An Outdoorsy Getaway

My husband & I love the outdoors, although I dislike very much that mosquito’s are attracted to me, so I tend to have a lot of bug bites during the summer. (not very attractive, lol)


We celebrated our anniversary 3 weekends ago and went on our 2nd weekend getaway since having our children. Weekend getaways are definitely something we are going to have to do at least once a year from now on, if not more! (hint)

We went to Bryson City, NC which isn’t really a romantic town but is a very outdoor adventure town. My husband grew up in Eastern Tennessee doing all kind of rugged activies such as white water rafting, hiking, camping, and the like and not that I didn’t do some of those activities, it was in a more luxurious style, camping with a camper, hiking but able to jump a pool after, and never white water rafting.


The weekend prior to our getaway, we took our first family rafting adventure with our kids and it was a blast so that’s why we (last minute) planned the outdoor adventure trip. Our 2 adventures  for our anniversary trip were white water rafting and doing a zipline tour. We did a zipline tour on our honeymoon in Mexico so I thought it would be fun to do it again.

Check out more about the Rolling Thunder River Company if you’re interested in an adventure!

I was impressed with how well kept the property was

Bus we rode to river



I didn’t rub Chief Thunder so I had a little bit of bad luck, lol!



Our white water rafting exploration took place in the Nantahala River, which is 8 miles in length and is about 45-48 degrees. Smoky Mountain Living says that “Championship experience is not necessary to run the river; however, it would be foolhardy for the inexperienced to attempt it without a guide. Running the Nantahala is a thrill-a-minute ride.” And this was only my second time rafting, alone in my own “duckie” or inflatable kayak but I had a blast even though I did fall out into the freezing rapids.


“Man over board” I heard some one call out. I just tried to remember all the instructions I was told if I happen to fall out and I survived! Even though it was bone chilling cold!


We finally got to the last rapid and I felt a sense of relief but glad we had fun, especially since this experience will be a special memory I will cherish with my husband. Next, we enjoyed a delicious hamburger at a burger joint and then headed on our way to the Nantahala Gorge Canopy Zipline Tour.

I forgot my tennis shoes, but thankfully by husband had an extra pair, even though they were huge on me. haha!

The tour consisted of 11 zipline sections, with over 20 scenic acres alternating between slope side, trees, and elevated platforms, hundred’s of feet in the air. We got our gear on and did a quick safety class and practice then took a short hike to where the tour began. We were grouped with a family of 8, but a couple of them got scared a bailed out.

The rafting & zipline tour were thrilling and physical experiences. I was sore the next day for all of our adventures.


That evening, we decided to check out Paula Dean’s new restaurant that opened up at the Cherokee Harrah’s Casino, which was close by. We weren’t that impressed with the menu because it was very limited and forces you to get the buffet, which was good but not exactly what we were expecting for our anniversary dinner.

The salad was pretty good, especially the bean salad & the tomato and mozzarella

Paula’s specials: cheesy grits, mac & cheese, cheesy meatloaf, potato casserole… it was yummy! Where are all the veggies? (this was our “vacation” meal)

And although we aren’t big gamblers, we set aside a little bit of money to try out our luck at the slot machines. We broke even, so I’m guessing we should stick to not gambling, lol!

The next day we headed home to get our kiddos. We had a wonderful time and I would definitely suggest taking an outdoor adventure with your spouse! You’ll get to see their strengths and weaknesses, eachother wearing funny gear and it’ll be an experience you’ll never forget! And you can say that you did it together!


Have you ever went on an outdoor adventure?