It has been ridiculously hot in Louisville lately and with no water to find relief I was getting antsy. I decided that this past holiday weekend I needed to find a water activity close to Louisville. I found a website for Canoe Kentucky and decided to go for it.
Canoe Kentucky is just north of Frankfort, KY and took me exactly an hour to drive from the Original Highlands. I called ahead and made a reservation. Reservations are available any hour on the hour from 8am to 1pm. The company instructed me to come 30 minutes earlier than my scheduled reservation to park, sign a waiver, and watch a safety video. There are a few different trip options; 6-mile "Fun Float", 12-mile "All day adventure", and a white water adventure that is currently not available due to low water levels. You could rent canoes, kayaks, or rafts. For $35, my husband and I opted for 1 canoe and the 6-mile trip which was advertised to be approximately 2 hours long.
We parked at the Canoe Kentucky headquarters and then were shuttled with about 15 other people 3 miles down the road with out boats. The workers were not particularly friendly, but they did place our canoe in the water for us...and we were off. It was a therapeutic trip of husband and wife team work. Not that we are competitive or anything, but the trip only took us 1.5 hours and we were the first of our group to make it back.
The water levels were slightly low and we had to get out of our canoe several times to walk it across rocks. However, the trip was really fun and interactive. It wasn't just a straight shot down a river. There were fast parts and slow, portaging and floating, small rapids and calm pools. At one point we docked our canoe on some rocks and went swimming (that was my favorite part). Next time we will go for the 12-miler and pack a cooler of snacks. All in all, a refreshing trip that got you out of the city for a bit.
Photo courtesy of Canoeky.com
Maggie moved to Louisville from Buffalo, NY in Dec. 2009. She has also lived in London, Chicago, and Louisiana. Find out more about her business Weekend Wedding Warrior, LLC and her private counseling practice.
