Pops Ten Best Boat Rides In the USAJan 27 '08 (Updated Mar 28 '10) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line There's nothing like seeing the world from the deck of a boat. At many of the destinations I have visited with my wife we discover some kind of way to have a short experience out on a boat. I'll want to share some of the different experiences I have had in hopes you might try one or two yourself. At the same time I would appreciate your sharing your favorite boating experiences with me and others too. Living on the east coast limits my exposure to all the possibilities of boating in North America but here are my ten best boat rides in the USA. The Beast This is an exciting way to see the NY skyline, New York's Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. It's port is on 42nd Street just cross town from the heart of Times Square. here's a blurb of theirs... New York's very own thrill ride. Captains "Mad Dog", "Wild Thing," and "Hurricane Heidi" will take you for a wet n' wild ride through the New York harbor. Hold onto your hats for 30 fun-filled minutes, you'll be soaring past the skyscrapers at a heart-pounding 45 miles-per-hour. It's a rollercoaster, a water ride, and a cruise - all in one! Beast Speedboat Ride in New York includes a stop for a close-up of the Statue of Liberty where you'll have a quick photo-op. It's a pure thrill! I have to agree. My wife and I have done this twice now and each time we loved it. The guys on the boat have fun interacting with the passengers during the full trip. Be prepared, they may be armed with super soaker water guns and/or water balloons. If the boat's spray doesn't soak you, perhaps they will. Going up and down the Hudson River bouncing on the waves of barges, water taxis and other pleasure boats while listening to good ol' Rock and Roll music blasting through the speakers gets everyone pumped up and havin' a ball!! http://www.circleline42.com/index.ihtml?page=packages The Beast A Rowboat Ride In Central Park Central Park is truly a treasure that many people miss when visiting NYC. It has incredible views of lakes and streams, a castle, formal ind informal gardens, horse and carriage rides, two fine restaurants, ice skating in season, two zoos, over twenty playgrounds and two outdoor theaters. There's also Bethesda Terrace Fountain that has been featured in many a NYC film including Godspell, Bullets over Broadway, One Fine Day, Ransom, Tommy Boy, Hair, and two Disney films Angels in America and the recent hit, Enchanted, that used the fountain and a number of other Central Park locations including the lake with the rowboats. Central park also has a Gondola ride for lovers at the Boathouse. Yes, that's correct, one can be serenaded by a gondolier while sitting back enjoying the sounds and views. At the boat house one can also rent rowboats that are inexpensive to take out and give the feeling of being in a lovely country setting while having a view of mountains, the skyscrapers of NYC, in the distance. 10:00 AM TILL DUSK $30 Cash Deposit $10.00 per first hour $2.50 per each additional ¼ hour... It really is unlike anything most have ever experienced. The tranquil waters and rowing under fascinating bridges, along lush green banks and seeing lovely fountains is a way to truly relax and at the same time take in the cities wondrous views. http://www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/sections/boats.htm Central Park Party Boat Fishing Out of Freeport There are a number of boats I have fished from on Long Islands waters including Montauk and Captree but home is Freeport and that's where my heart is too. There is nothing like bringing a cooler with a few cold beers and sandwiches and spending a half day fishing. The captains are always keeping in touch with the rest of the fleet so as to know where the fish are biting. We have made many trips out of Freeport's Nautical Mile and Guy Lombardo Ave. over the years. Whether we catch a boat load or get stiffed there is an odd combination of a relaxation and excitement. The mates have always been excellent in helping out the novice as well as keeping the pros (in their own heads perhaps) happy. Over the years I have gone out on my own, with my wife and also with a buncha guys for a day or night out. We have gone out for Fluke, Flounder over the years both during the day and at night going for Blues. They will also set you up for deep sea fishing getting Tuna, Shark, or Striped bass. Cod fishing is also done in season. http://www.freeportboatmens.com/the_fleet.http FREEPORT'S NAUTICAL MILE Seeing Niagara Falls from the Maid of the Mist Niagara Falls is an awesome sight to see but the best way to feel its power is to take a ride on the Maid of the Mist boats that travel up stream from below the falls and make the way up close to the falls. The boats originate from both the American and Canadian side. I have done the Canadian side. Everyone is issued a blue coloured poncho that is long and protects the upper legs, torso, and the top of the head from getting wet. Your face will get soaked! The boat ride is about a half hour and starts off in relatively tranquil