If you’re in the Oregon/Washington area and looking for something to do, I highly recommend contacting River Drifters for a rafting trip. There are several rivers in the vicinity that they offer trips on, as well as different time lengths.
This was the first raft trip for my 15 and 11 year old kids, so we went with the half day Deschutes trip. My 15 year old daughter is not very outdoorsy and was not thrilled when she found out we were going rafting, but still enjoyed herself by the time it was done. My 11 year old had an absolute blast, and can’t wait to do it again!
The company, and particularly our guide Teo, are professional and super knowledgeable on rafting and just the general area around where we rafted. They really stressed safety guidelines and protocol, while also making sure to keep things light and fun. It’s a rafting trip, it’s supposed to be a good time! Teo told awesome stories and facts. He also tried getting everyone to push their limits without being intimidating or demanding at all. At one point, most of us in the raft were standing up and “surfing” through a small set of rapids. You could also “ride the bull” (straddling the nose of the raft with one foot out in the water) which my some did. All of this was optional and if you didn’t feel comfortable, Teo did not make you feel bad about it.
Overall, this was my second rafting trip ever (first one was in Colorado), and the first for my wife and kids. We would definitely recommend doing it whether you have a ton of experience or none at all. You won’t regret it.