Re: [Paddlewise] New England

On Wed, 1 Mar 2000 Gypsykayak_at_aol.com wrote:

> I'm working on a New England trip for the week around the 4th of July.  I've 
> got to see Cape Cod and get it out of my system and off my travel wish list, 
> but after that we'll be heading north.   Flying in an out of Boston, renting 
> a car, and camping along the way.

Might I suggest for your cape cod paddle paddling from one of the chatham 
town landings out to monomoy island and back.  Last spring I had a great 
paddle, with some others skinboat owners, paddling along with about 300 
seals.  The were following us and swimming under our kayaks as we paddled 
along in the fog.  I can give exact directions to the preferred landing.

I've got lots of other cape cod suggestions if you need them but for a single
day trip that would be my first suggestion.
 
> I'm just beginning to look at guidebooks and realize that we won't be able to 
> see all that much in 9-10 days, but I guess an initial goal of reaching 
> Acadia National Park would be OK.  We are warm water, recreational paddlers.  
> Any suggestions on easy paddles? 

The Essex river basin, paddling out to Cranes beach, in Essex Mass is one of
my favorite northern massachusetts coastal paddles.  Although lunch on 
Misery island, in Manchester Mass. is also quite nice, particularly if you 
are there when there are some sailboat races going on.  There are lots of 
classic sailboats based across the harbor from Misery Island.

Portsmouth harbor, starting in Kittery Point or from Newcastle island is
a nice day paddle.  Not so sure about warm ;-)

> Sandy Kramer in Miami who is looking forward to ODing on Maine lobster.

In that case you "need" to visit waterman's beach in south thomaston, 
maine.  The ideal method of getting to the restaurant would be by 
water ;-)  The "restaurant" there is on the beach with a view of muscle 
ridge shoals.  It's owned by a couple of fisherman's wives.  They serve
what their husbands have caught.  The menu consists of lobster, lobster 
rolls, crab rolls, steamed hot dogs, steamed corn, potato chips, steamed 
rolls, and fresh pies.  If it's not cold or steamed they don't have it ;-)
If you are lucky they'll have fresh steamed clams too.  Also there's
a campground a half mile up the road.  

I should be there at least once during either first weekend or second 
weekend you are travelling.  We'll be on the beach, across the way, with
about a dozen kayaks, for a family reunion.

Another nice day paddle, in Maine is from Rockport Harbor to Camden harbor 
and back.  If you go on a saturday you can watch about a dozen windjammers
set sail.

kirk
who lives on the NH/Mass border, has family in Maine and Cape Cod
and has a few years of paddling behind him...
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