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Extending the Trend: Is Kayaking Fun Enough to Watch?

September 24, 2008 at 10:30 AM | 0 Comments

We've already confirmed that kayaking is the sporting trend of the year--but is it fun enough to make it as a spectator sport?

The folks behind the new Canoe & Kayak World Series are betting that it is. The series of slalom races has been making (little) waves through Europe and Australia this summer and sails into the US this fall with the American Open, taking place October 3 and 4 at the Adventure Sports Center International in McHenry, Maryland.

Even if kayaking turns out to be a less-than-thrilling spectator sport, you can always hop in the water yourself. The new-ish Adventure Sports Center is a great place to try out everything from inflatable group kayaks to a controlled whitewater course.

Related Stories:
· American Open [Official Site]
· Adventure Sports Center International [Official Site]
· Kayaking Travel coverage [Official Site]

[Photo: ASCI]

Superyachts Lose; Kayaks, Sail-Yaks Gain in Topsy-Turvy Financial World

September 21, 2008 at 2:36 PM | 0 Comments

Times are tough out there financially, with stock market losses, high energy prices, and creeping unemployment taking a toll on people around the world. But while regular folks like you and me might be hurting from the recent gyrations, nobody suffers like the rich. After all, we might have lost a couple grand in our 401(k) accounts, but they've lost millions in all kinds of accounts.

It's worth paying attention to, of course, because rich people's losses stanch the trickle-down effect that normally keeps the poor world alive and happy. Case in point: the Wall Street Journal reports that businesses that cater to the rich, like yacht builders, are "seeing clients tighten their belts." In fact, the director of BVI-based Northrop & Johnson Yacht and Ship said that one New York investor was trying to put off the planned purchase of a $25 million megayacht, and might walk away from the deal altogether.

For this anonymous suffering rich person, we have one word of advice: kayaks.

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NPR Confirms Kayaks Are the Hotness for 2008

September 19, 2008 at 10:30 AM | 0 Comments

Last month we noticed that this summer's hottest travel trend is jumping into a kayak. (We even did some paddling ourselves!)

Now NPR backs up our trend-spotting with a report live from Maine where retailers like LL Bean and Johnson Outdoors say kayaks are flying off the shelves while canoes sales stay flat.

One outfitter has even changed its name to hype its kayaks:

In a sign of the times, an Old Town, Maine fixture, Old Town Canoes, is now called Old Town Canoes and Kayaks....

For now, here in Maine, kayaking is the new canoeing.

Related Stories:
· Old Town Canoes and Kayaks [Official Site]
· Kayaks Hot, Canoes Not [NPR]
· Kayaking coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Bob Jagendorf]

48 Hours in Washington D.C. - Part 3: Popped Collars and Lacklustre Cuisine

September 6, 2008 at 1:42 PM | 1 Comment

Jaunted weekend editor Victor Ozols escaped from New York over the Labor Day holiday for a blissful getaway to Washington D.C. He recounts the hits and misses of his time in the nation's capital in this three-part series.

After getting cleaned up from our museum adventure, we walked down M Street in Georgetown. I grew up in Northern Virginia but really couldn't claim any good knowledge of DC prior to this trip, so I actually thought Georgetown was the hip place to hang out. John pointed out the preponderance of "popped-collar douchebags" in G-town, and he was right, though they didn't particularly bother us. Adams Morgan and the U Street Corridor (with places like the Black Cat) are much hipper locales. But we didn't really care, and enjoyed our stroll through Georgetown, peering into several restaurants before finally deciding to dine at Ristorante Piccolo on 31st Street. Our meal was an enjoyable disaster.

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48 Hours in Washington D.C. - Part 2: Loving Those Free Museums

September 6, 2008 at 1:07 PM | 0 Comments

Jaunted weekend editor Victor Ozols escaped from New York over the Labor Day holiday for a blissful getaway to Washington D.C. He recounts the hits and misses of his time in the nation's capital in this three-part series.

It's crucial to have a good place to get take-out coffee near your hotel, and the Renaissance M Street had a great one, an Illy coffee bar located just off the hotel lobby. Two large caffe filtros only cost $4.18 and got us plenty fired up for a day of museums. We drank our coffees and then walked past the White House to the Mall, snapping pictures and entertaining the idea of someday leaving New York and finding a place in D.C.

Our first stop was at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. It's great that all the Smithsonian museums are free. They just check your bags for bombs and stuff, but you don't need tickets or anything, just stroll your ass right on in the museum. In New York you'd have to pay like $15 for each adult ticket. That's a major point in D.C.'s favor.

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48 Hours in Washington D.C. - Part 1: Kayaking and Go Go Music

September 6, 2008 at 12:16 PM | 1 Comment

Jaunted weekend editor Victor Ozols escaped from New York over the Labor Day holiday for a blissful getaway to Washington D.C. He recounts the hits and misses of his time in the nation's capital in this three-part series.

