This was absolutely a fantastic experience from beginning to end! River Rate is definitely the BEST company out on the river. The customer service is exceptional from start to finish. We got text messages in the week leading up to the adventure and the communication was outstanding. The River Rat staff is fantastic...SUPER friendly, knowledgeable and FUNNY too! The guides and the staff really made it a special adventure. Our Guide's name was Crash and he was just the best and i highly recommend him. My 15 year-old Daughter was a bit apprehensive at first but when it was over she really had a ton of fun! My youngest Daughter, who is 11, was asking if we could come back and do it again before we even got out of the boat!! Overall, this is a MUST do for the family on your trip to the Smoky Mountains!!