Best place to arrange a Kayak trip? Kayak.com.
Ever wonder why we named the site Kayak.com? We were inspired by the Inuit Indians who sure knew how to travel. While the rest of us were trudging around on horseback, or worse, on foot, they were row-row-rowing their kayaks gently down the stream. And where better to merrily-merrily-merrily-merrily find out about a Kayak trip than Kayak.com? A coincidence? Perhaps. Convenient? Definitely. Just paddle over to any of these recommendations from our friends at GORP.
- Swan Lake isn’t just a ballet. It’s part of Alaska’s Kenai Canoe Trails. Linked by the Moose River, the 60 mile long system connects 30 different lakes just teeming with fresh salmon. And if you like fresh salmon then join the rest of the wild life. You’ll see terns, cormorants, loons, mergansers, grebes, kingfishers, ospreys, bald eagles not to mention mammals including mink and river otter. If you see a black bear remember he’s probably more scared of you … scratch that, RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
- Combine kayaking, tanning and margaritas and you have yourself the perfect getaway to the Baja Peninsula. Explore the Sea of Cortés, known for the number and variety of whales and porpoises that swim these waters. The Sea of Cortés hosts 600 species of fish, which in turn provide sustenance to a wide variety of seabirds. GORP recommends starting at the town of Loreto. We recommend starting with the Cuervo Gold.
- The Inside Passage is a protected waterway that extends for 950 miles from Puget Sound to Skagway, Alaska. Unless you’re the aquatic version of Lance Armstrong, we suggest tackling the breathtaking San Juan Islands first. Protected from Pacific Ocean swells and storms, the islands have commanding views of the Olympic Mountains to the south, snow-covered Mt. Baker and the Cascade Range to the east and the British Columbia Coast Range to the north. Be on the lookout for otters, bears, a wealth of birdlife, and whales (even orcas).
- Everglades National Park is the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the US, and is home to a veritable zoo of endangered, rare, and exotic species. GORP recommends the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway which meanders through bosques of mangroves, sawgrass prairies, rivers and creeks, and coastal bays. Enjoy passing by the Roseate spoonbills and manatees but we recommend against feeding the alligators.
Get the Fare Buzz for GORP’s list of Great Kayaking Destinations from your home airport.
Remember, life is but a dream,
Steve and Paul, Kayak.com co-founders