Undiscovered New York: Kayaking the Big Apple

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Picture yourself in a kayak. A sleek and brightly-hued orange plastic vessel, bobbing placidly in the calm surf. As your paddle rhythmically dips in and out of the water, you are surrounded by calm: the only sound the rise and fall of breath and distant cry of shrieking seabirds. You pause for a moment, letting the wind whistle past your ears. Behind you, you begin to detect an insistent mechanical whine, slowly building in volume. You turn to look, craning your head only to gaze at the shadow of a huge 747 rumbling overhead. Onshore, a Saturday morning barbecue is in full swing, billowing clouds of smoke shifting in the ocean breeze.

Welcome to kayaking in New York City. Kayaking is not an outdoor sport you might expect to find in an industrial, bustling metropolis like the Big Apple, but it is nonetheless an activity that is thriving among both hardcore paddlers and visitors alike. As we pointed out earlier this Spring, kayakers can rent out boats for 20 minute rides along the Hudson River. But as we recently discovered, Hudson kayaks are only one of several fantastic paddling options in the greater NYC area geared towards both newbies and veterans alike.

Want to paddle a boat towards the Statue of Liberty in New York’s famous harbor? What about a paddling expedition to explore the wildlife of Jamaica Bay? Maybe a FREE kayak ride is more your style? This week, Undiscovered New York investigates the city’s surprisingly good kayak options. Grab a paddle and get ready to be pleasantly surprised.
First-Time Kayakers
As we’ve discovered on recent kayaking expeditions, it can take a little bit of time to get used to paddling and maintaining balance in a wobbly water-going vessel like a kayak. Fortunately for less experienced kayakers, New York is actually the perfect low-cost place to “get your feet wet.” As we mentioned in our earlier look at New York sporting culture, the New York Department of Parks and Recreation rents out free kayaks every weekend at three piers along the Hudson River. It’s a great way to try out the sport and see if you like it before investing in a longer or more expensive outing. Fabulous views of the Manhattan skyline come free with signup.

If you’re ready for something sligthly more adventurous, head to Brooklyn for free kayaking on Jamaica Bay launched by the National Park Service. The bay, which is within the Gateway National Recreation Area, harbors a refreshingly diverse assortment of wildlife and unspoiled views. It’s easy to forget you’re still in the city until a huge jumbo jet roars overhead on its way to nearby JFK Airport. Groups like the Sebago Canoe Club sponsor Jamaica Bay wildlife expeditions for when you’re ready for a higher level of difficulty.

NYC for Kayaking Pros
Kayaking can be frustrating for first timers who don’t know how to paddle or accidentally tip their boat, but as you get more experienced, it can be a tremendously rewarding sport. This is especially true in New York City, where a little persistence can reward paddlers with some awesome views of the city and a totally unique perspective on its waterways and harbor.

Groups like the Manhattan Kayak Company specialize in trips for intermediate and advanced kayakers, taking them up close and personal with some of New York’s most famous sites. For around $100-200, paddlers can arrange specialized tours of the Statue of Liberty, the New Jersey Palisades and circumnavigation of Manhattan. These trips, typically lasting around 4 hours, are test of stamina and skill, but not without their rewards. It can be a surprising revelation to experience the city from this vantage point, slowly paddling through New York Harbor as you’re passed by huge cargo ships, the Manhattan skyline beyond as your backdrop.

Kayaking the Grand Canyon

by Kraig Becker on

For years it was nearly impossible to kayak the Grand Canyon independently. Sure, there were plenty of guided rafting tours that you could hire out for a few hour or a few days, but in order to float the river yourself, you’d have to get your name on a waiting list for an independent permit. That waiting list was legendary in its length and paddlers typically waited ten years or more to get the permission they needed.

Three years ago that all changed when the National Park Service switched to a lottery system that awarded the permits on a weighted system that favors those who have never rafted the river before. This new system did away with the waiting list, which had grown to 25 years in length, altogether, offering fortunate paddlers the opportunity to get their permit in a matter of months.

The lottery is conducted every February by the Grand Canyon National Park with all entries requiring a $25 fee. Each entrant is allowed to select up to five dates in which the would prefer to paddle, with the summer months being the most in demand. Those who haven’t floated the river in the past five years are given priority, and once the lottery has been conducted, winners are expected to pay a $400 deposit towards the total price of the permit, which is $100 per person. Unclaimed permits are given away in follow-up lotteries.
There are a few caveats to the system however. The Park Service requires that at least one person paddling under the permit have experience on the Colorado River, or under similar river conditions. That person will serve as the guide, and work with the other paddlers to ensure that it is a safe journey.

