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The twelve of us arrive at Charles River Canoe and Kayak in Cambridge's Kendall Square, eager to hit the water and begin our paddling
adventure. We start by equipping ourselves with the necessitites, like life jackets and fashionable shades.
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Down at the Broad Canal dock, a whole fleet of brightly colored kayaks await us. We pair up into six 2-person kayaks and are soon
paddling down the canal in the shadows of tall buildings, headed toward the Charles River just beyond the underpasses.
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Karen, our awesome guide, paddles down the canal past Lauren, as Donovan and Rose
make their way forward. Karen was an endless source of historical facts about the river that amazed us all.
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Soon we hit the open water of the Charles! Alana and Joanna paddle across the river toward Mass General Hospital on the opposite bank.
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The rest of us follow suit. Rose admires the lovely scenery as Lauren and Anika paddle
toward the Longfellow Bridge.
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We get an up-close view of the Longfellow Bridge restoration project.
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Beyond the bridge, Joanna and Alana pass the Union Boat Club's boathouse on the Esplanade.
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We paddle up the Espalande, and Kristen says hello to the ducks who were out there paddling too.
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Rose and Donovan glide along the Esplanade, while Celine and Joanna are all smiles!
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Back out on the Charles we're met by choppy waters and a stiff wind. Paddling takes a lot more effort as we make our way back down
to the Longfellow Bridge.
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Further downstream, Marika and Kristen muscle their way past the Charlesgate Yacht Club
as we approach the Museum of Science.
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A sea of paddles adorns the river ahead of the Zakim Bridge as we prepare to reverse
direction and head back upstream.
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We make a nice little detour through North Point Park on our way back up the river.
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