waters and the captain gives some background as to the geology and history of the falls. As the boat nears the Horseshoe Falls of the Canadian side we started to hear the falls as a roar. Everyone was jockeying for the best position for pictures but alas, as the mist builds up there's little to see, except that is your neighbors getting soaked as the winds driven by the power of the falls sends torrents of moister over everyone. It's a blast!! Once the double deck boat turns around all starts to calm down. The best photos are taken a distance from the falls before the mist builds up. I noticed the kids and adults all enjoying this once in a life time experience. We loved it!! http://www.maidofthemist.com/en/ Maid Of the Mist Seeing Whales in Maine While visiting our favorite continental USA destination, Acadia National Park we have taken rides out to see the whales from nearby Bar Harbor. In recent years we have always boarded the Friendship V, Whale Watch, a high speed, jet powered catamaran. It's a beautiful streamlined vessel that was designed specifically for whale watching. There are many good points from which to view the huge mammals from this 112' long and 31' wide boat with two decks. There's are plenty of tables inside that seat six in a heated cabin but it's outside where the action is. This boat is faster than most and leaves later than other whale watch boats but arrives to the whale grounds before the rest. After boarding we set sail taking in the incredible views of the mountains that make up Acadia Park. That's when the fun begins. Once out of the harbor hold onto your hats. The ride is exhilarating! The boat travels near forty miles per hour. That is mighty fast on a boat! We have been blessed on our trips having had some excellent sightings and seeing the whales just a few feet from the boat itself. Because the boat is so fast it can close ground on the spouts seen in the distance and make sightings when the whales come up for air again. We have seen Humpback, Finback, and Minky whales. On a very rare occasion you may sight a Rightwhale, and we did! They guarantee you will see a whale or you get your money back. We saw much more than one or two in the distance. My wife can't wait to go again and it seems we will be going up there again this coming summer. One warning. Check weather for the height of the seas. Because I'm prone to seasickness I never go out on seas higher than three feet. Why pay big dollars only to get sick? As it is I look forward to seeing the whales from the Friendship V again soon. http://www.barharborwhales.com/default.php Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co Sailing the Margaret Todd Also in Maine out of Bar Harbor is the only four masted working the New England waterways in fifty years. This is actually a new vessel having been built in 1998 but it takes one back to a past era when the winds pushed ships quietly through the seas. The 151' long ship is quite picturesque and many people take images of it in the bays as it makes its hour and a half to two our trips three times a day. I love the feeling sitting there taking in the lovely views of Frenchman's Bay and making some wildlife sightings of Ospreys, Bald Eagles, Seals and we have even seen porpoises. Bring binoculars and a camera! The fun of the ship begins with everyone, who would like to, grabbing a line and helping bring up the sails. It's a team effort and after a little work it's relaxing time. I'm always hungry for historic and geographic information and we have been on board with a ranger Naturalist who keeps us informed of that and much more. I have never made the sunset cruise but they say that's a fine one where a musician playing folk music and more with a guitar, banjo or fiddle. We have done the morning and afternoon cruises and loved them. I'll also squeeze in that we also enjoy the naturalist cruises that go out of Bar Harbor on diesel run boats that make there way around the harbor in much faster time. The Margaret Todd stays within the protected waters of the bays so most trips are calm though there may still be a good brisk wind pulling the ship through the waters. http://www.downeastwindjammer.com/MargaretTodd/index.html Rowing the Swamps of South Carolina When my wife and I did a week in Charleston we took a side excursion to Cyprus Gardens in Moncks Corner, SC. It's a treasure that is noted as "one of the most beautiful gardens in America". Though we thoroughly enjoyed the city it was this side trip that was a highlight. What made it so was an hour and a half row in a flat bottom boat with just me and my wife making our way slowly through the swamps filled with cypress and swamp tupelo trees. There was both an eerie feel to the place and also a beauty and serenity that was so different than anything else we ever experienced. It was a very quiet, off season day at the park so we were alone to listen to the sounds of song birds and a woodpecker and at few times complete silence. We felt quite safe in the boat even though we did know that gators were said to inhabit the waters. The boats were stable and we followed a marked trail that led us to some