Get rowing with your family this summer
There's something to be said for meandering. Didn't you meander as a kid, simply walking with friends, picking up rocks and pennies, not knowing exactly where you would end up? Riff on the meandering mode of family fun in a canoe or kayak, picking up lifelong memories and a mindfulness mentality that is impossible to achieve with your nose in an iPhone.
Paddling on the water is a definite disconnect from the frenetic ways of video games, cell phones, computers and the constant hum of electronics that has embezzled away our family time.
You'll have to work together as a team and wake up your deltoids to get a duck's eye view of the world but you'll move at your own pace and find a lovely rhythm that's in tune with the critters you'll spy around any bend.
Where to learn
Chicago
Will kids take to it?
“Kayaking is very kid and family friendly,” explained Dave Olson, owner of Kayak Chicago, “and we get lots of families that join our guided tours, take lessons and do rentals on a regular basis.”
The company offers rentals and tours on the Chicago River and lessons are available at Montrose Beach and the Chicago River. Olson suggests families begin with a guided tour or rental.
“Any age can go in a double or triple kayak with an adult, but kids need to be 12 years old to paddle a single kayak on their own,” he said.
A surefire hit with kids is Kayak Chicago's fireworks paddle when you kayak down the Chicago River at night to watch the fireworks blasting from Navy Pier.
Just like traveling anywhere with the kids, it's important to keep them comfortable and involved: bring snacks and drinks; be prepared for the sun and getting wet, so tote sunblock, sunglasses and hats. Give them a disposable/waterproof camera so they can snap pictures during a paddling break and keep the first trip relatively short to quell boredom and grumbling.
Tours start at $50 (8 and younger tour for half price); lessons range from $50 to $85; and rentals begin at $20 for an hour. Call (630) 336-7245 or see what's splashing at kayakchicago.com.
South Barrington
LL Bean offers an easy, sunset paddle near its retail store in South Barrington. You'll start with a short demo of the basics then climb into stable, solo, recreational kayaks and expert guides lead you down the Fox River as they share interesting facts about the river and wildlife. After the sun sets, your tour ends with an easy paddle back at dusk. For ages 8 and older, this provides a fun activity for the whole family. You can be a complete beginner to enjoy this outing ($39 per person) that goes out on various dates in the summer and early fall.
Propel yourself to llbean.com/discovery or call (888) LLBEAN1 for details.
Aurora
Get an incomparable introduction to the pastime at the Aurora Paddlesports Festival June 11-12 in Phillips Park in Aurora. The family can learn how to paddle (or perfect new paddling skills) absolutely free through introductory and advanced classes conducted by American Canoe Association certified instructors in canoeing, sea kayaking and white-water kayaking. (Be sure to preregister for the free two-hour kayak and canoe lessons.)
Mastodon Lake, in the center of 300-acre Phillips Park, is a perfect venue for beginners to get a feel for the water #8212; the lake is shallow and current-free unlike learning on a river. Admission to the entire fest is free, so you can browse exhibitors and vendors, get information from Illinois paddling clubs, river and nature conservation organizations, watch demos of a wide variety of paddle craft, take advantage of free on-site overnight tent camping, listen to live music and buy some snacks to keep fueled.
Get all the details at aurorapaddlesportsfestival.org. The Aurora Paddlesports Festival is sponsored by the Illinois Paddling Council, the City of Aurora and Paddle Trail, a paddlesports retail outpost in Wisconsin, Rockford and downtown Aurora.
Paddle Trail will offer lessons and local trips on the Fox River and nearby streams and lakes.
#8220;Our Northern trip will start at either Batavia or North Aurora and end near our store in downtown Aurora,#8221; owner Charles Zine explained. #8220;Our Southern trip will start in Montgomery and go to Yorkville about 10 miles downstream. In addition we will do weekly guided tours on the nearby Fox River, weekly demo days, and by the fall, organized lessons through the Fox Valley Park District.#8221;
Check out the finer points at paddleandtrail.com.
Yorkville
A new, state of Illinois recreational facility is about to open in Yorkville #8212; the Glen D. Palmer Whitewater Canoe/Kayak Course. A 1,100-foot-long bypass chute allows canoes, kayaks, and tubers to travel downstream safely around the dam and has a concrete path so paddlers can walk their canoes, kayaks or tubes back up the chute to travel down the chute again. It promises to be an appealing watersport destination for beginners to advanced paddlers.
For information go to enjoyaurora.com/outdoors.
Libertyville
Lake County Forest Preserves has ACA Certified Canoe and Kayak Instruction including Quickstart Kayak classes for adults and kids throughout the summer; space is limited so register well in advance. You can also rent a canoe or kayak at the marina at Independence Grove in Libertyville for $8-$12 an hour.
Find information at lcfpd.org/preserves or call (847) 968-3321.
Warrenville/Wheaton
Rent watercraft at two popular DuPage County lakes for $10 an hour or $50 an day: Silver Lake at Blackwell in Warrenville and Herrick Lake in Wheaton.
Go to dupageforest.com for details.
McHenry County
Wendy Kummerer of the McHenry County Conservation District says that the pristine waters of Nippersink Creek offer some of the most enjoyable paddling around. The largest tributary to the Fox River is at its best from April through June and again after the September rains when higher water carries paddlers easily through nature preserves, farmland, small towns and eventually into the Fox River's Chain O' Lakes.
Download a copy of the Nippersink Canoe trail at MCCDistrict.org. Bring your own boats or canoe rental and shuttle can be arranged with Tip A Canoe in Burlington, Wis., (414) 537-3227, or try Flatwater Canoe and Kayak rental in Richmond, (815) 353-7333.
St. Charles
Ken Michaelis' The Canoe Shack in St. Charles has been offering canoe and kayak trips on the Fox River and west branch of the DuPage River for 20 years. Get a $5 off coupon at canoeshack.com or call (630) 584-8017.