Kayaking on the Milwaukee River

An epic afternoon, courtesy of Milwaukee Kayak Company

A couple weekends back, Adam and I stretched our kayaking muscles — and boy did they hurt the next day! Worth it? You better believe it. We joined a group of friends at Milwaukee Kayak Company around noon on a Saturday for an afternoon of experiencing Milwaukee from the river.

Milwaukee Kayak Company makes it super easy to get on the water: Just sign a couple forms that say things like “We’re not responsible if you drown, thanks!” and pony up either $30 for a single kayak or $45 for a tandem. They outfit you with life vests and even offer free bottled water for the road (er, water). Then they say “Be back by 6:00!” The website says you’ll have the kayaks for 4 hours, but clearly the reality is much more relaxed — at least it was the day we went.

The kayaking itself was crazy fun and quite the workout for these out-of-shape arms of mine. Luckily I had Adam to do a lot of the heavy lifting as we navigated the river in a tandem kayak. Still, I'll say this: I put in a valiant effort, and if I can do it, you can do it. 

But enough about arm strength. We had a blast! And I'll be first to admit that water sports aren't really my thing. Sports in general aren't really my thing. So saying "I had a blast kayaking for hours" really means something coming from me. The only down side was that, as Milwaukeeans might expect, the river sure can stink. Whew boy! 

But you get over the odor when you're passing under gigantic metal bridges as they close with a thundering clang, or come upon a railroad bridge with weathered box cars rolling by. Seeing Milwaukee from the river offers a unique perspective — one that makes you feel keenly part of the natural world but also acutely urban. 

The urban factor came into play especially since our group chose to paddle away from the lake. Milwaukee Kayak's dock is located near the Allen Bradley Clock, so heading up the river brings sights that are awfully gritty and industrial — but not without an oasis or two. 

We stopped for lunch and drinks at Barnacle Bud's — a place I'd never been before and will delve into a bit more in another post. But first impressions: Vacation. Truly, when you're at Barnacle Bud's, it's like you've left Milwaukee for some beachside shack. Very refreshing.

After lunch we paddled on, stopping for drinks and games of Bags at the Horny Goat. Here's where I demonstrated my hand-eye coordination deficiencies. And I'd never been to Horny Goat, but I quickly learned that the beer isn't so hot — at least that was the buzz around our group. Still, the place is cool for hang-outs on a sunny day.

Five+ hours later, we were heading back to the docks when we all had to pull over and watch this huge ship, the St. Mary's Challenger, glide by. At first it was hard to tell if it was even moving — oh, but it was. That experience felt — like our entire day — pretty epic.