Description: When my vendor from the railway was at my work’s training weekend, I was asking about their white water and train ride. When I found out that their minimum age for the white water rafting was 7 unless they were small (my nephew is taking after his tall dad and several tall relatives, so no problem there). I knew that would be our first trip with my nephew.

We would be taking the Raft and Rail Trip. We would be taking the train up and a white water trip back. OK, well back to the white water center and then a bus back to Bryson City. We arrived for our 10:30 trip, checked in, and found the Sarge Revis Car. We would be in the open bed car. These cars were once luggage and flat bed cars that have long padded benches that face open windows. It gives guests amazing views. They also offer coach, crown coach, adult club car, and family club car options well. Open car is the only option for the raft and rail excursions. On this warm summer day, the open car was just perfect.

We enjoyed the trip up. We pass by open land, lakes, lots of kudzu, through forests, and mountains. It is a beautiful trip and most people on the trip are leaned up at the open windows enjoying the beauty is clacking past us. Elijah is having a great time since he loves trains. For almost an hour and a half we ogle and snap away at what we see. We are almost there when our train comes to a complete stop.

At first we don’t mind and just keep taking pictures and talking with our fellow train trekkers. After about 30 minutes we wonder what the heck is going on. There is not any kind of announcement as to what the delay was. Word makes it way back to what the issue was. It turns out that a tree had fallen across the track. Finally after seeing several men running back and forth they come through and inform us that they are trying to get the tree cut down and they broke one chain saw and trying to get another. Finally after 3 hours we are on our way…3 hours!!!! I mean they have been running these trip for years, I am sure this has happened before and when they come thought with a chain saw, it is like your basic chainsaw that horror movie maniacs use. I would think they would have some big commercial thing. The only concision they offer us is a free drink..notice I said drink not drinks. I mean were made to wait three hours and we get a soda. Wow!

To make matters worse, we were stopped right at a bridge. Those of us going on the white water rafting trip could have gotten off the train walked across the bridge and caught the bus and got to our rafting trip. There wasn’t anything dangerous around us. I am sure for insurance purposes that would have been a headache. But I would have gladly waved my right to sue them, in order to avoid sitting on these padded benches that after 3 hours num the butt. After 3 hours we get going and we pass by the tree that had held us up. I am expecting a tree that holds up my fun to be comfortable in the redwood forests of California. Instead the thing is maybe 2 foot across! The train could have plowed through the thing.

Finally we are getting off the bus and are diving up into groups and heading off to our raft and guide. The cougar in me is wondering why we don’t get Adam the hottie college kid. Instead we get a very cute but quite hairy female college kid, Nope, I don’t remember her name, just Adam the hottie. Most of the guides appear to be college kids. Our group of 6 grabs our raft and we carry it a short bit to the water and hop in. This is Elijah’s first rafting trip and I am not sure how he will handle it. Our guide takes extra care to make sure to show him how to get all tucked in so he doesn’t go flying off the raft.

Our 3 hour, 8 mile trip is a pleasant one. We go past beautiful scenery and meander down the pretty calm Nantahala River Gorge. We traverse our way past a few class 1 and 2 rapids which aren’t very scary but fun. At the first one I notice Elijah’s eyes get big and I am wondering if this is a huge mistake. When we get past it my nephew is grinning and clapping. When we come to the last one, which is a class 3, Elijah gets nervous and I reach over to hold him to calm him down, and next thing I know I am in the water. John said it was something like out of a movie and I just flipped over. I don’t recall anything until everyone starts to pull me into the raft. They were trying to pull me in like a shark or schools of piranha were after me. They should have told me to just hold on that we were floating into the drop off stop. No sooner than everyone pulled me into the raft, then we just stop paddling and drifting into the side. At this point I was already soaking wet so why bother? To boot I ended up with a sprained ankle and got to wear my Elmo bedroom slipper to work.

I hobbled my way on to the bus while John and Elijah put our gear up. Soon were on our way to the rafting center. Since we were so late we only had an hour to eat and take a shower since they would be closing soon. The ticket included lunch. By the time we got. They had a few sandwiches left, potato chip crumbs, a few cookies, and no drinks. We had to go buy our own from the gift shop. And to make matters worse the shelter with the food was way up on a hill and I had to hobble up with my now throbbing sprained foot. We had to quickly eat so we could get a nice, much needed warm shower. By the time we ate and had our showers, we only had a few minutes to do some shopping so we could get on the bus and get back to Bryson City. By the time we got there back, everything was closed so we didn’t get to go to the train museum that Elijah wanted to see.

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