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South Fork of the American River: California Wine Tasting and Rafting

Whitewater Rafting in California with O.A.R.S

Highlights

  • Spend the morning visiting various wineries in El Dorado County via a private shuttle
  • After a mid-day stop for a gourmet lunch,  resume your tour of El Dorado County wineries
  • Spend a full day rafting on the Class III South Fork of the American River
  • A delicious lunch is provided along the way
  • Raft the South Fork's infamous rapids, including Barking Dog, Satan's Cesspool, and Recovery Room

Full Description

Enjoy a two-day adventure including one day touring El Dorado County Wine Country, sampling award-winning wines, followed by a day of whitewater rafting on a classic California river. An O.A.R.S. escort will chauffeur you to various wineries, provide a delicious picnic lunch, return you to your hotel or B&B and guide you down the South Fork of the American River the following day.

Wednesdays are the new Saturdays! Enjoy an un-crowded weekend, mid-week, taking in fresh mountain air, clear skies, sparkling water and superb wines on the American River near Sacramento, CA. Adding to O.A.R.S.' already extensive collection of California whitewater rafting adventures is this two-day wine tasting and whitewater rafting adventure on the South Fork of the American River. This unique combination of fun whitewater rafting on the Class III South Fork of the American River and wine tasting includes visits to several local El Dorado wine country wineries of your choice, including Venezio Vineyards, Auriga Wine Cellars, Lava Cap, Boeger, Sierra Vista and Holly's Hill Vineyards complimented by a comfortable evening at the historic American River Inn in Georgetown. This unique two-day California getaway is a quick, easy drive from the San Francisco Bay Area, Lake Tahoe and Sacramento. Groups are generally limited to 12 people, but custom trips for larger groups are available upon request.

This is California Wine Tasting at its best! There are more than 100 wineries in the Sierra Foothills, with at least 50 of those located in El Dorado County. It is one of the few wine growing areas of California that contain only mountain vineyards. These California wineries offer award-winning Zinfandels, as well as high quality Sauvignon Blanc, Barbera, Sangiovese, Syrah, Ports, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Primitivo.

Includes:

  • Skilled professional driver and guide services
  • One day of wine tasting tours around our local vineyards
  • One night lodging (based on double occupancy)
  • Meals as outlined in the sample itinerary above
  • High-quality inflatable rafts and related river equipment
  • Personal Floatation Device (P.F.D.) to be worn on river at all times
  • Transfer to El Dorado wineries from the American River Inn
  • A shuttle from the river take-out to your vehicle at River's Bend Resort
  • El Dorado Wine Country map

Excludes:

  • Pre- and post-trip meals and accommodations
  • Meals not covered in the itinerary
  • Alcohol (other than wine tasting)
  • Single supplement $65
  • Wetsuits (available for rent on early season or cold weather trips)
  • Insurance of any kind
  • Items of personal nature (see suggested packing list)
  • Gratuities

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1

Our driver will meet you at 10:00 AM at the American River Inn at 6600 Orleans St, Georgetown, CA (Main & Orleans Streets), please be prompt. Guest vehicles will remain at the inn's parking area throughout your wine tour.

We will begin a scenic drive through El Dorado County's Wine Country. Wine tasting includes visits to several wineries of your choice. Options include, but are not limited to: Madroña Vineyards, Venezio Vineyards, Auriga Wine Cellars, Lava Cap Winery, Boeger Winery, Sierra Vista Vineyards and Winery and Holly's Hill Vineyards. The number of stops and destinations depends upon the group, however, we expect to visit 2-3 wineries prior to lunch. We will stop mid-day for a gourmet picnic lunch, provided by O.A.R.S.

We will continue with approximately 2-3 more wine tasting stops before returning you to the American River Inn at approximately 5:00 PM at which time you may check in. The evening is yours to relax and enjoy dinner on your own. There are several restaurants located near the American River Inn.

Day 2

Drive your vehicle from the American River Inn approximately 15 minutes down the road to meet your O.A.R.S. guides at the River's Bend Resort in Coloma at 11:00 AM. We'll have lunch at our riverside camp and then get you outfitted with all necessary equipment. After a thorough safety talk and some practice paddle strokes, we will begin the South Fork American River Gorge Run.

We will follow the river as it spills through the narrow granite walls of The Gorge. The sudden tightening of the river corridor along with a now steeper gradient creates some of the biggest, most exciting whitewater on the South Fork American River, including Fowler's Rock, Satan's Cesspool and Hospital Bar.

