adventure connection

This trip was part of a wedding anniversary celebration, and it was most memorable in the best way. We spent Day 1 on a multiple site Wine Tasting Tour, and we were in great "spirits" after tasting the various wines from the different Vineyards (we bought several bottles to take home). Then Day 2 was the rafting trip. Such an adrenaline rush! We had a great Guide who piloted our boat into the best of the river rapids without causing any harm to any of our boat team. Highly recommend Adventure Connection (versus the other rafting companies in the area) because they made us feel at home & welcomed, tended to any need a camper had (especially when some in the group did not follow the instructions and we not dressed properly for the rafting trip), and provided a most professional & personable experience for two people who had never been white water rafting. We have even talked about going back again in the near future (taking our son to give him an "out of his comfort zone experience" because we had just a tremendously fun time the first time.

I planned a bachelor party using adventure connection, not only was it affordable, it was an amazing experience. The whole party thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

I love AC. I wont raft with another company. All the guides are amazing and fun. Best time ever. You couldn't ask for a more friendly, down to earth bunch of folks. See ya in 2015.

The guide was knowledgeable and kept us out of the rocks and bushes. Made for fun all the way. Helped pull us together as a team and tried some advanced maneuvers like surfing the rock waves. We had a blast. Water was a little low because of the drought but that didn't stop the action on the rapids. We had a nice lunch and enjoyed the wildlife including a few river otters along the way. A very serene day dashed with white water adrenaline! *you should be in reasonably good shape especially for walking around the waterfall -portage over the rocky trail. I wouldn't recommend for very young children.

I can't even tell you how many times we rafted with Adventure Connection last year. Our first trip was in May and we had so much fun that we wished we could go every week! We did manage to get in 5 trips! During our trips we had different guides and each one we had was phenomenal! Every rafting adventure was like an exciting party with good friends. I can't recommend Adventure Connection enough. This company is da bomb!! I'm already planning trips with Adventure Connection for 2015!!

The entire staff were so friendly and vibrant. The schedule was laid out perfectly and the food was sooo good. My first time was in May and I had the most amazing experience! I will definitely be returning!

I was in charge of getting 12 guys together for my brother's bachelor party. After questioning the groom to be, I decided that a white water rafting trip would work out perfectly. The people at adventure connection are very friendly and extremely talented. Our group camped on-site and were given meals throughout the days of our trip. I would recommend this organization to any of my friends as they were part of the reason for one of the most memorable bachelor parties I have ever been apart of. Thanks again to the guides and keep on paddling!

We had the most amazing time doing the South Fork Rafting Trip. We decided to camp at Camp Lotus (which I would also highly recommend) so we were within 4 miles of the base camp for rafting. We went down the river with about 5 other rafts in a group. What I liked about Adventure Connection is that they grouped similar people/experience levels in similar rafts. They grouped the elderly/children, the families, and the adrenaline junkies. My entire raft was an adrenaline junky raft. Our guide asked us from the very beginning what type of experience we wanted. He asked if we wanted difficulty, if we minded getting wet, and other things. He really felt us out for what time of experience we wanted. We all decided that we definitely didn't mind getting wet, so he purposefully led us into the rapids at more difficult angles (backwards, sideways, diagonal) Entire waves would break over us as we were paddling for out lives!! (not really, but it was super fun). He also purposefully dumped us at one point (on a weaker rapid), which was really fun to float through the rapids while trying to flip the raft, grab your paddles, and pull everyone in to the raft, etc. His ability to read our group and allow us to have more experiences and fun COMPLETELY made the trip. The children,elderly, and families also had fun because their guides created a safer/more leisurely experience for them. Overall I would highly recommend doing this trip. We felt safe and taken care of the entire time. Our guide added in some hilariously fun moments, and we came out of it feeling as though we battled the rapids. This was a life experience I will never forget.

