Ocoee....We're Back!

We just returned from a great weekend.....camping and whitewater rafting with friends on the Ocoee River; And celebrating my sister-in-law's birthday. Unfortunately, Furry B was left behind for this adventure (but he said he had a great weekend with Grandma and Grandpa).

We set up camp at Thunder Rock Campground, which is only a short drive from the Ocoee Whitewater Center. In case you ever want to camp along the Ocoee, this campground is a great choice.  It's very convenient to the river, and the camp hosts keep it well maintained and very clean.

The first evening was spent grilling Bubba burgers; and soaking up the water (courtesy of the afternoon showers) in our tent.  On Saturday morning, we loaded up and headed to the upper part of the river to begin our whitewater adventure.  We spent most of the day trying to keep J from falling out of the raft and protecting my sister-in-law's front teeth. :) We tackled many rapids....Diamond Splitter, Table Saw, and Cat's Pajamas.  But J was no match for Double Suck.....it sucked him right out of the raft and down the river!  The finale was Hell Hole...and it did its best to flip our raft, but we prevailed!  We ended the evening with pitchers of beer and pizza at The Ocoee Gondolier.  Good times and Great friends!

Ocoee Whitewater Center

It was a great day at the Ocoee River.  The whitewater rapids were closed for the day....so we were able to enjoy a lazy day by the river.  Furry B enjoyed swimming in the deep pools and climbing over the slippery rocks.  We definitely plan to visit again and take advantage of the over 30 miles of hiking and biking trails.

Fun Fact! In 1996, the Ocoee hosted the world's first Olympic whitewater event on a natural river.

Playing hide and seek with the beach ball. 

The ball provided about 3 minutes of entertainment.....

He decided the best way to play was to bite it and carry it around.

Cool and refreshing water!

From the nature trail.....

Happy 4th of July!

The gang's all here...

Furry B, pre-fireworks

We ventured to the big city last night to celebrate the 4th and watch fireworks.  We had perfect weather and great food.  However, this was the first and last fireworks celebration for Furry B.  By the finale, Furry B had disappeared to the backseat of the truck.  Too many munchkins and too much boom!  He will have to find another 4th of July activity next year!