TRAVEL & CULTURE
started out with
nothing but six
rafts, a truck and
trailer to haul them,
and an office that
was housed in
a 1956 Safeway
trailer evolved into
Adventures on the
Gorge. “My wife
and I lived in a
tent where the pool is located today,”
he says with a laugh.
Have dinner on-site at Smokey’s
Steakhouse. White string lights coil
around the rafters of this timber-frame
pavilion, which feels like a dressed-up
camp dining hall. (Or request a table on
the deck to watch a sunset over the
gorge.) Open seasonally from mid-May
through October, Smokey’s serves
upscale fare in a casual setting. Order
a stick-to-your-ribs entrée like a plate
sections: The upper’s tamer Class III
rapids are countered by the forceful
hydraulics and powerful currents of
the lower’s Class IV and V. Suit up in
a helmet and life jacket, grab a paddle,
and have a seat on the edge of the
hulking inflatable raft.
As you voyage down the waterway,
take in the towering canyon walls
surrounding it (you might even spot
an overlook from a previous day’s
hike) and gape at the colossal New
River Gorge Bridge as you glide under
it. Hang on tight as your raft enters a
roiling rapid with waves crashing over
the sides of the vessel while soaked
passengers paddle frantically through
the strong current.
The fleets of rafts cheer each other
on as they venture along the course.
This convivial spirit surpasses any
competition between rival outfitters
on the water. Aside from leading safe
excursions, the guides work hard to
accomplish another goal: sharing their
love and knowledge of the New River.
Quaint B&B
Stay at The
Historic Morris
Harvey House.
Arnold says, “In 1972, I fell in love.”
He means with West Virginia. The
Cincinnati, Ohio, native moved to the
area as a college grad with a premed
degree. “After guiding and running the
river, I asked myself if I really wanted
to spend six to seven years at medical
school,” he remembers. The answer
was no, so Arnold and three partners
founded their own white-water rafting
company, Class-VI River Runners,
that same year. An operation that
JULY 2019 / SOUTHERNLIVING.COM
52
Rise and Shine Visit Raw
& Juicy Juice Bar in the loft
of the Cathedral Café.
Converted Church
Sip coffee by stained
glass windows at the
Cathedral Café.
