Kayaking the Crosswicks Creek For The First Time

This summer I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family. One of the outings we’ve always wanted to do together was to learn how to kayak. But before going out, buying one and the other stuff you need, we thought it would be a good idea to first take a lesson. Also in our area, the you need to have a very good understanding of the tides. We live on the Delaware River and it’s a tidal river that goes out to the Atlantic ocean.

So I contacted Mr. Mitchell, he’s one of the second grade teachers here at Clara Barton Elementary School in Bordentown, NJ and he has his own business, Greenwave Paddling. He is a professional kayaker who gives lessons and tours along the creeks in our areas.

I originally wanted to bring my Canon Mark 5DIII with the 24-70 f2.8L lens and the 70-200 f2.8L non-IS lens. But I thought that perhaps just for starters, since I was learning and it was our first time, I brought my Canon S100 point and shoot and of course my iPhoneSE.

We first met him at the Bordentown Beach so that he could properly  fit us with life vests, instruct us on paddling techniques,safety, show us all about the kayaks that we were using, getting into them, making sure that when were seated the kayaks that we were in them properly, and that then we were off!

Having lived along the shores of the Delaware River, Blacks Creek and Crosswicks Creek all of my life. I have never been out on the water of either of them. Not that I never wanted to, no… the opportunity just never came up. So for me I was in heaven and loved it!

I sat in the front with Mr. Mitchell behind me, we both were paddling, while my husband and our daughter were in the other. Once we got past the light rail road bridge, this is what I saw, the beginning of Crosswicks Creek. It was a gorgeous day and just perfect for what we were doing. We brought along water, snacks, and we did stop to rest a few times. Mr. Mitchell talked to us about the history of the creek, our town and the Revolutionary War, nature, what to look for and we just enjoyed the day, because as you can see by the images…it was beautiful. KayakingGreenwavePaddlingDeirdre Ryan Photography3KayakingGreenwavePaddlingDeirdre Ryan Photography11KayakingGreenwavePaddlingDeirdre Ryan Photography9KayakingGreenwavePaddlingDeirdre Ryan Photography35

We got to a certain point, switched front rowers, and headed back as the sun was starting to set.

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We spotted saw this Blue Heron,  I was kind of far away, so this is cropped from a zoomed in image. Of course I was thinking that I should’ve brought the other camera and longer lens…KayakingGreenwavePaddlingDeirdre Ryan Photography56

The Riverline crossing the bridge with Mr. Mitchell and our daughter in the foreground.

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This was an amazing adventure, we never once felt unsafe or insecure. It was relaxing, we were able to truly enjoy our surroundings. Our daughter paddled and did her share very well. This is something as a family we truly recommend and we will be doing this again with Greenwave Paddling. Go to the site and check it out. Thank you Mr. Mitchell for a great time, see you soon!

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