One of my favorite things in the world is adventure. I love it in pretty much any form. Long backpacking excursions, thrill rides, and four day long paddles down a tidal river. This 4th of July weekend, Tony and I decided to canoe the entire Connecticut portion of the Connecticut River. It’s a trip we began planning in late 2016. Reserving campgrounds and planning the trip around the tides of the river were critical and required early preparations. We’ll share…
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…
As we are gearing up for our 2017 Canoe 52 adventures, I wanted to recount my first multi-day paddle. My brother-in-law, Chris, and I set off on a four-day paddle down the Connecticut Riveron August 2, 2015. We had absolutely no idea what we were doing. First, we got a late start. We opted for Bloody Mary and a hardy breakfast, essential for a full-day paddle, but we did not hit the water until after 11. We embarked on our journey at…
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…
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.…
We’re starting a series here on Canoe 52 to share some memorable “firsts” with you. On the first of the month, look for “The first time I…” posts. Hopefully you’ll find some helpful tips and maybe even laugh at the mistakes we made trying things for the first time. You never know what we’ll be sharing… This month, I’d like to tell you about the first time I attempted to paddle a watercraft. My first attempt at paddling was not…
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…
“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…
I’ve loved James Taylor since I was a kid. Listening to his music takes me back to riding in the back of my parents’ truck singing along to mix tapes my mom used to make. That voice. It’s one of a kind for me. Since he was born and raised in Stockbridge, MA, James Taylor’s summer concerts at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA are a homecoming. He plays an epic July 4th show every year and the suckers who aren’t quick enough…
2016 was going to be the year that we really got our act together with canoeing. We put our canoe, Karalius (“King” in Lithuanian), into the Connecticut River in February and didn’t look back. Tony is a high school teacher so any vacation that we take during the school year has to happen during a school break. The first vacation of the year came the first week of April. Creating a list of the things we wanted to get out of…