And what is it like to paddle the Canyon independently? Travel writer Kate Siber of the Boston Globe found out recently when she was lucky enough to go on just such a trip. She has written about her experiences in an article that was recently published in that paper, and from the sounds of things it was quite an adventure. Kate says that while the rapids are exciting and wild at times, the majority of the time on the river is spent on calm, flat water. She also reports that the scenery is beautiful and their is plenty of fun to be had exploring the side canyons and shoreline of the Colorado as well.

For adventurous kayakers, these new options for paddling the Grand Canyon are a wonderful opportunity. You no longer have to wait decades to get a chance to be out on the water, and you can enjoy one of America’s most impressive natural resources as few have ever had the opportunity to do.

To find out more about the lottery click here.

Everglades to be put back on U.N. endangered list?

by Kraig Becker on

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar is meeting with a task force charged with overseeing the restoration of the Florida Everglades this week. He intends to tell them that the Obama administration will ask the United Nations World Heritage Committee to put the national park back on its endangered list when the committee meet in Spain this week.

Two years ago, in what has been viewed as a controversial decision, the Bush administration requested that the U.N. remove the Everglades from the list. At the time, the Department of the Interior defended the decision by citing progress being made in protecting the region and the species that lived there, despite the fact that the restoration program had failed to meet milestones, and was billions over budget.

The current administration believes restoring the Everglades National Park to the list of endangered places will send a strong signal to environmentalists that they are committed to the protecting the environment. If restored to the list, the park will join the Galapagos Islands, the Old City of Jerusalem and Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley as the other World Heritage Sites considered to be in danger. The Everglades were originally added to the list back in 1993 when the area was damaged by Hurricane Andrew and the effects of prolonged exposure to water pollution became known.

Despite the issues effecting the park, the Everglades remains a popular tourist destination. There are more than 156 miles of canoe/kayak and hiking trails, with 47 designated campsites, inside the 2500 square miles of subtropical forest that define the parks boundaries. The Park Service reports that over one million visitors experience the Everglades each year.

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18 unique travel experiences for the well traveled

by Kraig Becker on

So you think you’ve been everywhere and done everything? Is their something missing when you travel these days? Is the sense of adventure gone? Never fear, because the Times Online has compiled an interesting list of 18 unique travel experiences that are designed to give us a special experience on our getaways.

The suggestions on the list run the gamut from adventurous to decadent to down right surreal. For instance, if you’re headed to southern Africa, then you might want to stay with the bushmen of the Kalahari Desert, where you’ll have the opportunity to go on an initiation hunt and spend the night in their village. If that seems like you might be roughing it a bit too much, than perhaps you’d prefer to spend the night on a private island and go sailing off the coast of Croatia. How about taking an exclusive tour of Nefertari’s Tomb in Egypt, where you’ll be one of just 20 visitors in the soon to be closed monument. Or, how about the workout of a lifetime when you’ll be training with the the toughest rugby team on the planet, New Zealand’s All Blacks, , for one very intense week.

Each of the travel experiences comes with a good description of what you can expect on your unique adventure. A link is included to the travel company that is offering the trip, along with expected prices, in this case listed in pounds. But be warned, these one-of-a-kind experiences don’t come cheap, but how do you put a price tag on this kind of excitement?

15 Great Mountain Vacations

by Kraig Becker on

The U.K. based online magazine Wide World launched at the beginning of May, and is already building a library of good content for adventure travelers and outdoor enthusiasts. The articles vary greatly in subject matter and include an interview with free diver Sara Campbell, a look at the world’s toughest race, and a growing collection of gear reviews.

One of the feature articles is of particular interest for travelers, offering up 15 amazing mountain trips from around the globe that will give you something to do at altitude even in the summer. Some of the locations on the list are amongst the most famous mountaineering communities in the world, each well known for offering a range of outdoor adventure activities.

For instance, Chamonix, France appears on the list, and during the winter, the famous mountain town is filled with visitors looking to take advantage of the best skiing and climbing in Europe. But during the summer months, those crowds vanish, leaving one of the world’s best outdoor playground virtually deserted. Sitting at the base of Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in Western Europe, Chamonix gives easy access to some of the best alpine hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking found anywhere.

The other locations on the list are just as impressive, and each offers its own unique mountain activities. Some are great paragliding destinations, others offer horseback riding, rafting, fly fishing, and more. Most of the locations are in Europe and North America, with Queenstown, New Zealand being the lone exception. Any one of these mountain escapes would make a great getaway for anyone still looking for summertime fun.