Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, July/August 2001Wet, Wild and Wallet-FriendlyWhether you crave the salt of the ocean, a rapid river through canyon walls, or a lake to get lost on, there's more than enough activity to be had on America's greatest bodies of water. This summer, you can canoe the Adirondacks, surf the Pacific, even learn to scull on a hidden lake in Vermont. And, of course, like most outdoor adventures, you can do it on a budget. Here are ten of our favorite ways to get wet throughout the country, with an additional multi-sport trip tossed in for the landlubber at heart. So stop sweating and go jump in a lake.
Rafting the Green River, Colorado and UtahRoaring 44 miles through northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah, the Green River is one of the most desolate runs in the States. The Class III whitewater snakes through rarely seen Dinosaur National Monument, where red walls rise sharply to some 2,500 feet to effectively block out civilization. In its place, you'll find one of the largest concentrations of endangered peregrine falcons in the States, bighorn sheep, and mule deer. John Wesley Powell explored the Green in 1869 and was so impressed with the river that he gave the most exciting rapids names like Disaster Falls, Triplet Falls, and Hell's Half Mile. Adrift Adventures (800/824-0150; www.adrift.com) features a four-day run on the Green. Cost is $669 for adults and $578 for kids aged 6-12. Also ask about their Jurassic Journey and Rock Art and Rafting options which adds an extra day to the trip before heading down the Green. Jurassic Journey takes you to Dinosaur Quarry, where dinosaur bones have been found. The Rock Art package visits several sites near the Ute Indian Reservation to view southwestern Indian rock art.
Sailing Table Rock Lake, MissouriFolks forget that Branson, Missouri, and all its glitter was not plopped down in a desert like Las Vegas. The town sprung up in the heart of Ozark country, bordered by rolling green hills and a web of waterways. One of those pools of water is Table Rock Lake, situated just seven miles outside of Branson. Once part of the same White River that snakes its way through southwestern Missouri into Arkansas, eventually meeting up with the Mississippi, Table Rock was dammed in 1958. The churning whitewater became as still and shiny as a waxed dancefloor, ideal for fishing, boating, and yes, sailing. The lake is some 70 miles long but with its many fingers of land branching out from the main arm, actual shoreline is closer to 750 miles. Tad and Toni Mills, owners of Sailing Charters & Academy (417-739-5555), rent sailboats as low as TK$ for the week. You can sail a 30-foot Catalina in 15-knot winds towards the dam, the widest section of this rambling lake, or into one of the many coves. Come in late summer and you'll have the lake to your lonesome, save a handful of fishermen lounging on their small crafts with the motors turned off. When you get bored of staring at the stars at night (not likely), you can always head into Branson and see Andy Williams, comedian Yakov Smirnoff, or Shoji Tabuchi perform at their own theaters. Tabuchi, the hottest ticket in town, is a Japanese fiddler trained in New Orleans who puts on a whirlwind of a show.
Surfing the Pacific, CaliforniaNamed after founder Ed Guzman, Club Ed (800/287-7873; www.club-ed.com) has been teaching the fine art of surfing for 12 years from their home base in Santa Cruz, California. A typical day in the weeklong camp starts at Manreesa State Campground, where you wake up on a bluff overlooking the Pacific and build a fire. If you're lucky, Roger, the gourmet chef is already there cooking French toast. At about 9 am, people don their wetsuits and head down for a morning session that can last from two to three hours. Then it's back for lunch, perhaps a massage pre-arranged by Ed, and the afternoon class. In the ocean, guides will ride directly alongside novices, even giving you a little push if necessary to catch the wave. Indeed, it's not unusual for a guide to grab the back of your wetsuit and haul you up so that you get the feel of riding a wave. Seasoned riders get to fine tune their skills such as walking the board or setting up for bigger waves. Out of the water, instructors will discuss how to read waves, tidal conditions, and how to take good care of your board. The course, including all instruction, food, and camping equipment costs $950.
