of Virginia. There is so much to see and do there. If you want to fish, there are striper and bluefish, speckled trout and grays, dolphin and the like. Right now, in the winter, you can fish the light lines along the bridges and the striper action is so heavy you can take your pick. Our club is boating striper in the 40 - 50 inch range by KAYAK! (TKAA.org) Sightseeing? Eagles, deer, bobcat, and all the other shorebound wildlife. giant snapping turtles, blue catfish nearly 100 pounds in the James River. Oh how I love Virginia. Oh, and read my review of Sandy River Reservoir in the VA section of places to paddle, it is a beautiful place to paddle, as is Dutch Gap.
Musongous Bay, Maine Great ability to island hop - lots of islands on the Maine Island Trail that can be landed on for lunch, take in the view etc. Also whole islands with just tons of great bird nests. Lots of launch points from the mainland for day trips, overnights if you are willing to pay a few bucks at a small marina to leave your car.
The water has been hitting near 60 degrees the last couple of summers by the third week in July, quite tolerable. Just have to be prepared to get caught out in deep fog and still know how to get home - it’ll catch you on the water faster than you can get in near the mainland.
Pacific Northwest, sooo nice … Deception Pass, Puget Sound, San Juans, Victoria Island – all in or near northwest Washington – snow covered mountains sometimes in sight, orcas, islands, etc.
Humboldt and Mendocino coasts in Calif. – sea caves, rocky coasts, unspoiled, rugged, some sheltered spots like the awesome Trinidad Bay, lagoons north of Trinidad, Klamath estuary.
Tomales Bay is more central Calif-ish, but very very nice and also quite undeveloped
Have you tried Otter Creek? You mentioned Aberdeen Proving Ground. If you have not tried Otter Creek you should. It is on an Itzak Walton League Preserve. I regularly see heron, waterfowl, deer, beaver and bald eagle. I’ve also seen mink, muskrat, but not otters! I usually get there from the Otter Point Public Boat ramp.
Islands Off Stonington, Maine One of my favorite areas is among the islands off the coast of Stonington, Maine. There are many islands available to the public for day use, and, if you become a member of the Maine Island Trail Association (www.MaineIslandTrail.org), there are many more islands that are available for overnight use. Also, on Isle Au Haut there are (1) a campground that is part of Acadia National Park, (2) a converted lighthouse-keeper’s house with rooms and meals (The Keeper’s House), and (3) ferry service from Stonington (if you want it). In addition, in Stonington there is a campground with a launch area (The Old Quarry Campground), and there are several hotels. The island area is very scenic. Email me if you need more information.
Spring: South Fork of the Shenandoah/A.Guest State Park to Karo Landing. The wide views of Hogback Mountain and Dicky Ridge from the river are truly spectacular.
Summer: New River/Greenbrier River in West Va Greenbrier/Summer/Raleigh counties area. The deep gorges and Sandstone and Brooks Falls are a sure cure for any heat induced psychosis. And North Anna in the piedmont of Va. narrow runs, good fishing, and overhanging trees give a feeling of seclusion in the middle of the I95 megalopolis. Almost feels like paddling in a church. (see webshots 05 album)
Fall: North Fork of the Doah: New Market to Covered Bridge, or South Fork of the Doah: Alma to WhiteHouse. Tight Gorges, narrow chutes and spectacular color. (Bonus of the NF- at 3.0 to 4.0 on the USGS gage, the north fork float is definitely a fun classII ride) Same for the Potomac between Harpers Ferry and Brunswick, and Brunswick to Point of Rocks, the color and scenery is awesome..ask Big D, he'll tell ya.
Winter... with snow on the ground (but no thick ice) The big pool at Karo landing on the South Fork. Go about half mile upriver and paddle up Floods run on river right...think I may do that on Sunday.
Florida Keys? I can’t beleieve no one mentioned the Florida Keys. I lived in florida before I moved to California and the Keys were always a big favorite. I used to dive there a lot. Its the thing I miss most about Florida
Lake Powell… Lake Powell is beautiful & has spectacular canyon slots to explore. I think the best time to go is late summer or early fall when the traffic drops off. You can day trip, multi-day tour, take a guided tour, or rent a houseboat then travel to the slots you want to explore and day trip from the mother ship.
Outside the US, my favorite place is the Sea of Cortez on the Mexican mainland side. Beautiful warm water in the fall that’s great for paddling, fishing, & snorkeling/diving. San Carlos, Sonora is always where I stay.
The coast of N. Calif Anywhere from San Francisco North. Personally I really like the Mendocino area. Fall has a reputation of having the most benign conditions.
BTW, at some point I realized that I’d gotten old and/or urbanized. I prefer day trips to overnighters. I like adventure during the day but afterwards I like a good burrito and maybe an ice cream cone followed by a walk around town. A soft bed is a also a big plus.
Newfoundland wild, terrific rocky coast, lots of crashing surf but occasionally great inlets for camping, the southeast coast has virtually no people, and etc.
Everglades city fla& SE Alaska The 10000 islands and all the tunnel creeks in this area are great and SE alaska in the summer is spectacular as are the big lakes of the Yukon territory!