Hello fellow paddlers and hikers.
Sep 1st, 2006, 08:17 PM
#1
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Hello fellow paddlers and hikers.
Where are you're special places? We're into flat water paddling...lakes, slow rivers, swamps, tidal areas, and calm seas. We also love to explore new areas. If you have a favorite spot - in any state, please tell me about it. Most of our kayak time has been on rivers and lakes in Florida and Virginia. But, in a little over a year retirement will set us FREE!. And, roam we will! We also hike and are bird and wildlife enthusiasts. Any places we shouldn't miss? Please, help me make a list of future destinations. Researching them will help me make it through the dark days, winter, when the kayaks and paddles are stowed 'til spring.
Sep 1st, 2006, 08:28 PM
#2
I hiked this 3 weeks ago, but not because I wanted to. The only way to reach this lodge is to hike and it books up a year in advance. Supplies are brought in by llamas.
http://www.leconte-lodge.com/home.html
Approx $100 per person a night. Oh, and did I mention no electricity or showers?
http://www.leconte-lodge.com/home.html
Approx $100 per person a night. Oh, and did I mention no electricity or showers?
Sep 1st, 2006, 11:05 PM
#4
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The Pacific NW! I live in Virginia, but just took a sea kayaking/hiking trip to the San Juan Islands and Olympic Peninsula.
Here is the link to my trip report which also has photos. The company we went with on San Juan Island runs general trips as well as the Women's trip that I took.
http://tinyurl.com/zgeor
We paddled, hiked, ate very well and saw tons of wildlife (Orcas, puffins, bald eagles, cormorants nesting, harbor seals, starfish, and much more). It was simply gorgeous.
Happy travels and have fun!
Here is the link to my trip report which also has photos. The company we went with on San Juan Island runs general trips as well as the Women's trip that I took.
http://tinyurl.com/zgeor
We paddled, hiked, ate very well and saw tons of wildlife (Orcas, puffins, bald eagles, cormorants nesting, harbor seals, starfish, and much more). It was simply gorgeous.
Happy travels and have fun!
Sep 2nd, 2006, 06:56 AM
#5
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Investigate Door County WI. It is a penninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan so it is completely surrounded by water. People compare it to Cape Cod but it is far less ruined than the Cape.
I have never seen such a small area with so many state parks.
The weather is lovely (in summer!) and the accomos are reasonable. Lots of shops, restos and culture too (theatre, concerts, galleries...)
And, I did not see one chain hotel or a single fast food place the entire time I was there! Amazing.
I have never seen such a small area with so many state parks.
The weather is lovely (in summer!) and the accomos are reasonable. Lots of shops, restos and culture too (theatre, concerts, galleries...)
And, I did not see one chain hotel or a single fast food place the entire time I was there! Amazing.
Sep 3rd, 2006, 10:31 AM
#6
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kybourbon, Checked it out. Looks like fun...for another year. I'm recooping from dual knee surgeries. Did a hike of about three miles last weekend. Not much, but, it's a start. With cooler weather coming I'm fired up to get out every day. So, maybe next year for Leconte.
cmcfong, How far is Stanley from the Boise area? My inlaws just moved there. We'll be going out next June. Perhaps there will be a side trip in our future!
Fun4all4, I read about your trip when you posted it. Wow! Sign me up! The San Juans have been on my radar for about 2o years. With a BIL now living in Portland the Pacific northwest has climbed higher on our "someday" list.
Amaclise, I've always heard about lovely places in WI. Door County sounds like one of those. I'll bet there's all kinds of paddling. Is Door County where the Dells are?
Thanks to you all! Anyone else have favorites to share?
cmcfong, How far is Stanley from the Boise area? My inlaws just moved there. We'll be going out next June. Perhaps there will be a side trip in our future!
Fun4all4, I read about your trip when you posted it. Wow! Sign me up! The San Juans have been on my radar for about 2o years. With a BIL now living in Portland the Pacific northwest has climbed higher on our "someday" list.
Amaclise, I've always heard about lovely places in WI. Door County sounds like one of those. I'll bet there's all kinds of paddling. Is Door County where the Dells are?
Thanks to you all! Anyone else have favorites to share?
Sep 3rd, 2006, 11:21 AM
#7
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My brother hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 2004 and 2005. In 2003 he kayaked from the St Michaels, MD (Chesapeake Bay) to Bar Harbor, ME in a handmade wooden kayak.
This year he went from the Chesapeake Bay to Key West, mostly via the ICW.
His name is Jimmy Smith and there are posts about him and other kayaking trips on http://www.kayakforum.com/
I laugh when I think about my 'adventures' compared to his... he spends 6 months a year doing something really adventurous. The remaining 6 months are spent saving $$$ and preparing for the trip.
