worries, the rescue mission was a success. On a calm part of the river we jumped out and swam for a while. Cold!!!!! But, worth it.
The rafting took up a large part of the day and when our soaked bodies got back in the car it was nearly 4pm, but there was still one...more...thing... I wanted to squeeze in before we left the next morning and they closed in one hour (and it was about a 45 minute drive away). We wavered for a moment and then said why not??? So, off to horseback ride on mountain trails we went!
With moments to spare before they closed down trail rides we arrived and slid in with our guide, Rusty. You have to say it with as much of a Tennessee accent as possible to get it right. Young guy who had been a ranch hand for the last four years and sweet as can be. We mounted and were on our way.
It was a beautiful ride. Seeing the mountains from this perspective was different and just amazing. Rusty was asking us how much we had ridden before and how long ago because we "looked great on the horses and looked like we knew what we were doing". HAHAHAHAHA I just went with it. Since it was the end of the day Rusty asked if we would like to go on a little longer route on some "less traveled" trails. SURE! I am always up for a little "newness". So, in single file... because you could only go single file on the 4 foot wide trails... we headed off the well beaten path. I was just trying to take it all in the breathtaking views. The green was overwhelming and the water falls and creeks were music in the air. Solid rock wall on one side of us and solid rock cliff on the other. I couldn't even tell you how far down it went at most points. My horse, also named Rusty by the way, was a newer horse to the trail rides and she seemed a little unsure sometimes, but some reassurances and nudges coaxed her back on track usually. We came to a left curve in the trail and I could tell the ground was loose and the roots and rocks were all over the place, like in much of the trail. We took it slow around the curve, but in a flash my horse collapsed forward and so did I. I somersaulted oh so NOT gracefully off the front of this horse. My thoughts, besides please don't have us go over the cliff, were to make sure my horse didn't have a broken leg out in the middle of no where. But, by the time I gathered myself and turned around all I saw were two horse legs at my face. I got up quickly and all was good. It gave our guide quite a shock, but I got right back up on my horse. That is what they always say to do right? We finished the trail ride without any other drama. I got away with falling off my horse on a mountain pass, feet away from a cliff to oblivion, with just a small abrasion on my leg from the reigns. Not bad. There was a lot of thanksgiving in prayers that day.
Another late dinner at Hard Rock, a walk around town, more ice cream and some shopping rounded out our night. The next morning we were awoken to a bear getting into our trash and we saw the biggest bear of the whole weekend lumbering down a nicely paved driveway to a beautifully manicured cabin on our way down the mountain before we left. It was a nice send off. We didn't want to, but we had to leave.
Who couldn't wake up to this every morning? This was the ceiling in our room.
We miss our cabin, but we will be back sometime.
Some asides of our trip:
1. Brian forgot his razor and so he went mountain man while we were there and we both discovered that we like it and he has continued it at home. Just had to get through those first few days I guess.
2. I learned that you can, and should, let go every once in a while. It had been 11 years since we were on vacation with just the two of us and it was long overdue and needed. It strengthens everything at home too. Lets see if Grandma and Grandpa would agree to it again though. hmmm...
3. Well, some things I just have to keep to myself. But, what is most important, and what the trip accomplished and was all about, was this...
Great trip!
1 comment:
Again, more smiles and tears. Thank you for sharing your adventure. Oh...I think the mountain man look looks good on Brian!
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