One activity we’ve missed while on our travel nurse adventure is kayaking. For almost 10 years, we enjoyed the freedom of individual kayaks and said we would never get a tandem. We had no trouble transporting our kayaks in the back of the truck and driving to nearby lakes and rivers. On trips to local campgrounds, they rode strapped to the roof of the truck. With our previous RV, we took them on longer trips.
When we started this adventure in October 2017, our kayaks stayed in the garage. We planned to take them with us to Iowa and loaded them on the top of the truck before we left for Keokuk in May. However, we changed our minds when we realized the restrictions they placed on our short-bed truck’s turning radius.
Sea Eagle Inflatable Kayak
After some research and discussion, we sold the kayaks on our next trip home and planned to order an inflatable kayak when we arrived in South Dakota. At first, we were hesitant to switch from individual kayaks to a tandem; however, it made the most sense for our life on the road.
We decided on the Sea Eagle 465 3-person kayak and placed our order after arriving at our site in Sioux Falls. Unfortunately, the shipping was not as fast as we had hoped, and it arrived the morning of our grandson’s last full day in Sioux Falls. As explained in Exploring Sioux Falls with our Grandson, Trey’s float trip was cut very short. However, Trey and I had fun opening the box, putting the paddles together, and inflating the seats.
Kayaking Destinations
Kayaking is a popular sport in the Sioux Falls area. With Skunk Creek, the Big Sioux River, and nearby Lakes Vermilion and Alvin, there are several opportunities to rent kayaks and enjoy a leisurely afternoon float.
Lake Alvin
On the first Saturday of August, Andy and I took our Sea Eagle to Lake Alvin. This local lake is a designated no-wake zone and a good place to practice paddling a new kayak. We paddled the entire lake, from end to end, and felt very comfortable by the time we left. The sky was overcast, and we took no pictures.
The Big Sioux River
On a warm Saturday in mid-August, we drove to the portage at nearby Legacy Park. After inflating our seats and kayak, we began our float down Skunk Creek to the confluence with the Big Sioux River. Earlier that morning, we had left our Subaru in a downtown parking lot near our take-out point, upstream from Falls Park.
The bike trail runs parallel to Skunk Creek and the Big Sioux. When cyclists could see us, they waved from the trail. About two miles into our float, we reached the confluence of the Big Sioux River and began seeing other kayaks on the river.
There are parks along most of the riverbanks, with several places to stop along the way. It was fun floating past places we had explored while on the bike trail or with our dogs.
We saw this plane in the woods north of Tuthill Park. Unfortunately, we were not able to locate any information about it. We’re hoping one of our readers may have information.
We floated under several bridges as we journeyed down the Big Sioux.
After several hours, we saw downtown in the distance.
Andy captured a picture of the rail bridge after we passed under it.
Soon we were downtown, floating past the office buildings, hotels, and restaurants. We also floated past one of the stages for the Downtown River Fest.
Lake Vermillion
While I was in Kansas City at the end of August for our granddaughter’s surgery, Andy took the kayak to Lake Vermillion. Our next opportunity to kayak together was on Andy’s birthday, September 15.
We decided to return to Lake Vermillion and explore the upper tributary, also known as Vermillion Creek. With the wind helping us, we paddled against the slow-moving current.
We explored several branches off the main flow. This one quickly became shallow and smelly. Not my favorite part of the float!
There was a flock of swallows ahead of us, diving into the water to feed on water bugs. Unfortunately, they were too fast for the camera.
The creek narrowed as we traveled farther upstream. Tall grasses grew along the banks.
We weren’t in a hurry and took our time. There was no one else on the water, and we enjoyed listening to the sounds of nature. There were no road noises or other human voices.
Ahead of us, we saw the Hawk Drive Bridge and decided to pull up under it to take a break from the sun. Under the bridge, we spotted rows of swallow nests.
While enjoying a snack and relaxing in the shade, we were suddenly in a dust cloud as a truck drove over the bridge. In a few minutes, we heard voices and saw people dragging kayaks down the bank in front of the bridge. We stayed in the shade and watched them launch and float downstream.
After they were out of sight, we packed away our food, picked up our paddles, and started back downstream to our truck.
Peggy Staver, the author of this blog, is a freelance writer specializing in outdoor recreation and hospitality. You can contact her at peggystaver.com. Photos were taken by Photography by Andreas. Visit his portfolio here.
If you would like to subscribe to our blog, please complete the form below.