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Locals expand their horizons on far-away waterways with the help of TVCC and Choo Choo Diving
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Find out more about upcoming trips at tvccpaddler.com and choochoodive.com. *While Choo Choo Diving will take any local on most trips, regardless of diving certification, TVCC typically only takes experienced paddlers on overnight trips. If you’d like to get some practice in, the club routinely holds a paddling school over Memorial Day weekend, focusing on whitewater, flatwater and canoe paddling. It’s a great way to increase your paddling knowledge and get plugged in with the club, says Rand.
Buffalo River in Arkansas with TVCC
June 11-19This scenic river features gorgeous bluff views, waterfalls, wildlife and more. The group plans to do lots of paddling, camping, fishing and relaxing.St. Croix River in Wisconsin with TVCCJuly 24-July 30TVCC will spend a week on this clean-water river in Wisconsin, complete with fishing, camping, hiking and exploring historic towns.Roatan Island with Choo Choo DivingJuly 16-23This trip will be heaven for divers, with its crystal-clear waters and legendary dive sites. Add kayaking, dolphin encounters, exploration of Mayan ruins and more, and you’ve got one great trip.Socorro Islands with Choo Choo Diving Nov. 30-Dec. 9This trip is for advanced divers and thrill seekers. These islands are well-known for Giant Pacific manta ray sightings, and travelers will spend eight days and nights aboard the Rocio Del Mar, a boat that’s custom built for divers.
The water is muddy in the San Juan River, says Carolyn Rand. The murky hue of the winding waterway nearly matches the reddish-brown walls of the canyons that tower above it.
As cruise master, Rand traversed the scenic San Juan, which flows through Utah and New Mexico, along with several other paddlers from the Tennessee Valley Canoe Club last summer. They spent their days gliding through the red water, stopping off on banks to get a closer look at the ancient petroglyph panels in Butler Wash, to explore the ruins of the pueblo-style cliff dwellings and to camp for the night.
Rand admits with a laugh that she wasn’t a fan of all the sand and mud – they had to wait for the muddy water to settle in their canteens before they could begin filtering it – though the kids on the trip didn’t seem to mind it. They splashed around until bedtime, at which point they’d crawl straight into their sleeping bags for the night.