Paddling the Lazy River

Up a lazy river by the old mill run
That lazy, lazy river in the noon day sun
You can linger in the shade of that fine ole tree
Throw, away your troubles, baby, dream with me ~ Lazy River, Louis Armstrong

Update: This guided activity is no longer available but you can rent kayaks, canoes, or small motorboats at camp and kayak on your own.

Forget the white water swirling into blackness. It's for kids. Besides, you'd need a helmet.

You need to go up a lazy river. I mean people don't stare all glassy-eyed at roiling water, do they? You want mesmerizing? Then you want smooth water, barely movin' along. You want Louis Armstrong's version of the dream life. You want a kayak, a paddle, and a guide who can make it all dreamy and trouble-free.

Where can you have this experience? Jessica Sandage of Pedal & Paddle will provide all you need to paddle up Cache Creek. In fact, if you head on down to Clear Lake Campground on Saturday night at 6pm you can participate in a group paddle with Jessica, who will make sure you're properly equipped.

Guess what Pedal & Paddle's motto is. "Peace is a paddle away." Louis would be proud.

Jessica grew up in these parts; she is part of the Pomo tribe that enjoyed the lake and the immense variety of wildlife the wetlands support. Look to the sky for the blue heron, egrets, geese and ducks. Look down to the waterline for the grebes and their shallow-water nests as well as the turtles that jump off the rocks or tree limbs milliseconds before you poke at the camera button in futility. Don't miss the river otters and deer. You might have to go a bit out of the way to see a bear, but they're around the creek near the dam at times.

The Easy Way to Find Peace on the Still Waters

Head on over to Clear Lake Campground at 6pm on Saturday, decide on your ride (sit on top or sit inside kayaks--or a canoe for two). Bring a hat, sunglasses, camera, bug spray and water. Have a good time, get some easy exercise, and find your peace. It's getting hard to find that last bit these days, so get excited to be away from the TV or those video games without missing them. We've ignored it for such a long time that natural reality has become the new "wowza!"

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If you don't want to drive and paddle, how 'bout reserving a space at Clear Lake Campground and stay the night to let your ravaged lungs get acclimated to Lake County's clean air before you have your adventure? Your kids will love the pool and might have the chance to marvel at the monster catfish folks catch off the banks of the creek.

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