Canoeing the Adirondacks, New YorkPaddling New York's Adirondack State Park has always been the best way to savor this vast wilderness. "The Adirondacks, that Venice of the woods, whose highways are rivers, whose paths are streams, and whose carriages are boats," said Reverend William H.H. Murray in 1870. The year prior, Murray published a book called Adventures in the Wilderness, which praised the therapeutic value of the woods on both mind and body. Guideboats, a little larger than rowboats, were used to escort visitors on the network of waterways that form a vast web of blue throughout the Adirondacks. Today, these routes are still being used by avid paddlers in search of much needed solace. Starting from the southwest corner of the park, at Old Forge, canoers can go 120 continuous miles, all the way north to the Saranac Lakes. The countless rivers, lakes, and ponds are connected by short trails, resulting in a seemingly endless combination of canoeing options. One of the finest is a 4-day figure eight loop in the St. Regis Canoe Area that includes eight ponds and the Upper and Middle Saranac Lakes. Creeks, inundated with beaver dams and lily pads, connect the placid waters of the ponds. Mountains hovering over 2500 feet surround the lakes. St. Regis Canoe Outfitters (518/891-1838; www.canoeoutfitters.com) will help plan an itinerary and provide all the necessary amenities for a canoe trip including canoe, paddles, maps, tents, backpacks, and sleeping bags. The Standard Outfitting Package costs $45 per person per day. A 4-day guided camping trip costs $499 per person, including all food.
Scuba Diving the Keys, FloridaDrive down U.S. Highway #1 from Miami to Key Largo and you'll quickly be devoured by tacky gift shops, which soon give way to somewhat less tacky dive shops. You've just entered Diversville, U.S.A. Thankfully, there are more than enough scuba diving sites to accommodate all those grouper groupies at Key Largo National Maritime Sanctuary. There are some two dozen dives situated on Key Largo's famed Molasses Reef alone. Molasses oozes with coral heads and every Caribbean fish imaginable. More experienced divers can visit the wrecks of the USCGS Bibb and Duane, two intact warships resting in just over 100 feet of water. Kelly's on the Bay (800/226-0415; www.kellysonthebay.com), in Key Largo, offers year-round package rates of $285 per person (Sunday-Thursday only). This includes three nights of lodging and four dive trips each through the property's on-premise dive shop, Aqua-Nuts. Kelly's will also help you find a boat to take you on a half-day run to the Florida Bay flats. Here, in the cool waters, you can try your luck flyfishing for the elusive 10-14 pound bonefish.
Sculling Hosmer Pond, VermontSandwiched between the hills of Vermont's remote Northeast Kingdom, Hosmer Pond is the idyllic setting for the Craftsbury Outdoor Center's sculling school (800/729-7751; www.craftsbury.com). Now in its 25th year, the school is run by Steve Wagner, Head Crew Coach at Rutgers University. His large staff includes a slew of other college coaches and Olympians like Marlene Royle and Carlie Geer. If you ever wanted to learn the sport of sculling or already scull and want to perfect your stroke, Craftsbury is arguably the best place in the States to do just that. The class is usually a mix of novices and former crew members from the likes of Columbia and Yale. The weeklong course goes over all aspects of rowing, and depending on expertise, splits groups up on the lake with instructors. Balancing the boat is always the hardest part for beginners, many of whom will spend the better part of the first day swimming. Oar handles have to be together at all times or the boat quickly tips to the left or right. Legs are thrust up against a board to scoot back as you propel the oars forward. Indeed, many of the coaches have immense quad muscles proving that legs are more important than arms in the stroke. Those who use the rowing machine at the local gym know what a great workout sculling is for the whole body. It's far superior when you're cruising along a lake in the Vermont woods. Cost of the school, including room and board, is $880.
Fishing the North Lakes, MinnesotaAvid anglers know that fishing guides can cost as much as $500 a day. But at Gunflint Lodge (800/328-3325; www.gunflintlodge.com) in the North Woods of Minnesota, their $699 Grand Slam Fishing Package consists of 3 solid days of guided fishing, including rods, reels, and tackle, 4 night accommodation in a cabin, and gourmet meals in the dining room. If you feel like canoe camping, Gunflint also features a 5-day Smallmouth Bass Fishing Package that runs as low as $324 per person. You'll be paddling through the renowned Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Your guides will show you where to catch trophy-size walleye in Sagananga and Northern Light Lakes, lake trout on Gunflint and North Lakes as well as smallmouth bass and northern pike in several of the other area lakes. Then it's back to the historic Lodge, where the Kerfoot Family have been the hosts for the past 73 years.