He looks scary and homeless but he is really a smart and well prepared traveler who invests in the best equipment. Odd lifestyle and totally unconventional but he is happy and living the dream.
This year he went from the Chesapeake Bay to Key West, mostly via the ICW.
His name is Jimmy Smith and there are posts about him and other kayaking trips on http://www.kayakforum.com/
I laugh when I think about my 'adventures' compared to his... he spends 6 months a year doing something really adventurous. The remaining 6 months are spent saving $$$ and preparing for the trip.
He looks scary and homeless but he is really a smart and well prepared traveler who invests in the best equipment. Odd lifestyle and totally unconventional but he is happy and living the dream.
Sep 3rd, 2006, 11:24 AM
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Just as a PS... this was posted by my father yesterday:
Jimmy called yesterday, 8-31-2006, from Palm Beach. He has been waiting out Ernesto. He found a good protected camping spot and said that it wasn't so bad, but he hasn't been able to travel for almost a week. He almost gave it all up when he entered the Palm Beach area, which is nothing but houses, concrete and large boats. The area is suppose to be wake free, but he was constantly hampered by the huge wakes made by these very large boats and since there are no shallow areas for him to retreat to, and only concrete bulkheads, he was constantly having to fight those wakes, which could overturn him, or slam him up against the bulkheads. He said that if he could have found a Greyhound bus station, he would have packed it in right then and there and gone home. He is going to wait until after the Labor Day holiday to continue, hoping that the boat traffic will slow down and make his travel easier. Aggravating the situation, is the problem of not being able to find camping areas as he progresses. The area he is now in is so consentrated with these large houses, that is is almost impossible to find a place to camp. In fact, as he passes these houses, in his kayak, there are hired guards that come to the shore and shout at him to just keep on going. Needless to say, this is the least pleasurable point in his journey. He has about eighty miles to go until he reaches the area where the keys begin. This area, he has heard, is kayak heaven. Of course, the keys will present another challenge and will add to the southern I.C. experience which has been quite different from his trip to Bar Harbor, Maine. He has now been on the I.C. for five months and over one thousand miles. When he reaches Key West, he will have traveled the entire length of the eastern seacoast of the U.S., except for a small one hundred mile stretch from Bar Harbor to New Brunswick, Canada, by kayak. That is his goal.
Jimmy called yesterday, 8-31-2006, from Palm Beach. He has been waiting out Ernesto. He found a good protected camping spot and said that it wasn't so bad, but he hasn't been able to travel for almost a week. He almost gave it all up when he entered the Palm Beach area, which is nothing but houses, concrete and large boats. The area is suppose to be wake free, but he was constantly hampered by the huge wakes made by these very large boats and since there are no shallow areas for him to retreat to, and only concrete bulkheads, he was constantly having to fight those wakes, which could overturn him, or slam him up against the bulkheads. He said that if he could have found a Greyhound bus station, he would have packed it in right then and there and gone home. He is going to wait until after the Labor Day holiday to continue, hoping that the boat traffic will slow down and make his travel easier. Aggravating the situation, is the problem of not being able to find camping areas as he progresses. The area he is now in is so consentrated with these large houses, that is is almost impossible to find a place to camp. In fact, as he passes these houses, in his kayak, there are hired guards that come to the shore and shout at him to just keep on going. Needless to say, this is the least pleasurable point in his journey. He has about eighty miles to go until he reaches the area where the keys begin. This area, he has heard, is kayak heaven. Of course, the keys will present another challenge and will add to the southern I.C. experience which has been quite different from his trip to Bar Harbor, Maine. He has now been on the I.C. for five months and over one thousand miles. When he reaches Key West, he will have traveled the entire length of the eastern seacoast of the U.S., except for a small one hundred mile stretch from Bar Harbor to New Brunswick, Canada, by kayak. That is his goal.
Sep 3rd, 2006, 11:30 AM
#9
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cactushugger, check out my trip report by clicking on my name. We stayed at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch in Stanley and LOVED it. Stanley is about 2.5 hours from Boise, which is also a great place to visit. Highly recommend a trip to Idaho.
Sep 3rd, 2006, 11:58 AM
#10
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Apostle Islands in Lake Superior for kayaking. Big Bend National Park for birding and hiking - very well-known among birdwatchers as one of the best places in the country. If the Rio Grande isn't too high, it would be a great place for kayaking too.
Sep 3rd, 2006, 12:14 PM
#11
You can't wait until next year to book LeConte. Reservations open Oct. 2 for 2007 season (March 19-Nov. 20) and they are usually fully booked by the end of Oct. I think you can get on a waiting list in case someone cancels.
