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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
