BornToPaddle.com is the place to come to if you are looking for places to go kayaking and canoeing. We scour the web to find places to kayak, places to canoe as well as kayaking and canoeing events.

Weekend of Kayaking and Canoeing Events in Ocean Shores, Washington:

Below is another great weekend event that is happening in Washington State. If you live near Ocean Shores, Washington you might want to get your kayak or canoe and head over to a paddling weekend event that looks like fun for the whole family. You don’t even need a kayak or canoe to join in on the fun at this event.

The event is Paddle the Shores – September 19-20, 2009 (Saturday & Sunday) North Bay Park, Ocean Shores, Washington

Saturday is the Poker Paddle. Paddler’s leisurely paddle 9 miles on the interconnecting lakes and canals of Ocean Shores, stopping along the way (seven stops) to pick up playing cards. At the end of the paddle, prizes are awarded for the best poker hands. A shorter 6 mile poker paddle is also available. Paddlers will pick up five poker cards.  

Sunday morning is the Human Powered Boat Race.  This is 6 mile race is on Duck Lake and open to canoe, kayaks, shells and paddleboats.

Sunday afternoon is the Cardboard Boat Race This race is also on Duck Lake. Using only cardboard and packaging tape teams will have one hour to construct a boat. One person from your team will paddle your constructed boat around a buoy. The first team that gets back or stays afloat the farthest will be the winner.

If you do not own a kayak, you can find rental information on their website as well information for area hotel/motels.  

If you go, let us know. We would love to hear from you.

For more information and to register, please click here to go to our Races and Event page.

To find other places to paddle, kayak and canoe all over the USA, go to our Places to Paddle page and click on any state, or check out nationwide kayak, canoe and paddle events and races on our Paddling Events and Races page.

If you would like us to post your favorite place to paddle, kayak or canoe or your favorite paddling event or race, please use our handy contact form to send us the details

We are lucky here in the Nashville, Tennessee area. We are surrounded by great rivers and lakes – which translates into great opportunities to kayak and canoe – pretty much right out our backdoor.

This week was ideal on the Harpeth River. This historic river is a tributary of the mighty Cumberland River which flows through the heart of Nashville all the way to the Mississippi River.

The water level on the Harpeth this past week was ideal. We’ve had some rain in the past few days that helped to keep the water level near perfect for paddling.

After renting a canoe at Canoe Music City in Kingston Springs (there are several places on Highway 70 that offer canoe and kayak rentals, plus transportation to and from the river) we shuttled our car to the take out at Harris Street Bridge, and dropped off with the canoe at the Narrows of the Harpeth State Park put in.

Going paddling during the week is an excellent option if you can swing it. There were some people on the water, but for the most part it was a very peaceful paddle.

The Harpeth River teems with wildlife. As we paddled along in our canoe we saw huge fish swimming in the shallows, turtles sunning themselves on rocks and branches, and a duckling swam out to us and paddled along for a while!

The day was quite warm, but its almost always cooler on the water. Huge trees hang over the Harpeth offering great amounts of shade just when you need it. The paddling was easy (we had an experienced boat pilot steering), and the current was extremely helpful in moving us along.

At this level, many beach areas exist along the river. It’s great to just pull over and dig out the cooler for some cold drinks and snacks along the way. But the river has its deep parts too, which are easily spotted – just look for rope swings hanging from the trees!

There were some trees down in the water from recent storms, but nothing to impede the way downstream. I had to jump out a couple of times and help the boat over some shallow bits, but we did have three people in the boat. In a canoe the more people you have the lower you sit in the water. Had we been in kayaks, we would have glided right over those spots.

If you’re looking for a place to paddle, kayak or canoe in the Nashville or Middle Tennessee area, it doesn’t get much better than the Harpeth. Once you’re on the water, the rest of the world slips away and you enter a part of nature that has remained virtually untouched for hundreds of years. The Harpeth is a beautiful river and a treasure for locals and visitors alike.

For more information about Tennessee’s Harpeth River, please visit: Harpeth River Watershed website or the Narrows of the Harpeth State Park website.

For more places to paddle, kayak and canoe in Tennessee, see our Places to Paddle in Tennessee page.

To find other places to paddle, kayak and canoe all over the USA, go to our Places to Paddle page and click on any state, or check out nationwide kayak, canoe and paddle events and races on our Paddling Events and Races page.

If you would like us to post your favorite place to paddle, kayak or canoe or your favorite paddling event or race, please use our handy contact form to send us the details.