A sunny, blue-sky day with billowy clouds, a lazy river, and a group of friends where nobody was in a rush to be anywhere else, all made for the perfect summer afternoon. Although I’ve been canoeing and white-water rafting a couple times previously, I’d been wanting to experience kayaking down one of our Middle Tennessee rivers. Last year plans to go had fallen through twice, once because the water was too high, and once because it was too low. But last month, all the conditions lined up for a picturesque day of floating and boating.
A group of about 15 of us, consisting of old friends and new, of novices and of seasoned kayakers, set out to traverse a few miles of The Harpeth River. I opted for a single kayak, although somewhat questioning the adequacy of my upper body strength to complete the journey without a second set of arms for back up! But I was pleasantly surprised by the gentle current that carried us all along with surprisingly little effort on our part other than minimal steering or the occasional stopping to dock on a rocky beach. The intermittent stops allowed time to reapply sunscreen, and to grab a snack or a cold drink while catching up and chatting with others in the group who may have been keeping a slower or faster pace in the water.
There are several canoe rental places out I-40W, but we used Foggy Bottom and they were great. $29 provides the kayak rental with life jacket and paddle, and a ride to the drop-in site (and then you end up docking in by your cars at the end of the trek). Honestly it’s easily $29 of the best-spent dollars of my summer! (Canoe rates range from $36-$39 depending on the length of the trip chosen). Wait for a beautiful day, and spontaneously call a friend or a few, and enjoy an ideal way to be in the great Tennessee outdoors. A mini-cooler with your favorite beverages is a must (it can be easily strapped in the back of your kayak, making for easy accessibility while lazily floating). Grab something to munch on too, your SPF of choice, water-proof speakers if you have them for listening to your favorite tunes, and a towel for the ride home, and you’re quickly and easily out your door and ready to go!
There are those I’m sure who prefer the thrill of navigating through rapids on a raft, but for me, the peaceful ride down the Harpeth was the perfect balance of time to be reflective while surrounded by the beauty of nature, and of fun time with friends, all genuinely happy to be outside and active. And if you’ve managed to work up an appetite after you’re done, take a short 8 mile drive down Highway 70 to a local favorite, Carl’s Perfect Pig Barbeque & Grill–the food is delicious and the hospitality is refreshingly Southern. 🙂
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