River Adventure

Raft in Olympic glory down the Ocoee in southeast Tennessee. You'll even have a cheering section.

My sister had decided a girls' rafting trip would be our next great summer adventure. I, however, prefer to appreciate nature from afar. So when our guide said, "You two-up front!" I knew we were in for one memorable ride down the Ocoee River.

The site of the 1996 Olympic paddling competitions, the Ocoee boasts spectacular rapids with names such as Humongous, Hell's Hole, and Double Trouble. Daunting as it sounds, guides escort thousands of people down the river every summer season. And most of the rafters are novices like us.

Olympic White Water

Our adventure began with orientation in what our guide called a "rubber taco." The directions were simple: Paddle forward. Back-paddle. Stop paddling. Still, we managed to mix those up for the first few embarrassing moments. I tried channeling Meryl steely resolution in The River Wild, but I was pretty certain we wouldn't come out of the river with movie-star hair.

Soon we began to hit our stride, though, as our team deftly dodged huge rocks put in the river to create more intense rapids for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

As we approached the Ocoee Whitewater Center, located toward the end of the course, my newfound confidence started to fade. I wondered if our boat would be the one in 10 that wipes out amid the huge waves and "hidden" drops, as guides (ready with safety ropes to pluck us out) and spectators look on.

Thankfully, we were one of the lucky nine. I found myself laughing unstoppably as we rode through the rollercoaster rapids. The exhilaration was even greater with visitors at the center heartily cheering for us.

With helmets askew and broad smiles on our faces, my sister and I helped drag the raft out of the water. She was already talking about next summer's adventure-hang gliding off Lookout Mountain, maybe? On the other hand, another trip down the Ocoee sounds good to me. -CINDY