Our four-day journey down the Connecticut River was coming to a close with a fairly easy paddle from Selden Neck to the mouth of the river. We packed up camp with our sights on the Connecticut River Museum in Essex and Old Saybrook as our final destination. This portion of the river, heading South, is very busy with boat traffic. Seeing that it is a holiday week and after the experiences we already encountered, it’s important to get on the…
The drift to Selden Neck, Day 3, is a much easier paddle. For one, the distance is about half of the day before (see Connecticut: Fight the Tide). Plus, timing the 11 mile distance with the tides can allow you to drift almost the entire way to Selden Neck. This is where Selden Creek, an offshoot of the Connecticut River creates a island. Selden Island has just 4 primitive campsites, so make reservations early. Campsites are only accessible from the river.…
Suddenly, we were awake on the second day of our 4-day trek down the Connecticut River. The day before we paddled from Enfield to Wethersfield. Today, we will travel the 23 miles to Hurd State Park in East Hampton. This stretch of the river is taxing in terms of stamina of the body and mind as you might have to fight the tide. The river winds through the valley past Rocky Hill, Cromwell, and Middletown to East Hampton where we…
Since we live in Connecticut, we determined that the paddling story had to be epic. With this in mind, we opted for a multi-day adventure stretching the length of the Connecticut River from Enfield to Old Saybrook. That is over 60 miles in 4 days. The origin of the word, “Connecticut,” means, “long tidal river.” It’s an Algonquin term. Over a series of posts dedicated to our adventure through Connecticut, we will illustrate the beauty and importance of the river,…
It’s the last day of spring break and we’re dreading the end of a fabulous road trip. We’ve spent the last 7 days outside with our pup in absolutely perfect weather. Now it’s time to pack up and head back to reality. Not before one last paddle. On our last morning of spring break we packed up camp and drove to the Ferry Landing Boat Launch for a paddle on the bay of Assateague Island in Maryland. Where to paddle…
It’s mid-April, we’ve broken free from work for a full week and the only two things on our minds are canoeing and camping. After work on Friday night we loaded up the VW and headed towards Congaree National Park, just outside Columbia, South Carolina. After an overnight drive we arrived at the park for three nights of camping and what we hoped would be some great paddling. Serious storms hit South Carolina the week before we visited so there was…
Sometimes you have to crack through the ice in order to paddle. That’s exactly what we did for our first paddle of 2017, also our first paddle that involved ice! My brother Chris was our special guest for some Connecticut River paddling this February. I have canoed in the cold, but this was definitely the first time I canoed when ice was covering the edge of the river! Getting to the River Our initial plan was to paddle the Farmington River.…
The Christmas Break road trip continued after we canoed the Coosa River in Alabama. Next on the itinerary, canoe in Nashville, Tennessee while also enjoying a big city for New Year’s Eve. On our way up to Nashville we made a stop in Birmingham, about an hour and a half Northwest of where we were staying in Wetumpka. We had some deliciously cheesy sandwiches at MELT in the Avondale neighborhood then head over to the 16th Street Baptist Church. Four…
I am a huge fan of Christmas. I love decorating our home, putting up the tree, hosting holiday parties, and spending Christmas day at my parents’ house. Since childhood, I’ve been a Christmas fanatic. From the food we eat on Christmas Day to the ornaments that hang on the tree, I absolutely love it. This year we did the holiday traditions, but it was a little more low-key in order to accommodate a Canoe 52 paddling vacation on winter break.…
“We have to get Rhode Island done before summer ends.” Those words motivated us to research great paddling spots in our neighbor to the East, Rhode Island. Even though the season doesn’t technically end until mid to late September, it ends for us when school is back in session. Tony is a high school teacher so September becomes a hectic, but important month for getting to know his students, adjusting curriculum, and just settling back into the routine that broke…
