Family Rafting North Carolina

Now that the Sarvis berry blooms have come and gone, it is time for the Dogwood to strut it's stuff. The best possible way to view North Carolina's state flower is, of course, to go on a white water rafting trip on the French Broad River with Blue Heron Whitewater. Heck, bring the entire family rafting. Rafting is great for groups and kids love messing around in boats. And at this time of year the dogwoods are putting on a spectacular show.
You might be asking, why is this tree called a dogwood? One idea is that it was once called a dagwood tree because the very hard wood of the stems made excellent daggers or skewers. (Nothing to do with sandwiches or cartoon characters). Another thought is that when two dogwood limbs rub against each other the sound is like that of a barking dog. Or maybe it's because dogs used to be washed with soap made from the tree's bark. And, did you know,  the fruit can be know as dog berries. And, last little fun-fact, a spring-time cold snap can be known as a dogwood winter.

There is also a Christian legend about the dogwood tree being changed by Jesus after the crucifixion. What was once a large and strong tree was changed into a small tree with twisted limbs so that it could never again be used to make crosses for crucifixions. The four white petals of the flower represent the four corners of the cross with the red indentations on the tips of the petals being the nail marks, the red stamens of the flower represent the crown of thorns, and the red fruit represent His blood.

Please join us for a wonderful and informative rafting trip down the French Broad River near Marshall, NC. Our outpost is only a 20 minute drive from Asheville, NC. We are the closest outfitter to Asheville that runs whitewater rafting trips this stretch of river. The rapids are fun and floating down the river is a great way to experience the spectacular spring foliage.