Like a scene straight out of Deliverance (1972), the black waters of Georgia’s Ebenezer Creek are eerie. Approximately 20 miles north of Savannah lies a river with water so black that it looks like it is filled with tea. Decayed vegetation from the surrounding swamp fills the water tinting the color black. The river has excellent examples of water tupelo and virgin bald cypress. The boat landing had a few cars with trailers parked in the lot. The enormous trees…
Virginia’s Eastern Shore can be boiled down to great hospitality, quiet corners, and pristine beaches. As mentioned in the “Great Dismal Swamp” post, Virginia has been a magical place. Our time here has consisted of a burgeoning restaurant scene and access to beautiful bays and sandy beaches all accessed from a 1970s Airstream parked on an organic farm adjacent to Hungers Bay. We found the farm, which is situated on a high bank of the bay, through Air BnB. The…
We were on a roll. Our canoe hit the water at 7:45 AM. Our gear was stowed, the cooler had plenty of ice and vitals, and Rigby was perched on the bow. This was our first official paddle and camp foray since Sleeping Bear Bay and the Finger Lakes. This time, however, we were paddling 3 miles to a campsite in the Great Dismal Swamp to peep the cyprus trees. With all of our experience and fortitude, however, we were…
We fashioned an anchor from a milk jug and rocks on Sleeping Bear Bay. We paddled out a couple of hundred feet from shore and drop the make-shift anchor to take in the scenery. So often our travels take us to remote areas with few people nearby and we live the solitude. Sleeping Bear Bay did not have a traditional dock or boat launch, so we had to complete our first portage to the lakeshore. Originally we posted up on…
After spending the morning at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, we were ready for more adventure. Thanks to Traverse City Tourism, we were able to experience Bike and Brew: a kayaking, biking and brewery hopping tour of Traverse City. We’re canoers, not kayakers, but we were really excited about trying out this concept. The fact that Rigby could tag along was an awesome bonus. They haven’t had many dogs on their tours, but they were welcome to her participating. Our…
We originally planned to check Michigan off the Canoe 52 list in 2016. Those plans changed when we got Rigby who would have needed certain vaccinations in order to cross the borders between the US and Canada, plus with such a tiny pup we weren’t really up for the trip. When we decided to make Michigan our summer vacation for 2017, I looked into some fun places to canoe and go site seeing. I landed on Traverse City, Michigan, somewhere…
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,…