interesting buildings that were said to be part of a movie set. A few popular movies did use this park and swamps for background including "The Patriot", "Notebook", "North and South", "The Yearling" and more and lets not forget the artful, intellectual and high brow "Swamp Thing". My wife and I recall this serene event in our life as one of our favorite moments. I'm glad we didn't opt to have a guide take us out so we could experience this magical and mystical place alone, just the two of us. Cyprus Gardens S.C. Air Boating In the Everglades We have done a few days in the Everglades of Florida. This is quite a diverse area. Outside the park yet still in the Everglades are a number of places where one can take an air-boat ride. That's one of those wooden boats where you sit in the front and a guy high up on a platform steers a huge fan that pushes the flat bottom boat through canals and over surfaces regular boats can't go. We did our trip through a touristy place called the Everglades Alligator Farm. We were able to see much up close and personal including some shows but the moment we all remember was taking the air-boat ride. It started off slow with the operator/guide pointing out turtles and gators. Some come close to the boat looking for a free meal but the operator didn't oblige them. After perhaps fifteen minutes of slow meandering through the canals that surround the grounds of the farm the operator put the pedal to the metal. WOW!! What a sensation as the boat speeds along and then does a series of 360s while still traveling straight ahead. It's a strange and exhilarating feeling. Some of us got soaked by the spray. Everyone was laughing and enjoying the ride. The guys running the boats use the same well-used path every time being careful not to impede in the natural growth of the Everglades. http://www.everglades.com/airboatrides.htm Everglades National Park Riding A River Boat on the Mississippi My wife and I were invited to a wedding in Baton Rouge. We thought we would take advantage of the location and also do New Orleans. At the time it was our first visit there. We have returned including post Katrina. A memorable night in that town was joining a couple of New York friends of ours and hopping aboard the The Steamboat Natchez. This is an old fashioned looking steamer with paddles on the back. We had the perfect position to listen to a Dixieland band for a while. The rest of the time we either stood along the rails taking in the sights of the crescent city and checking out the detail of the boat. We were out for a couple of hours and the night was just right. There was something special about walking the three decks of this portal to another time. http://www.steamboatnatchez.com/ New Orleans Honorable Mentions Canoeing Jordan Pond My wife would have our canoe trips on the Jordan Pond in Acadia national Park as Number one. I suppose that's because we have done it quite often going back to the 1970s. It's also a special place for us having the Jordan Pond House on one end where we have enjoyed tea and popovers on the lawn many times. The view from there of the Bubbles Mountains to the North is serene and gorgeous. Blueberry picking can be done right off the trails that surround the pond. I suppose we have taken more photos of this pond than any other destination in the park, perhaps the world. Jordan Pond House A River Raft Ride through Ausable Chasm Another mention would be the boat ride through Ausable Chasm in upstate NY. The views of the high cliffs in conjunction to riding the rapids gives a special feeling. Ausable Chasm, NY Canoeing the Delaware River and Running Skinners Falls As far as rapids, that's something I would really like to do some day. A trip through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River is a dream I have. I suppose my little trips down Skinners Falls on the Delaware River would pale in comparison but I'm quite happy I had that experience too. The Florida Keys on Pontoon Boat We had an excellent day exploring the shore and islands of the Florida Keys while in a rented Pontoon Boat. What made it extra special was going out to a small reef and snorkeling off the boat. Florida Keys Fast Cat To Dry Tortugas One other particularly memorable boat ride was taking one of those Fast Cats out of Key West Florida and making our way to Dry Tortugas National Park where a fort still stands on a deserted Island. I went on a tour, explored the island and snorkeled the circumference of it. Dry Tortugas National Park As I write this piece other boats trips have come to mind but a number of the ones listed here are among my favorites. There is one that I hope to do this coming week that is another favorite. That's renting a small sailboat off a Caribbean Island and spending a couple of hours out with my wife. There's nothing like the warm sun upon the body as we gently rock and roll our way through the turquoise waters pulled ahead by ocean breezes. I hope you were entertained or at least informed of some interesting, historic and simply relaxing ten best boat rides in America. Please share yours with us.  |
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