We just got back from a weekend in Washington D.C. so I figure I should write a review in the style of those "36 Hours In ... " pieces from the New York Times Travel Section, except mine will take place over 48 hours, making Jaunted 12 hours better than the Gray Lady. We took Amtrak from Penn Station to Union Station on Friday (one-way fare = $125) and I'll skip the part where we dropped the baby off with my folks in Virginia and start with check-in at the Renaissance M Street in Washington D.C. The weather was hot, we were relieved of parental duties for two days, and felt ready to go crack-house crazy (just a metaphor: no actual crack houses involved).

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Three Is a Trend: You Do Kayak, Don't You?

August 21, 2008 at 1:00 PM | 1 Comment

While we were apparently wasting our time on a sailboat this summer, everyone else was kayaking--and having a terrific time.

It started back in June, when David Kocieniewski wrote about his adventure paddling around Venice, dodging vaporetti and startling gondolieri in an inflatable kayak. He didn't even get a ticket for it, an impressive feat in the fine-happy city.

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Paddling New York's Man-Made River

August 2, 2008 at 1:10 PM | 0 Comments

Unless you're really famous, it's tough to make a living as a musician. It takes nearly constant touring just to keep up with the bills, playing night after night at bars, clubs, and coffeehouses all over the country. And now that it costs a small fortune to fill up a car with gas, some musicians are deciding that it's just not worth the trouble and expense any more.

Christopher Bell didn't want to stop touring just because he couldn't afford to fuel up his Corolla, so he got creative. As the New York Times points out in an inspiring story, Bell traded his car for a canoe and embarked on an ambitious quest to paddle the length of the Erie Canal, starting in Buffalo and playing gigs at venues along the way until he arrives in New York City on September 4.

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Summer Vacations with an Edge: Kayaking the Sea of Cortez

July 30, 2008 at 12:30 PM | 0 Comments

So you're done with kayaking Manhattan and ready for an edgier boat trip? If you've got your basic boat skills down, one of the world's most picturesque kayak trails is just a few miles from the states, in Mexico's Baja California.

The sparsely populated coastline along the Sea of Cortez is one of North America's most remote waterways. Paddling through aquamarine seas surrounded by desert, rocky caves and the towering volcanic Sierra Giganta mountains, you'll catch sight of humpback whales, California grey whales, dolphins and, if you're extremely lucky, leatherback sea turtles.

GORP has an excellent guide for how to get going on the Sea of Cortez, or for less loner types, Sea Kayak Adventures offers six- to eight-day guided kayak tours through the sea.

Related Stories:
· Kayaking the Sea of Cortez [Gorp]
· Sea Kayak Adventures [Official Site]
· Kayaking Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Vox Efx]

Active Travel: Fearless Full Moon Paddling

July 28, 2008 at 5:00 PM | 0 Comments

The last month of summer is just around the corner, and that means that it's time to get cracking when it comes to planning your last warm weather trip. If you're felling a little rushed and don't think you can get it together before the first frost, then you should probably plan on Florida where the warm weather is a little more extended--to say the least.

Every evening of the full moon (your next opportunity is August 16) through the end of the year is the Full Moon Paddle offered by Adventures in Florida. Just pack some clothes, a glow stick or two, and bring a bottle of wine to share with others. You'll paddle around and enjoy the sunset along the Winter Park chain of lakes with the moon lighting your path after dark.

You'll likely be entertained by the sounds of the water, including some unique animal noises that may or may not frighten some in your party. If you're pretty fearless, the tour offers some ghost stories that might shake up your evening a little more. The tour is only $40 per person, or less if you BYOBoat, so you can definitely afford this even after you emptied your summer vacation piggy bank shortly after Memorial Day.

Related Stories:
· Adventures in Florida [Official Site]
· Active Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: memotions]

Active Sports Travel: Kayak Polo

July 1, 2008 at 12:00 PM | 1 Comment

If you read our post about kayaking in Manhattan and thought, I'd like that, but with a greater chance of falling in the Hudson, then kayak polo is for you.

The sport is just what it sounds like--a take on water polo where players paddle around on boats instead of swimming. You can use your paddles to take a hold of the ball, and while bumper car-style attacks are frowned upon, there are plenty of grade-A crashes. It's popular throughout much of Europe, but is only just taking off in the United States.

On July 2 and 8, New York Kayak Polo is offering introductory classes to the sport, held at the Pier 66 Boathouse at the Hudson River and 26th Street. Classes are free, but there's a $5 insurance fee.

Related Stories:
· New York Kayak Polo [Official Site]
· Kayaking Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: ethanlindsey]

New York City Kayaking: Completely Free, Not as Slimy as You'd Think and Fun as Hell

June 21, 2008 at 6:00 PM | 1 Comment

Since NYC is turning into a summer destination, we sent Victor Ozols to check out the West Side kayak scene.

When I tell people about the free, walk-up kayaking program on the Hudson River in Manhattan, I'm generally greeted with incredulous stares. And who can blame them? In this town--where it costs twenty bucks just to walk out your front door--who in their right mind would provide kayak rentals for nothing?

The New York City Downtown Boathouse, that's who. The all-volunteer organization has been introducing New Yorkers to the joys of Hudson River kayaking for years, and it's as simple as showing up, signing a paper indicating that you know how to swim, slipping on a life jacket and hitting the water.

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