Yesterday morning, we all woke up at 6:30 am and drove 1.5 hours to Bentonville, VA for a Fathers' Day fishing/rafting trip down the Shenandoah River. We rented our "family raft" through the Downriver Canoe Company, who also provided paddles/life preservers and shuttle service. The company offers a variety of trips to choose from, we opted for the moderate 7.5 mile Burners Bottom route and it proved a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.
At first the kids couldn't wait to paddle, but then the novelty wore off and they opted for reading books and dipping their feet in the water. The river is pretty calm, so except for a few very mild "rapids", we floated along, while Dan fly fished off the raft's side. I'm pretty much the world's worst paddler, but eventually I started to find a rhythm.
We came across tons of birds, including an egret, along with cows and campgrounds along the banks (though, sadly, not many fish). A light breeze kept us from becoming too hot and every time we hit a faster section T yelled "oh, yeah, this is my JAM!" as we cheered the water along.
The trip took about 4.5 hours total (by the end, the kids became restless, but in their defense they were pretty tired). Downriver Canoe Company also offers overnight camping trips, which look fantastic. We're hoping to try one soon. If you're interested, click here for more info about the trips offered. All children must be at least 5 years old.
Happy Monday everyone!! How was your Fathers' Day??
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