My husband and I rarely go anywhere without one if not two little ladies in tow. If we do go anywhere it’s usually with a sense of hurriedness and purpose; birthday shopping for the girls, school orientation, usually not time for just the two of us. We took a plunge last Sunday morning and tried something new, we left the girls with Nana and went on an adventure that was meant for us… and it was fantastic!
We took a kayaking adventure with L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School, on Canandaigua Lake. Everyone knows that L.L. Bean is THE place for high quality outdoor clothes and gear, especially backpacks and lunch boxes during these late summer months. But did you realize that L.L. Bean also offers many, many clinics and classes through their Outdoor Discovery School? Trained and experienced guides can teach you to kayak, fly fish, paddle board or even basic life skills, such as properly adjusting and wearing a PFD (Personal Floatation Device). Prices for the clinics and classes begin at free and vary depending on the length and specific adventure you would like to take. Visit the L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School online or at the L.L. Bean store in Victor for more information.
Back to our kayaking adventure, we signed up for the Kayaking Discovery Course, an hour and a half of grown up time, just for us. The great thing about the L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School is that they take the stress out of having an adventure. The ODS picks a safe location, gives you trained and experienced instructors to lead you through your outdoor adventure and provides you with all of the necessary equipment. For our kayaking trip we met two instructors at the North end of Canandaigua Lake, where all of the necessary equipment was waiting for us. The class started with introductions and quickly moved into a lesson on how to properly fit yourself into a PFD (Personal Floatation Device). Once we were all fitted safely into our PFDs we moved on to a lesson in paddling, how to manipulate the paddle into moving the kayak in different directions. The instructors were very knowledgeable in terms of what we needed to do to be successful as well as what to avoid. After our paddling lesson and a brief stretch session we were set up in our kayaks and launched into the lagoon. Our initial time in the water was spent paddling around the lagoon, to avoid waves from boats and to get a feel for the kayak. The lagoon was very peaceful and we were able to find a few turtles and ducks and we practiced.
After our time paddling around the lagoon we ventured out to the lake, where we had more space to explore and move around. The weather was beautiful and the landscape looked like it belonged in a magazine, sometimes I get so caught up in day to day life that I forget we live in such an amazing place. Our instructors were fantastic; they stayed within close proximity throughout the entire adventure, and were able to offered explicit instructions if we found ourselves in a difficult spot, directing us on exactly what paddle strokes to use to redirect our kayaks. Too soon it was time to paddle back to shore and reality. Our little adventure was the perfect break from reality and responsibility. LL Bean ODS took care of the planning and stress, we just had to show up ready for fun.
If you would like to win a gift certificate for a Free Outdoor Discovery Course for 2 follow these directions: The gift certificate is good for 2 people to participate in a Discovery level course in kayaking, snowshoeing or paddle boarding. To enter in the giveaway you must be a subscriber to Macaroni Kid Pittsford- SE Rochester. You must complete the following entry form… Click here to enter!