Sep 3rd, 2006, 12:28 PM
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Hiking in northern California is great. Been to some beautiful places in Mendocino County and Sonoma County. We did some great hikes in South Africa- several of the mountain hikes are really not that difficult and the scenery is spectacular. However, hiking in Switzerland ranks as my favorite ever, from lakeside wine trails near Geneva to Alpine hikes in the Berner Oberland and Engadine regions. Everything marked superbly, water flows freely in every village.
Sep 3rd, 2006, 01:15 PM
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The Okefenokee Swamp is a magical place. There are several canoe trails through the swamp with overnight camping at designated sites; permits are required. For info on canoe trails, go to: http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/canoeing.htm
Sep 3rd, 2006, 02:37 PM
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Door County is nothing like the Dells which are known for being cheesy and, well, not for people like you - even though I've never met you.
The Dells are central WI and Door Co. is along the eastern coast (Green Bay is at the base of the penninsula.)
The Weasel is right about The Apostle Islands - a must for any lover of kayaking.
I would carve out some good Wisconsin retirement time and do Door Co. and The Apostles together. You will be a happy paddler!
The Dells are central WI and Door Co. is along the eastern coast (Green Bay is at the base of the penninsula.)
The Weasel is right about The Apostle Islands - a must for any lover of kayaking.
I would carve out some good Wisconsin retirement time and do Door Co. and The Apostles together. You will be a happy paddler!
Sep 3rd, 2006, 04:03 PM
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We're like you and into flat water paddling. Our favorite places to canoe/camp are: the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in northeastern Minnesota and the Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. We go to the Algonquin Provincial Park usually once a year (from Philadelphia area it's 11 hours drive). You can camp or stay at the fabulous Arowhon Lodge which is right in the park and take day trips. The link to the lodge is:
www.arowhonpines.ca
This place is very special and if you can make it, you should definitely stay there for at least 3 days (and up to a week).
If you check into Ely, Minnesota, you will find many outfitters who can help you plan a trip to the BWCA.
Both of these places will show you vast amounts of wildlife including moose, otters, bald eagles, ....
I would definitely try to get to both.
www.arowhonpines.ca
This place is very special and if you can make it, you should definitely stay there for at least 3 days (and up to a week).
If you check into Ely, Minnesota, you will find many outfitters who can help you plan a trip to the BWCA.
Both of these places will show you vast amounts of wildlife including moose, otters, bald eagles, ....
I would definitely try to get to both.
Sep 3rd, 2006, 04:32 PM
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Have you tried the south fork of the Shenandoah River between Bentonville and Luray?
When we had our canoe we would get a shuttle to a put-in point 8,12 and sometimes 16 miles south of Bentonville. It is a great trip and there is one class three rapid, Compton Rapids, where even first timers coming down backwards do not flip.
We did an overnighter from Luray to Bentonville, about 26 miles, and camped on National Park land about midway through the trip.
When we had our canoe we would get a shuttle to a put-in point 8,12 and sometimes 16 miles south of Bentonville. It is a great trip and there is one class three rapid, Compton Rapids, where even first timers coming down backwards do not flip.
We did an overnighter from Luray to Bentonville, about 26 miles, and camped on National Park land about midway through the trip.
Sep 4th, 2006, 05:34 AM
#17
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You might consider spending some time in the summer or fall in NY's Adirondacks. There are just hundreds and hundreds of lakes and rivers to paddle. Lots of great hikes too. Just don't come in Spring (May) during black fly season.
Sep 5th, 2006, 10:59 AM
#18
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For sea kayaking, Puget Sound offers the Cascadia Marine Trail, a network of lovely camping spots for kayakers, stretching from the Olympia area, through the Seattle urban area and then the San Juan Islands, clear to Canada.
http://www.wwta.org/trails/cmt/
Or try Ross Lake in the North Cascades, where you can kayak up the lake to remote trailheads for hikes into the wilderness of North Cascades National Park.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/noca/rola/rosslake.htm
http://www.wwta.org/trails/cmt/
Or try Ross Lake in the North Cascades, where you can kayak up the lake to remote trailheads for hikes into the wilderness of North Cascades National Park.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/noca/rola/rosslake.htm
Sep 5th, 2006, 11:19 AM
#19
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We are just getting started in both hiking and kayaking but are really enjoying it. Our experience has been only in New England but its been great. Schoodic Pennisula is part of Acadia National Park but separated from Mt. Desert Isle and much less visited. Loved the hiking and kayaking opportunities there.
Sep 5th, 2006, 01:52 PM
#20
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Oh dear. I hate when I drool on the keys! So many wonderful places to explore. I can't begin to thank you all individually. Just know that I'm thinking warm thoughts of all my kindred spirits. I'm sure many of you are also taking notes for future trips.
Keep 'em coming!
Keep 'em coming!
