We meant to start kayaking several years ago, but something always seemed to get in the way.  First, we ran into trouble getting supplies, then we couldn’t transport the kayaks because buying roof racks proved more difficult than we originally thought.  These obstacles stalled our plans and took up all remaining space in our basement as we slowly collected everything we needed to kayak.  Luckily, we ironed out these issues and managed to get kayaking this summer!

Over the last few weeks we brought our kayaks to Spy Pond in Arlington and a section of the Concord River.  Spy Pond is a small area near Alewife that is easily accessible from Mass Ave. with a reasonable parking lot and a wide, well-maintained boat launch.  It was a quick, easy pond to kayak, especially for our first time, though it offered little in the way of wildlife.  The Concord River’s launch is located near Minute Man National Historic Park.  We launched into the river, then parked on the nearby street.  The river has very little current, and motor boats must stay below 10 M.P.H., making it an easy trip, and there is plenty of wildlife to see.

Kayaks are nice because they are easy to maneuver, and they let us get close to the shore so we can watch the wildlife and move into tighter areas.  There is a very small learning curve when using kayaks, and they are very stable watercraft, making them accessible to most people. Thus far, the detachable roof racks have made transporting the kayaks easy.  It’s also nice to be able to take the roof racks off the car entirely if we want.  Still, our greatest fear now remains bringing the kayaks long distances on the highway; it’s hard to shake the fear that they will fly off the car if we go to fast!

We are always looking for new places to bring our kayaks, so please per any suggestions you have!