Sea Kayaking the San Juan Islands, WashingtonThere's no better way to explore the myriad of San Juan Islands and its abundant marine life than from the comfortable confines of a sea kayak. And there's no better guide than Tim Thomsen, owner of San Juan Kayak Expeditions (360/378-4436; www.sanjuankayak.com) for the past 21 years. Thomsen knows every nook and cranny of this region. On his four-day trips, you'll paddle along the coastlines of more than 25 islands, stopping to camp on sandy shores or to view the rocky cliffs of Stuart and Spieden islands that rise hundreds of feet out of the ocean. Since these waters are tranquil and the sea kayaks stable, no previous experience is necessary. The highlight of this adventure is undoubtedly the wildlife. During the summer months, the San Juan islands are home to pods of Orca (killer) whales in search of Pacific salmon. Who needs to see Shamu at Sea World when you can kayak beside him? At any given time, you might also be accompanied by minke whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, porpoises, harbour seals, and sea lions. Birding is also exemplary with more than 300 species of birds found in the region, including bald eagles, great blue herons, and loons. Cost of the 4-day trip is $420, including camping equipment and all breakfasts and dinners.
Whitewater Kayaking Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center, ColoradoSet on the banks of the frothy Arkansas River, in Hamilton, Colorado (a 90-minute drive from Colorado Springs), the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center (800/255-5784; www.rmoc.com) has the ideal locale to teach beginner to advanced paddlers the necessary skills to tackle whitewater kayaking. Their five-day kayak courses target everyone from nervous adults to wave-riding rodeo teenagers. Many of the instructors are ranked nationally and/or have been with the outfitter since it opened in 1982. Beginners will start at a nearby lake to go over basics like posture and balance in the kayak. You'll learn how it feels to be upside down in a body of water and also how to slip out of the kayak, known as a wet exit. Then it's off to a slowmoving stretch of river (Class II) to read the eddies and flow with the current. Over the five-day course, you may also try the Eskimo Roll, the cornerstone of good kayaking, and test your skills on a Class III rapid. Intermediates will practice rolling and outline strategies for handling the big rapids. Cost of the five-day course is $450, including all equipment and food. Camping is free on the premises, but you must bring your own tent and sleeping bag.
Windsurfing Cape Hatteras, North CarolinaLining the North Carolina coast, the Outer Banks are barriers of sand 150 miles long and never more than a few miles wide. These islands serve as welcome mats to the Atlantic and her many changing moods. Hurricanes, northeasters, and low pressure disturbances along the jet stream are quite common here. This might create havoc for the fisherman or sailor, but a steady stream of wind for the windsurfer. Most of the sailing is on a 50-mile stretch of the Pamlico Sound off of Hatteras Island. Shallow water, sandy bottoms, and prevailing winds are cherished by both novices and experts alike. If you want to be with the crowds, catch the waves at Canadian Hole. Otherwise, choose from hundreds of more secluded launch sites along the coast. Sail World (252-995/5441) in Avon rents sailboards for $150 a week. Depending on whether the winds are heavy or light, you can try a different sailboard each day. Camp Hatteras (252/987-2777) in nearby Salvo offers tent sites on Pamlico Sound for as little as $29.95 per day. Simply wake up and try out that new board in the water.
Multisport MontanaFor those of you land lovers who like your watersports combined with a good dose of terra firma, Montana's Glacier Raft Company (800/235-6781; www.glacierraftco.com) offers a 4-day Flathead Ride and Raft trip. You'll spend the first half of the trip horseback riding in the Great Bear Wilderness, on the southern edge of Glacier National Park. Viewing elk, moose, even bear is a realistic possibility as you ride some four to six hours each day. At night, camp by remote lake shores and dine on hardy western-style meals by the campfire. On Day 3, switch from saddle to paddle as you begin your ride down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. The meandering river is rough enough to enjoy some hellbent rapids, but slow enough at times to throw out your fishing line. This region of the country boasts one of the largest populations of native cutthroat trout along with other fish like the rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. Cost of the trip is $595, including all food and supplies.
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