Place: Clopper Lake, which is part of Seneca Creek State Park in Germantown, Maryland
Distance: About 20 minutes from home by car
Cost: $9/hour/kayak + $1.50 for water = $21
Duration: 40 minutes driving + 1 hour kayaking = about 2 hours
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There's a great park not too far from our house that offers a variety of outdoor activities that are great for parents and kids. We've already tried the recycled tire playground numerous times, and we hiked the lake a few weeks ago, sort of by accident. (It's surprising how far a 3-year-old can walk when there's no other way to get home: 4.5 miles!) We've also rented boats a few times, first the paddle boats, then a canoe, which was hard to manage in the stronger breeze that tends to occupy the middle of the lake.
Today we tried the kayaks, and it was a huge success, even with a 7-year-old manning his own craft. He was a bit discouraged in the middle, fighting against the breeze to get back to the boat house. The ripples on the lake have an unnerving effect of making you feel like you're coasting backward, even when you're paddling hard to move ahead. (The view of the shore, however, confirms that you're getting there slowly.)
At one point Michael concluded that this was NOT fun. However, once we made it back to the dock, he was pleased with the experience, and I think he really enjoyed my compliments on his technique, his new haircut, and how handsome he looked seated in the boat with his sunglasses and hat.
As for me, the paddling was fairly easy to do, but it didn't take long for me to have the distinct sense that I was getting a workout, particularly in the chest muscles and shoulders. That alone is reason to come back!
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