Housing Solutions Summer Fun Tips in the Upper Valley
The War Canoe Experience!
There are so many interesting things to do in the Upper Valley, Carol and I stumbled on another great way to enjoy the area this past Sunday. A friend of ours is a “lifetime member” of The Ledyard Canoe Club in Hanover, which is part of Dartmouth College. He and his wife arranged for the four of us and two other couples to have the Dartmouth War Canoe for an evening cruise of the Connecticut River. The War Canoe was available at no cost to him, for the paying public, the canoe rents for $50/day. Considering it holds about 20 people or tons of gear, it’s a bargain. The War Canoe itself is a thing of beauty, its wood polished from years of use and coats of fiberglass to preserve the wood. It’s about 25 feet long, maybe 5 feet wide in the middle, has a half dozen or so plank seats and must weigh a couple hundred pounds.
Rather then jam in more people, we packed in coolers full of food, beer for the boys, cosmos for the Ladies and other assorted picnic gear. We were well prepared for a floating cocktail cruise. Shoving off the crowded Ledyard dock was an adventure in itself, the area was packed with Dartmouth Sophomores enjoying the first sunny day in a month. Once we manhandled the vessel past them into the Connecticut, we started a leisurely paddle upstream. The views are stunning from the river; it is easily one of the most incredible vantage points in the Upper Valley. We spent a half hour or so paddling along and then took a break to watch some kids using the rope swing below the Hanover Country Club. They were having a blast and if the water had not been so full of silt from the recent heavy rains, we would have joined them. Eventually we found a nice grassy spot in the sun and spread our picnic out over a couple blankets, it was great! All fueled up and rested, we let the current carry us back downstream while enjoying the views and each others company. At the end of the trip, we had enjoyed 4 hours on one of America’s most scenic rivers in a very unique canoe.
Carol and I will certainly be back on the river for another trip this summer in our own canoe. It is just too easy not to enjoy this gem in our backyard. At $175/day, we are also planning to rent a pontoon boat from Fairlee Marine at some point in the near future. But that will be another story……..
