We are gearing up for a great year of Canoe 52 adventures. The cold New England weather has left us off the water for most of the season which leaves us no choice but to dream about the rivers and lakes we’d like to paddle this year. A mid-March snowstorm that drops snow measuring in the double digits is definitely motivation to plan for an escape.
I’ve probably mentioned this before, but to get a sense of how our vacation planning works you need to understand that Tony is a high school teacher and I work in the arts community. We strategically plan our vacations around school breaks and the flurry of summer programming I oversee in our capitol city. Unfortunately, we are not fulltime travelers; we just vacation whenever it’s possible.
We’ve got a big goal. 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. This is a long term goal, but not TOO long term. All of our major vacations are officially booked and we’d like to give you a sneak peek into what lies ahead.
First up is spring break.
We ran through a number of travel scenarios to determine what worked best for a 7 day getaway. It was decided that our original plan of paddling in Arkansas in the middle of tornado season probably wasn’t the best plan for us New Englanders. Canoeing is our thing, not storm chasing.
A challenge we face is traveling around the country with a starting point that isn’t centralized at all. Of course it’s kind of tough to get to the West Coast states hen you’re leaving from Connecticut. Since that’s the case, we have a lot of driving to do to get some paddling done. Some extended time away will allow us to plan for states like Oregon, California, and Montana. For now, we’re staying somewhat close to home
Canoe 52 heads south
That’s right. We’re cruising the East Coast in search of warmer temperatures. The agenda: paddling in Congaree National Park in South Carolina then Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland. Thanks to my nephew Geoff and brother Doug, we found out about Congaree National Park just recently. They were there recently to enjoy the hiking trails, but we’ll be taking in the canoe trail in this swampy park. Afterwards it’s camping on Assateague Island, home to the infamous wild ponies. I’m terrified of horses, to tell you the truth, so this should be interesting! Visiting two locations under the care of the National Parks Service should provide a beautiful adventure.
Puppy’s first camping trip
Rigby will be joining us for her first camping trip! We’ve got a packing list of the materials we think we’ll need for camping with a puppy, but we know we’re either forgetting something or bringing too much. Once we’ve tested out the list, we’ll share it with you all.
A little home state paddling, international border crossing, and wine trail exploring this summer
Our goal is to paddle as much as possible this summer. Local trips here in Connecticut are inevitable and we’ll also be heading to neighboring states when it’s possible.
The first big summer trip is paddling ing down the entire length of the Connecticut portion of the Connecticut River. Stay tuned to follow our four day paddle from Enfield, CT (where we launched our first paddle of 2017 this winter) to the river’s mouth in Old Lyme. Sites along the Connecticut River Paddler’s Trail will provide us with great places to camp.
Towards the end of the summer we are off to Michigan and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, via Canada, and then on the way home we’ll stop in New York’s Finger Lakes for a paddle and to enjoy the wine trail.
And for our big winter getaway…
I’m not here to tell you all of our secrets! That’s why you’ll have to check back later.
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