Flat water near the Salmon Falls Bridge means the end of your rafting experience and take-out. There is a short, steep hill from the river's edge to where our shuttle vehicles wait for us. Although our guides very much appreciate any help in carrying the rafts and other equipment up to the vehicles, it is not required or even encouraged if you are not in good physical condition. Beverages, including cold soda or juice, will be available. We will return you to your vehicles parked at River's Bend Resort at approximately 5:00 PM.

About The Operator:

O.A.R.S

Headquarters:

Angels Camp, CA

O.A.R.S. was the first exclusively oar-powered rafting company permitted to operate trips on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Through our four decades in the adventure travel industry, we have become the largest and most diverse family of river-based adventure travel companies in North America, operating on over 1230 miles of rivers in the continental U.S. In addition to our signature Grand Canyon trips, we offer adventure vacations in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, as well as in British Columbia, Chile, Galapagos, Fiji, Baja and Peru. The heart and soul of O.A.R.S.-from president and founder George Wente to the more than 300 dedicated guides and employees on our team-is that we are all genuinely invested in every passenger, every trip and every lifetime memory.

Our Staff

We consider our O.A.R.S. outdoor adventure guides to be among the best in the industry! Some began their river-guiding careers more than 30 years ago; others were born into it. They are entertainers, historians, geologists, botanists, chefs, medics, anthropologists, event planners, authors, photographers, wilderness pathfinders, and they are the single most complimented component of our organization. Our guides are also professional, playful and ever mindful of your wants and needs, and their enthusiasm for the natural world is contagious. Learn about our guides through reading their detailed biographies, experience and interests.

Our Adventure Consultants and our year-round office staff who provide you with all the trip-specific tips, trip planning assistance and adventure travel trip logistical support have more than 100 years of combined experience in the adventure travel industry, as well as close to 1000 river trips between them.

Your O.A.R.S. Adventure Vacation

You concentrate on fun. We brew the coffee, cook the meals, pump the boats, provide the gear, plan the day, find the best camp spot, and we strive to fill each day with excitement, discovery and the attention to detail you deserve. O.A.R.S. provides the best average guide-to-guest ratio in the adventure travel business (1:4).

You do only what you feel like doing. Want to paddle a ‘ducky' or admire the view from the bow of a boat; go on a day hike or stay in camp and read; save room for dessert or have two pieces of seared salmon? Every day is yours to do with as you please.

Camaraderie

Is there any other experience more conducive to creating new, lasting friendships and deepening family bonds than an O.A.R.S. adventure? Our outdoor trips are wonderful equalizers, bringing together like-minded people from diverse backgrounds. Time and again we hear from guests about their joy of having met kindred spirits and new traveling companions. Parents bask in their child's newly-gained confidence in the natural world. Gone are electronic distractions, commutes and deadlines, leaving guests with uninterrupted time to relax, snuggle under the stars, savor a sunset and swap tales around the campfire.

When you join an O.A.R.S. adventure travel trip, you're not just a customer-you are a friend, a member of the crew and an extension of our family-owned and operated company. We'll answer your questions, feed you well, show you a good time and share with you our passion for the world's waterways.

Our Pledge

Outdoor adventure vacations are our specialty, and we work hard to provide our guests with the best travel experience of their lives. If part of your trip under our control wasn't everything you expected, we will work with you to make it right.
Responsible Travel

Environmental stewardship is nothing new to O.A.R.S. We've been at it for four decades. In partnership with our guests, we have contributed more than $3 million in donations and fees toward the preservation of the environment and to environmental and wildlife conservation initiatives. For a detailed account of our environmentally responsible practices, check out our Responsible Travel page.

Don't Just Take Our Word for It

O.A.R.S. has been routinely recognized by adventure industry experts, media and our guests for our commitment to excellence and innovation in travel. In both 2008 and 2009, National Geographic Adventure magazine selected O.A.R.S. as "The Best River & Sea Outfitter on Earth" based on their criteria including education, sustainability, quality of service, spirit of adventure and references. Since 2007, Condé Nast Traveler's Wendy Perrin has recognized our Reservations Manager, Mindy Gleason, as the "Top Travel Specialist" in the River Rafting category for her unique ability to offer O.A.R.S. travelers "the best blend of expertise, access, and good value." Additionally, year after year magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Outside, Men's Journal and Sunset along with NBC, CNBC, Forbes Traveler and SmarterTravel.com have all recognized O.A.R.S. for serving up some of the "Best Trips on the Planet."