effervescentsunshine
Oct 2020
Signed up for this tour with another couple for Oct 10th. The weather was perfect & the water pleasantly cool.
Our tour self-guided tour started at noon. We ran into trouble driving up from Phoenix, though. 2 crashes on the I-17 made us 30mins late and Sedona Adventure Tours was very understanding & we were able to kayak without any issue. We received a text the night before from one of the shuttle drivers letting us know where to park & to kindly tip the driver as they make a living off of gratuities. It was nice to have this contact as I was able to text about our later arrival.
Plan to wear water shoes or old sneakers that you don’t mind getting wet. Bring an outfit to change into after kayaking along with a beach towel. There are port-a-potties available near the parking lot or you can walk ~1/2 mile to the winery and use those before you get on the shuttle.
Our driver whizzed us up to the drop point, gave us some pointers on getting in/out of kayak and told us how to make our way down to the end point. The kayak is an inflatable one that is sturdy and comfortable as well as stable. You might see turtles, river otters, beavers & various birds as you meander down this gorgeous stretch of the Verde River. I packed my phone in a fanny pack & it stayed nice & dry. Also brought along a water bottle.
We took our time navigating the river, stopping to float, soak up the sun & listen to nature. It was so relaxing!