David kayaking on St. Mary River in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
We’ve driven “around” Chicago a number of times, but never continued on to explore the neighboring state, Indiana.
This time, though, on our fall foliage tour, we planned a stop in Fort Wayne, Indiana, taking advantage of Don Hall’s Guesthouse Hotel Adventure package to explore this historic city.
The Guesthouse was perfect for us–a few turns off the Interstate and we were parked. Hurray! As head navigator I love easy stops.
The adventure package we had also took care of all the details. Two nights accommodations (and very comfy ones at that!), dinners and breakfasts, along with the main attraction–for me anyway–kayaking on the urban rivers of Fort Wayne. (Guests can also choose bicycles to enjoy the many bike paths along the rivers instead of kayaks)
David, however, hadn’t ever been kayaking, so this was a new experience for him.
Kayaking under the historic truss bridge over the St. Mary River in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
While I’d been expecting low water levels, recent rains had raised the level to over our heads, which, since I didn’t plan to get out of the kayak weren’t really an issue.
The shuttle to downtown Fort Wayne was included in the adventure package, so we got to leave our Caddy parked for a whole day. Nice break!
An early morning fog that stuck around until mid-morning kept us in the hotel until 11, but then it was time to get going. In fact, it didn’t take long to get to the predicted 75 degrees once the fog cleared, but by then we were on the river, floating with the gentle current.
Urban kayaking was awesome! While I’ve been hooked on paddling for a number of years, it was David’s initiation into this non-motorized sport. Surprise–he enjoyed it!
Unfortunately for us, we were somewhat ahead of the fall foliage in Fort Wayne, so the greenery along the river (rivers actually as there are three running through the city) really was green, with just a few golden trees tucked along the banks.
Historic buildings in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Of course, once kayaking was done we had to explore the rest of this historic city–with dozens of buildings on the National Historic Register, it’s well worth walking around the city for a few hours to explore them.
And then, well, a good pub, or saloon, makes for a perfect stop before calling for a shuttle pickup. We found an awesome spot on historic Columbia Street, the principal business street of Fort Wayne for a century back in the 1800s–the Red Rok BBQ and Bourbon Saloon. Like them on Facebook!
David tried out one of the 50 fine bourbons (Angel’s Envy–which he said was very smooth), along with the prime rib (amazing flavor with the unique smoking and bbq), while I tried the Brunswick stew, also very tasty, with a mug of draft.
Then, it was back to the Guesthouse for a leisurely drink in the lounge.
Fort Wayne Outfitters – Don Hall’s Cass Street Depot in the old train station – Pick up your kayak or bicycle for your urban adventure in Fort Wayne!
A day doesn’t get any better than our Don Hall’s Guesthouse Adventure in Fort Wayne, Indiana!
Visit Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Try one of the packages at Don Hall’s Guesthouse – ours was the Adventure package – http://www.donhallsguesthouse.com/
- Check out the Red Rok BBQ and Bourbon Saloon in downtown Fort Wayne – https://www.facebook.com/redrokbbq
Our thanks to Visit Fort Wayne and Don Hall’s Guesthouse for their hosting on our visit!