On Father's Day, June 16, 2024, we embarked on an unforgettable journey down the Ghost River with a fantastic group of 13 participants!
The tour was a wildlife lover's dream, with sightings of great blue herons, white egrets, numerous cardinals, and prothonotary warblers. We even had the joy of witnessing an osprey nest with mama osprey and her chicks. The Ghost River section lived up to its reputation with its stunning scenery, providing a perfect backdrop for our adventure.
Participants were mesmerized by the breathtaking scenery and thoroughly enjoyed their time immersed in nature. It was a serene and rejuvenating experience.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for this memorable tour. Stay tuned for more exciting adventures with Blues City Kayaks!
#BluesCityKayaks #GhostRiverTour #KayakingAdventure #NatureLovers #OutdoorFun
This past Saturday we had an amazing day on the Hatchie River with 18 participants joining us for a memorable adventure!
For many, it was their first time kayaking on this beautiful river, making the experience even more special. The tour was filled with breathtaking sights, including elusive great blue herons, a fascinating oxbow lake in the making, and a hidden cypress swamp off the main channel.
We were also honored to have guests from the Hatchie River Conservancy (https://www.hatchieriver.org/) and the Wolf River Conservancy (https://www.wolfriver.org/), adding an extra layer of insight and appreciation for the natural beauty and conservation efforts in the area.
The feedback from our participants was overwhelmingly positive. They enjoyed the nice slow current of the river and the cool, refreshing water, making it a perfect summer outing. Many are already looking forward to exploring a different section of the Hatchie River with us on their next adventure!
A big thank you to everyone who joined us and made this tour a success. Stay tuned for more exciting trips with Blues City Kayaks!
#BluesCityKayaks #HatchieRiverTour #KayakingAdventure #NatureLovers #OutdoorFun #HatchieRiverConservancy #WolfRiverConservancy
Yesterday was our first "Destination Unknown" tour and it was to see the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse. We had 8 spots available and they were gone a couple of months ago!
Why "Destination Unknown"? We didn't want to give away the location of a place we felt would be secluded and remote. Our fear was people might overrun the location which could've caused traffic headaches and negatively impacted ecosystems. We're thankful our guests trusted us enough with their solar eclipse experience.
We will likely offer "Destination Unknown" tours as the season progresses. Stay tuned!
Our first official tour of the season was Thursday on the Lost Swamp section of the Wolf River and I don't think we could've asked for a better day. The weather and the river were perfect!
Our 3rd Annual Twas the Hike Before Christmas hike was a ton of fun this morning!
This hike was just over five miles of enjoying nature in the Lucius Burch, Jr. Natural Area at Shelby Farms Park. We were close enough to be connected to the city, but far enough away to disconnect from from the hustle-n-bustle of last.minute shopping.
Today is National Take a Hike Day and we had a couple of people brave the mist and drizzle to celebrate the day with BCK!
#NationalTakeAHikeDay #NationalTakeAHikeDay2023
Our first Introduction to Day Hiking class of the season took place this afternoon, and it was a day to remember! The vibrant Fall foliage painted the landscape with a mesmerizing array of colors, and the Wolf River flowed peacefully alongside the trail.
If you're eager to learn essential hiking skills, including navigation, preparation, and basic first aid (from a certified Wilderness First Aid Instructor), this class is an excellent starting point. Stay tuned for upcoming classes and embark on your hiking adventures!
#Hiking #Memphis #OutdoorAdventures
The Fall colors on the Ghost River were beautiful! We had a great group of paddlers and the day seemed like it went by way too fast!
If you want to catch our last official tour of the season check out our tour next week. Not for the faint of heart but the views will be amazing! The Ghost River section of the Wolf River AND the Lost Swamp section of the Wolf in the same day! You'll see the prettiest scenery the Wolf River has to offer!
Nice relaxing paddle on the Hatchie River today. Mandy got her blue shirt and we saw a beaver, raccoon (in the river), great blue heron, green heron, lots of fish.
Yesterday's tour was one of the most pleasant trips we'd taken on the Hatchie!
The water felt amazing, the current was slow, the scenery was beautiful, the trees were beginning to change colors, and the company...wow!
I hope we can schedule one more Hatchie tour this year!
The 2023 kayaking season is officially underway!
Due to inclement weather over the past few days the Wolf River was at a high level so we had to cancel both tours. Fortunately, Wapanocca Lake is only 20 minutes from Downtown Memphis and makes a great plan B! We spent Saturday morning there with a guest who had never kayaked before and a guest who was celebrating her 21st birthday.
It felt so good introducing people to this sport we love AND introducing them to the breathtakingly beautiful Wapanocca Lake!
Check out events.bluescitykayaks.com for upcoming tours and classes!
Do you know Blues City Kayaks leads team building activity tours? We do! And we've done them for some major corporations in Memphis! But we'll lead them for any size company!
We know most companies are back to in person workdays, but when is the last time your team got together for some fun? We'd like to suggest a tour with some fun activities or a kayaking class for your team.
If you're interested call ANDe at (901) 762-1133 or email [email protected]
We had an amazing day on the Wolf River today. Every time we paddle this river, regardless of the section, we fall more in love with it. Many Memphians don't realize what an absolute treasure we have that runs through our city!
25 miles is a long trip (Collierville, TN to the Mississippi River) and there's a ton of preparation that goes into it. We started prepping about 10 days ago, letting our guests know what to do to prepare and what to bring to help make the day enjoyable. Exercise videos, how to dress, what to bring, and what to expect. Then there's scouting a couple of days before to make sure the river is acting in a way we are comfortable with. And then there's the making sure our gear is in working order: kayaks, paddles, first aid kits, cutting tools, float plan, batteries charged, and so much more. Oh yeah, and waking up at 3:45AM to make sure everything is ready to shuttle at 7AM.
And then there are our friends who help us out. Wolf River Conservancy guides Mike Dawkins and Lee Gallagher met us at the Kennedy Park ramp (half way) with some encouraging words, then drive to the take out point at the Mississippi River for one last scouting trip to let us know what the water and river traffic was like at the take out. Then there was Doug Black and Mary Jackson who met our group at the beginning of the day and the end of the day with encouragement and assistance when taking out. We even had some friends, Michael and Robert, on one of the pedestrian bridges who recognized us and said hello!
ANDe and Paul are just so appreciative of BCK's friends!
All in all today was an amazing day! Our guests and our guides made it the entire way safely and without capsizing. It was fun getting on the Mississippi River if even for a couple hundred feet.
Again, if you've not done the most Memphis thing you've never done you really need to! And we have shorter sections, not just 25 miles! 😉
The mouth of the Wolf River as it flows into the Mississippi River.
Usually the Mississippi River pushes into the Wolf River. Sometimes 2 miles or more. Not right now! See that line of brown water (bottom) and blue water (top)? The brown water is the Wolf River pushing the Mississippi River away. Usually there is very little down river current on the Wolf at this location. As you can see there is plenty of current today!
I said mouth of the Mississippi, I meant mouth of the Wolf River.
