alpinista
Active member
Neither AMSTony nor I could escape this weekend to do some peakbagging, but that didn't stop us from getting out for some exercise! Think of this as cross-training for continued hiking fun...
Neither one of us is a great swimmer, but we put those fears aside and decided to get in an upperbody workout by hopping in some kayaks and checking out Boston's North Shore. Just a few miles from my downtown condo is a funky throwback to a long-gone era: the land of arcades and boardwalks, greasy fried clams and tasty burgers and dogs _ and these days, a place that rents kayaks. It's called the Salem Willows, and it features not only all that bad food but also a band shell, a couple of docks and a beach.
We started off in the water right off the beach and paddled our way south. We passed some of the decades' old beachfront homes, each of them squeeze into postage-stamp sized pieces of property but with amazing views. This is a tight-knit neighborhood with beachfront "porches/decks" where folks gather to chat away the all-too-short summer. Some of them sport chimineas, and I imagined it must be a cozy place to live.
I hugged the shoreline, not feeling comfortable venturing too far out into the harbor. For one, I wasn't sure if motorboats would spot me. For another, I wasn't sure how strong a current it was and I didn't want to get sucked out beyond my abilities.
We passed one of the many lighthouses that dot the landscape here, and paddled by Winter Island, another of Salem's beachfront gems. Then, of course, there's the wonderful power plant and the mounds of coal along the way. Fabulous!
Tony and I made our way to the dock where my mode of transportation into work these days _ a ferry _ pulls in and out of. We made sure to stick especially close to the coastline this time so the ferry wouldn't run us over!
Before we knew it, an hour had gone by and we'd traveled 2.5 miles _ and it was time to return to the Willows since we'd only rented the kayaks for two hours. We dawdled a bit and checked out some big black birds; I'm not sure what kind they are but their profile looked like herons to me.
Here are some pix
Neither one of us is a great swimmer, but we put those fears aside and decided to get in an upperbody workout by hopping in some kayaks and checking out Boston's North Shore. Just a few miles from my downtown condo is a funky throwback to a long-gone era: the land of arcades and boardwalks, greasy fried clams and tasty burgers and dogs _ and these days, a place that rents kayaks. It's called the Salem Willows, and it features not only all that bad food but also a band shell, a couple of docks and a beach.
We started off in the water right off the beach and paddled our way south. We passed some of the decades' old beachfront homes, each of them squeeze into postage-stamp sized pieces of property but with amazing views. This is a tight-knit neighborhood with beachfront "porches/decks" where folks gather to chat away the all-too-short summer. Some of them sport chimineas, and I imagined it must be a cozy place to live.
I hugged the shoreline, not feeling comfortable venturing too far out into the harbor. For one, I wasn't sure if motorboats would spot me. For another, I wasn't sure how strong a current it was and I didn't want to get sucked out beyond my abilities.
We passed one of the many lighthouses that dot the landscape here, and paddled by Winter Island, another of Salem's beachfront gems. Then, of course, there's the wonderful power plant and the mounds of coal along the way. Fabulous!
Tony and I made our way to the dock where my mode of transportation into work these days _ a ferry _ pulls in and out of. We made sure to stick especially close to the coastline this time so the ferry wouldn't run us over!
Before we knew it, an hour had gone by and we'd traveled 2.5 miles _ and it was time to return to the Willows since we'd only rented the kayaks for two hours. We dawdled a bit and checked out some big black birds; I'm not sure what kind they are but their profile looked like herons to me.
Here are some pix
