My family and I spent a few days 2-weeks ago in Foresters Falls where we went rafting and camping at OWL Rafting.
OWL (Ottawa Whitewater Leaders) Rafting is a three generation family destination with a unique whitewater rafting experience on the Ottawa River. Many years ago when I was still dating my husband, he went rafting with his buddies and had a lot of fun. So, with our son older now, we decided to make it a family outing. Though, I was a bit nervous about the whole ordeal since I don’t swim.
The rafting adventure at OWL includes half a day on Ottawa River with a raft guide, followed by a pontoon meal cruise for dinner before returning to the lakeside resort. We ended up doing two days of rafting and stayed at the resort where we camped in the wildness with our own tent. I was surprised how empty the campgrounds were as most of the people at the resort were in cabins.
On our first day, we decided to take the canoe out for a spin to the two islands that were near the resort before going rafting. That was a smart choice since our arms felt super sore after our first day on the Ottawa River. Since we did the ‘family friendly’ version, the rafting adventure wasn’t as extreme, which was perfect for my fear of water. I’ve been trying my best to get over my fear of water with these water sports, but still, I admit I was super nervous about falling into the rapids. Fortunately, I remained in the boat for both days and for someone who likes to stay far away from water, I can honestly say that the adventure was a lot of fun. Yes, my arms were sore afterward. And I got sunburnt despite putting on sunscreen. It was exciting going down the rapids and getting splashed by the waves that crashed at the raft.
On our second day, the raft guide, Nani, was so entertaining too. We had a great discussion on Portuguese cuisine and learned about his backstory about how he came to OWL Rafting. He made it really fun for my son, who allowed him to jump into the rapids on one of the more mild ones. And between us, that moment when my son was crazy enough to dive into the rapids, my heart probably was beating at 200 beats per second because I was really scared when I didn’t see him floating around when we got past the rapids on the raft. Though, I put all my trust in his swimming abilities, lifejacket, and our raft guide. Not sure if I could have been so calm if it wasn’t for those three things.
If you’re looking for a family adventure and you enjoy (or want to try out) water sports, I suggest you head over to OWL Rafting for a few days to try it out for yourself. If we come back in a few years, I’m sure my son would like to do the more adventurous version of this rafting experience. So, if that does happen, I’ll be waiting for him on land because I don’t think my heart can take such an adrenaline filled water adventure. I’ll enjoy some lighter water activities like canoeing and kayaking, and of course the sunset by lakeside.
Wow, this sounds like an amazing trip!