We live on one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world. The Great Lakes make up 20% of the world's fresh water supply. In a separate series, we look at what we can do to keep the Great Lakes and our environment clean and safe for everyone. But that's there. The point of this post is to get you out and taking advantage of them!
Wisconsin has an amazing variety of things for people to get out there and do. With roughly a quarter of the state covered in woodlands, a third of which is accessible to the public, over 15,000 lakes and streams, and over 1000 miles of beachfront, not to mention numerous parks, trails, festivals, museums, theatres, etc., there is so much to do and see throughout the state, and especially in the Milwaukee area. It would be a shame to not take advantage of what we have to offer. So with that being said, let's take a look at some of the amazing things we can do around here this summer!
Since we live on or near one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world, not to mention rivers and creeks that flow through our community, let's start this series off with a look at some of the water sports we can get out and do.
For starters, there is more to living on Lake Michigan than fishing, beach going, and walking the beautiful shoreline, although those are amazing in and of themselves. The people in this photo have rented kayaks and are exploring our wonderful river.
Kayaking is a wonderful summertime sport that has been steadily gaining in popularity since the 1970s, when it went mainstream. Today, it is the most popular of all paddling sports on the water. All you need is the boat, an oar (unless you went with pedal drive), some safety equipment, and you on the open water. Once there, you are out there, it is up to you: Take it slow and easy, enjoying the sunshine, breeze, and wildlife, or hit the tougher swells, finding rapids and other challenges to push yourself how you never thought you could.
A number of companies including the Milwaukee Kayak Company (a little more expensive of a trip) and the Urban Ecology Centers (very reasonable rates - free with membership) rent kayaks. In addition, the Urban Ecology Centers have so many more items available for free rentals both in Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter with membership and purposely affordable programming (ask them about their sliding scale payments if you can't afford the full amount) that it would be a shame not to visit and see for yourselves, maybe even join.
As far as where to take your kayaking adventure, Milwaukee Riverkeeper has a wonderful map available with all of the landings, parking, restrooms, food, camping, etc. that you could need to know about covering the entire Milwaukee Urban Water Trail (think Milwaukee's Oak Leaf Trail, but for our waterways). It is available for free online, as an app, downloadable (although to print it out would be a little difficult as it is roughly 2'x3' at full size), and, for a nominal donation, as a water and tear resistant map. Both the Urban Ecology Center and Milwaukee Riverkeeper work hard to educate their users/members and get them involved in the community, so feel free to check them out, ask some questions, and get yourself in good with these urban water and ecology warriors.
But enough about that. Let's get back to the main feature. Kayaking, whether alone or in a group, is a fun experience. If you don't know where to start, that's okay. Plenty of organizations out there provide paid kayak tours and similar kayaking adventures. Some of the top names in the area are Milwaukee Kayak Company and Brew City Kayak. Both have excellent Yelp ratings and many of their tours include beginner kayaking lessons. It's time to get out there and explore!
A note of ecological caution: As we will discuss in a post later this summer in the "We Can Make A Difference" series, always make sure to wipe down and wash off any boat you use before taking it back. We don't want to accidentally introduce invasive species between waterways. Even though kayak rental locations generally sanitizes their equipment every time it comes back, you can never be too careful. Here's a link to a site that explains a little more about the issue.
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