The Launch My husband and I bought kayaks on Sunday and were a little eager to try them out. The first chance we got was last night so we headed to the Vermilion. I wanted to try out one of the launches I wrote about and the closest one to where we met after work was Camellia. Upon arrival I was a little disappointed to say the least. It just wasn't what I was expecting. The description says "...with parking and street lights for safety. This is the perfect starting point on the Southside of Lafayette for a paddle up or down stream". Yeah not so much. What they refer to as parking is a little loop that encircles a post with a light. It was enough light for us to see as we strapped our kayaks down just after sunset but a little more light wouldn't hurt. When they said parking I imagined an actual parking lot. But hey at least there was paved parking and light, that is a plus. The most disappointing part to me was the condition of the launch. Is it Lafayette's best kept secret? So much so that it's never used so there's no concern for clean up? There was a thick layer of sticks, acorns, litter and who knows what else covering the spot where you're supposed to set your kayak for an easy launch. The same went for where you're supposed to slide up your kayak for docking. Surrounding the launch were those yellow "floating fences" preventing you from even using the launch. A bunch of garbage collected along one of the floating fences as well. I wish I had taken a picture to show how much garbage there was. I think it's great that Lafayette wanted to provide kayak launches but maintaining them for use would be ideal. I think next time I head out there I might bring some gloves and a garbage bag and help out the community. I want to enjoy the water, not maneuver around plastic bottles. We ended up just slipping into our kayaks from the side of the dock and pushing off. The Ride Where: Camellia Bridge to Ambassador Bridge and back Time: 2 hours The actual ride wasn't so bad. We went from the launch, which is under the Camellia bridge, downstream to the Ambassador bridge and back. We passed the beautiful River Ranch houses and talked about someday owning a home where the backyard rolled into the river. Once you pass the houses you come to a stretch surrounded by trees on both sides. Its peaceful but when you see this make shift tent looking thing in the woods it makes you want to paddle a bit faster. Going downstream was much more relaxing. We could stop paddling and let the river just slowly pull us along. Going upstream you had to constantly paddle to stop the current from pulling you backwards. That made it a little more difficult to make it a relaxed ride but definitely a great idea if you want to get a work out in! Have you tried this launch? What was the condition when you went? Let me know in the comments!
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“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” - Helen Keller AuthorMy name is Jessica. I live in Louisiana. I love exploring the outdoors and sharing my experiences. Archives
April 2015
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