Friday, September 07, 2007
Exploring America’s Original Highways posted by Wiley Russell Jr
To launch my blog, I thought I’d post an article I wrote for the September/October issue of Ride magazine about a recent PWC trip I took on the Alabama River.
You’ve upgraded your old 2-stroke for one of the new reliable 4-strokes, and you’ve used it almost every weekend since. By now, you’ve explored nearly every waterway around. We’ve got the answer—Book a trip with AWA Corporate Sponsor Discovery River Tours for quality long-distance guided PWC tours on some of America’s most scenic and historic rivers.
These all inclusive PWC adventure tours will increase your love for your watercraft and remind you why you bought it in the first place: The sheer joy of riding while exploring places where many boaters do not go.
Owners Sam Thomas and Vicki Williams are no strangers to the motorsports community. Since 1993, they have been personally guiding these unique “trips of a lifetime.”
Their exclusive river tours extend through Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi, and range from 310 miles to 750 miles. All covered within two to five days of riding. Think about it, some people never ride that much in one season!
Recently I had the opportunity to experience their Alabama River Run. This three-day, 460-mile, round-trip ride kicked off from Roland Cooper State Park in Camden, Ala., and proceeded 190 miles down the Alabama River through Miller’s Ferry Lock and Claiborne Lock to the Mobile River and on to the city of Mobile.
As the proclaimed birthplace of the Mardi Gras, Mobile began as the capital of Colonial French Louisiana in 1702. In the historic district of downtown Mobile, you see the influence of French architecture everywhere. We experienced it first-hand with a two-night stay at the historic Malaga Inn, which originally was two town houses built by brothers-in-law in 1862 and later converted into the inn. With a fabulous meal at the inn and a taste of Mobile’s nightlife on Dauphin Street, I was ready to ride.
Day two was all about exploring the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. With the expert guidance of Sam and his pick-up rider, Jeff Whelan, we navigated about 80 miles of confusing patchwork of back creeks, bayous and narrow canals, some no wider than a car. Although this area is beautiful, it is also home to hundreds of alligators and poisonous snakes. But that’s all part of the adventure, right?
That afternoon, the Discovery River Tours’ dedicated land crew of Vicki Williams and Cindi Holland prepared a filling riverside lunch for the group, as they had the day before. That quenched our appetites as well as refilled our PWC with fuel.
After a well-deserved nap, the Alabama River Run gang departed the Malaga Inn for a short stroll to a Gulf Coast tradition, Wintzell’s Oyster House, for one of the best seafood dinners I have ever experienced. The conversation quickly turned to the day’s events, the disappointment of the trip ending, and the return home. With so many river miles already under our belts, the 190-mile journey back up the Mobile and Alabama Rivers just didn’t seem like enough.
As with all memorable trips, you’re already looking forward to the next one even before the one you’re on is over. I’ve done some great rides in some beautiful places, but I can honestly say my experience with Discovery River Tours tops them all. Now the hard part will be deciding which tour to take next. Will it be Apalach River Run to the Gulf or the new Cape Fear River Trip or maybe the Okee-Kissimmee Lake and River Tour? And these are only some of the choices.
If you’re interested in a Discovery River Tour, contact them at (770) 493-1PWC (1792), email or check out their Web site, www.pwctours.com.
