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Other stories in "Paddling"

• Chasing the Kickapoo
  In southwest Wisconsin, a looping river plays peekaboo.
• Trying kayaking
  Think the sport looks cool? It's easy to get your feet wet.
• 15 great rivers for paddling
  On a fine day, go sightseeing in a canoe or kayak.
• Paddling the Chicago River
  After years of neglect, this urban waterway has become a place to play.
• Minnesota's Boundary Waters
  For canoeists, this vast wilderness is the promised land.
• Crazy about kayaks
  At a Madison paddle sports expo, women dream about having a boat of their own.
• Whitewater 101
  On the Wolf River in northeast Wisconsin, novice kayakers learn the moves at Bear Paw resort.
• Kayaking the Rossport Islands
  Off Ontario's Superior coast, a lighthouse is an irresistible destination.
• Kayaking the Apostles
  The wild 21-island archipelago around Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula is the preserve of paddlers.
• A spin on the Kinni
  From friendly River Falls, it's a wild ride on water, then roads.
• Floating Missouri
  Streams and springs beg to be explored in the down-home Ozarks.
• Paddling the Bois Brule
  In northwest Wisconsin, a cherished stream is no lazy float.

Kayak klatch

Paddle festivals on the western Great Lakes are good places to mingle and learn.

If you're interested in sea kayaking and ready to jump in, kayaking festivals are a good place to improve skills and meet other kayakers. Programs include classes, seminars, demos, on-water tours and, often, races.

Sign up as early as possible for the best selection of classes and tours. Youths get discounts. Below are the best festivals in 2010.

June 18-20, Rossport Islands Kayak Symposium in Rossport, Ont.See the new Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, part of Parks Canada, the largest freshwater conservation area in the world. Classes are based at nearby Rainbow Falls Provincial Park. 800-203-9092.

June 18-20, Washington Island Canoe & Kayak Event at the tip of Wisconsin's Door County. This festival includes a 22-mile race around the island, plus beginner's and intermediate races, workshops and a Sunday group expedition across the 4½-mile Death's Door to the mainland. 877-942-5737.

July 9-11, Door County Sea Kayak Symposium near Ellison Bay, Wis. This big festival, sponsored by Rutabaga in Madison, is based at the Rowleys Bay Resort on the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula. Passes  include some meals. 800-472-3353.

July 15-18, Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium in Grand Marais, Mich. This symposium, the oldest on the Great Lakes, will be held on the eastern edge of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, with a presentation by Freya Hoffmeister.

Aug. 6-8, Two Harbors Kayak Festival in Two Harbors, Minn. Clinics and tours are a la carte at this family-oriented festival on Lake Superior. People who just want to watch, swim and try out kayaks pay a small fee. There's a Saturday night dinner catered by Betty's Pies. 218-525-9806.

Aug. 12-15, Ladies of the Lake Kayak Symposium in Marquette, Mich. This festival for women, sponsored by Down Wind Sports in Houghton, includes instructional courses,clinics, programs and tours. 906-482-2500.

June 2011, Inland Sea Society Kayak Symposium on Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula.  This Washburn-based festival features paddle tours of the Apostles, lessons, seminars and evening presentations. 715-682-8188.

Last updated on August 13, 2010