We crept into camp sometime after midnight, which was a bit later than we had anticipated, but I was not able to get that Friday off. Fortunately, we ran into Tammi & Tawny, who had also arrived late Friday. Feeling lost & stupid is always easier in a group! :) We had brought our own tent, so they showed us where we could pitch our tent, as they tried to find the one that had been set up for them. The next morning we awoke to a lovely omelet breakfast, and met our guide, Ray, along with the rest of our group members. I must say, we couldn't have asked for a better group, or guide! Ray was amazing! His knowledge of the area, wines, and his ability to read people, and blend the various personalities into near perfect harmony was pretty stellar! How better to top off a beautiful day, but to come back to camp and have the most amazing looking tri-tip, perfectly cook I might add, and BBQ chicken, potatoes, & grilled veggies. There was also some very yummy looking tofu dishes, which I did not try. Then on Sunday, WOW, his skills on the river are beyond amazing! He made it look & feel like it was nothing. Our raft was called to assist with a couple "man overboard" pick-ups, one of which was actually an emergency situation. Ray remained calm, and his directions were always clear, understandable, and easily carried out, which I feel was imperative to the group remaining completely in synch and engaged! Although, I'd like to think that sacrificing the left shoe, from my favorite pair of Vibrams to the River Gods might have helped, at least a little bit, I know most of it was the skill & confidence of our Fearless Leader, and the confidence he had in all of us! Thank you Ray, for an unforgettable weekend, and much needed ego boost! :)~Adrienne

WE HAD THE BEST TIME!! Who knew the combination of wine tasting with strangers, camping with strangers and whitewater rafting with strangers could be so darn fun?! We met lots of great people from many different places and it was a BLAST! Such a great way to celebrate our 17th Anniversary. Sooooo fun!!For specifics, pretty camping area right on the river. Bathroom facilities not TOO close, but if your bring a flashlight you’ll be set. Plenty of good food and drink. 98% of the staff were phenomenal…helpful, kind and FUN. Ray was our guide and he was celebrating his birthday. His crew sang to him the morning of the rafting and there were shouts of Happy Birthday throughout the day. Caring people on this river! By the time we left, my husband wanted to be Ray. Such a great job! All in all, a great deal to get out and enjoy the land. With four kiddos we don’t get away enough and this was definitely worth the trip! Great memories...

We went for the two day trip one day wine tasting and one rafting. This was a good value trip the staff were all helpful and catered for our every need. Fred who took us on the wine tour was very informative and Casey was a perfect guide down the river and hit the rapids for maximum excitement. A "Paddle High Five" all round.I would thoroughly recommend this trip

We had a blast, our guide Ben was fantastic, put us all at ease, especially me as I had never done rafting before. He got us through all the rapids - we lots of fun and excitement.All the staff we met were helpful and after doing our half day trip when we got onto the bus for ride back - I appreciated the bottles of cold water waiting for us - a nice touch.

A few friends and I booked a trip down the American River. It was one of the best adventures that I have had in a long time. I was a little anxious because it has been awhile since I rode in a raft. The guide, a handsome fellow with cute dimples, was very helpful at making me more comfortable. He was amazing and intuitive as to the needs of the rafters. The guide is there to help you have a great time, be your helper, rescuer and more if needed. I did not realize that tipping is encouraged, I certainly tipped this fellow once I realized that he is trying to finish college and that this is a service industry where the guides are not paid as well as one would think.

Our one day rafting trip on the Middle Fork of the American River was the perfect end to 3 glorious days spent in Yosemite. Tim was the perfect guide to get us through the rapids, giving instruction well before each rapid so we all knew exactly what to do, so it was a smooth and enjoyable trip. We are a family of 6, 2 adults and 4 teenagers, and we would all highly recommend this as something that a family with teenagers could do. A hearty "Paddle High Five" to you, Adventure Connection!! Best wishes for your continued success!!

I just wanted to say on behalf of our entire group (20 participants) that we had a great time rafting this past Saturday. It started first thing in the morning with Derek welcoming us and making sure we all got checked in. After grabbing our life vests and helmets, he went over a few brief safety rules and tips, then we were off on the bus to hit the water! Our guides were Shereef (not sure about spelling), Ryan, and Joe. Let me tell you, they were fantastic! After the trip was over, I had an opportunity to talk to a few of the participants to see what they thought about the trip. All in all everyone had an awesome time. From the water fights, swimming in some of the smaller rapids, to the big ones (Satin’s Cesspool, Hospital Bar) everyone had a huge smile on their face. No one fell out and the guides made sure we all had a fantastic ride! The lunch spread was great and everyone had plenty to eat. The rapids couldn’t have been more exciting for most of our group (most of them were 1st timers). I found out later that some of our participants didn’t know how to swim but once they figured out what to do, listened to their guide, they ended up having a fantastic time! Everyone said they wanted to do it again!! So a great big THANK YOU to all of you at Adventure Connection for an amazing trip! You guys are awesome! We’ll see you all next year!