A 4- Hour Tour

Today I tried kayaking for the first time. Like any summer adventure, it offered scenery, lively conversation with my traveling partners, and the chance to get a really sweet tan. However, adventures also often include lessons learned the hard way, and this afternoon's trip was no exception.

We 'put in' our kayaks in Eaton Rapids, and used the current of the Grand River to send us 10 miles up-river to Burchfield Park in Holt. The estimated trip time was 4 hours, and we made it back in about 4:30. At around the 2-hour mark I stopped having fun- my shoulders and arms were aching from holding the paddle above water-level, the seat in our rented kayak was broken causing agony in my low back and my butt was totally asleep.

Add in what I would consider less-than-amazing scenery and the constant sound of the freeway in the distance with an exciting few moments as we passed what sounded like a private shooting range, and the exciting adventure began to take on painful and monotonous characteristics. I was elated to see our destination beach back at Burchfield Park come into view.

I don't believe that our inexperience, the heat, and our excruciatingly long trip today will cause me to forgo kayaking in other locales in the future, but I'm nearly certain I won't be repeating a 4-hour-tour of the Grand River anytime soon.

Comments

[Patricia]

Sorry you had a less than enjoyable trip down the Grand River. Your next trip should probably be on a river that doesn't wind through major metropolitan areas. With that said, the Grand River has a history as a major navigational route through the lower part of Michigan and formed an important part of the route between Chicago and Detroit before major roadways. If you looked at the river with respect to its history, you might have a different take on your experience (other than the broken rented kayak).