Kayaking Whiskeytown

It takes a little bit of marketing to get certain family members on board for another road trip. The selling points for making the long trek up to Northern California were:

• Visiting two more national park units, Whiskeytown NRA and Lassen Volcanic NP
• Redeeming two free Marriott hotel stays that we earned from a promo during our spring break trip
• Sleeping one night at a motel with twin beds (no complaints about sharing with a bed hog)
• Going back to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
• Kayaking on Whiskeytown Lake

This spring, M went to Catalina Island with the National Junior Honor Society 8th graders from his middle school, where they got to experience ocean kayaking and snorkeling. He came home with lots of stories and was eager to show off his skills during our morning kayak tour of Whiskeytown Lake.

The tours are free, and all equipment (tandem kayaks, paddles, life vests) is provided. Yet another reason to love the National Park Service! Ranger Billy and several volunteers took us out on the water for about 2.5 hours.

M didn't want to be saddled with either one of his slow parents, so he and J got permission from the ranger to paddle together, and they actually did quite well as a tandem. Ranger Billy talked about a few couples who had to cut their tours short because they were unable to work together. Thankfully, that was not us - it took a little bit of effort, but R and I got the hang of it by the end!

M and J dumped their kayak on purpose because they were hot

Rafting up and getting instructions from Ranger Billy

The boys agreed that this was the most fun thing we've done during all of our NPS visits so far! Part of reason for this could be the fact that they won several of Ranger Billy's paddling challenges (racing around an island and successfully completing an obstacle course).  

The victors!

What a great way to spend a morning! If we had more time, we would have liked to try panning for gold during another ranger program they offer here. Hopefully this won't be the last time we visit Whiskeytown National Recreation Area!

Next up, Lassen Volcanic National Park...