Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Review of 2018


This past year I have had many extraordinary trips, paddled with many new and seasoned paddlers and suffered heartbreaking loss.

I began 2018 with Delta Kayak Adventures having a permanent location on the water at the Antioch Marina. The Antioch Marina became an official San Francisco Bay Water Trail designated site which enabled the public to use newly installed kayak launches, making for easy entrance and exit from a kayak. Delta Kayak Adventures has dozens of kayaks and paddleboards available to rent right on the water utilizing one of the ramps. With so many destinations to choose from, Antioch is an ideal location whether you want an hour on the water or a full day kayak fishing. 2018 also marked the opening of the greatly anticipated restaurant, Smith's Landing. Now you can go for a paddle and enjoy a delicious meal or a cocktail overlooking the San Joaquin River.





One of my most memorable trips this past year was paddling 63 miles from Sacramento to Antioch back in March. We launched just south of where the American River enters the Sacramento River. We paddled past Old Sacramento and the Tower Bridge and meandered through tree lined banks until we reached Clarksburg for lunch. After lunch we continued to Steamboat Landing where we picked up some Hemly Cider to enjoy that evening. We landed at Ko-Ket Resort around 5pm and were warmly welcomed and shown where we could set up camp. A friend had left her car at the resort so we could drive to Al's in Locke for dinner. We returned to camp and enjoyed sipping cider around a campfire provided by a generous couple who lent us their propane fire ring. The next morning we launched at 9am and paddled the remaining 28 miles to Antioch. It was a wonderful trip with great friends and an experience I won't forget.



The summer was amazing with our first ever River Camp for Kids. Delta Kayak Adventures offered the camp for 9-15 year olds to spend a week kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking and fishing. The kids were awesome and it was wonderful to watch the smiles appear as we paddled the San Joaquin River and hauled up countless blue gill and crappie. I look forward to doing River Camp for Kids again this summer!















The fall provided countless days of paddling on glassy water watching the migratory birds begin to come in. We also paddled among the tall ships Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain while they demonstrated a mock battle at sea. As leaves continued to fall and a couple storms blew through along with cooler temperatures, smaller sloughs began to open up and begged to be explored. With the arrival of winter, there will be even more areas to explore due to the hyacinth and primrose dying off.




On November 2nd, my husband of 25 years passed away unexpectedly due to a cardiac arrest. Randy was always working behind the scenes of Delta Kayak Adventures whether building a custom kayak trailer or offering encouraging words and ideas to help support my dream of making a living on the water. He left behind myself and our four children, three who are still at home, to carry on and we will miss him immensely.


I'm looking forward to 2019. I'm setting personal goals that I hope to accomplish such as taking part in the California River Quest with a 100 mile paddle from Redding to Chico. If you're feeling adventurous but not for 100 miles you can sign up for the 25 or 50 mile course.





Delta Kayak Adventures continues to offer kayak and paddleboard rentals, classes and tours throughout the year. We paddle the entire Delta region so if you're interested in a specific location contact me and we can set up a custom tour for your group.



No comments:

Post a Comment