Jay Lloyd's Getaway: Paddling Along the Schuylkill Canal
By Jay Lloyd
PORT PROVIDENCE, Pa. (CBS) -- Want a day away from the heat, on the water, in a pristine setting, with family and friends?
How about a paddle trip along the Schuylkill Canal, just outside of Phoenixville?
Tim King, his wife, and their kids woke up on a recent Saturday morning and made a spur-of-the-moment decision.
"It's a beautiful day, it feels like a great weekend to do something with the family," King recalled. "I said, 'What the heck, let's go canoeing today.' "
So the Kings headed to Port Providence Paddle, on the Schuylkill Canal, 15 minutes from their home, where Christine Klag rents an array of canoes, kayaks, and inflatable tubes.
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Since the Kings hadn't done this before, she suggested an easy route.
"Most people do a five-mile loop that consists of the canal and the river. You start here and you end here," she advises.
Maps are provided for longer and more challenging trips, or you can lazily float downstream on a tube and be picked up by shuttle.
Upon your return, you'll be able to find your way easily to Fitzwater Station, an inviting haven and pub with a breezy outdoor deck overlooking the canal.
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