I’ve lived in the Washington area for the last three months and after getting over a fear of something eating me in the Pamlico River, I decided it was time to take a kayak trip.

It was definitely worth the two hours, my tandem kayak partner, Mallory Kerr, and I got to spend on the river, and on Castle Island with the Wine and Cheese Paddle group.

Though I grew up around water, with Lake Michigan just a stone’s throw away. I had never been kayaking. My only formal paddling experiences were two whitewater rafting adventures I had on family vacations as a teenager.

This is something I recommend to anybody in Washington: take advantage of the water and get out on the Pamlico-Tar River. There are several opportunities for people to get on the river without breaking the bank.

Different organizations in the area offer free trips or a small charge for trips on the river. There are opportunities there for the residents of Washington to take, whether it’s a guided tour or a kayak/paddle trip.

Since I am still new to the area, I also wanted to get out and meet people. The Wine and Cheese Paddle was the perfect opportunity to do that. It served multiple purposes: experiencing something that I’ve never done and get the chance to meet new people.

My experience is that people in Washington are friendly, and the people on the trip continued to prove that. As soon as we got on the river people were asking us questions and talking to us like we had known them for the last 10 years.

The experienced kayakers gave us pointers on how to maneuver the kayak, along with laughing at us as we bobbed and weaved our way to Castle Island. Part of the fun was to experience something new along with having fun.

I would highly recommend going on a kayak trip and paddle on our beautiful river. It is very peaceful and relaxing way to get out on the water and enjoy nature’s beauty.