I’ve lived in Charlottetown for 23 years, but I’ve never seen Charlottetown Harbour in a kayak. Until this morning.

With a free morning today, a morning pleasantly cool and free of wind, Oliver and I headed down to Paddles PEI at the Charlottetown Yacht Club and rented a double kayak for an hour for $35. It came with life jackets, paddles, and friendly service. We entered the kayak from an easy-access dock with rollers on it; we didn’t even need to get wet.

Over our hour on the water we paddled out of the Yacht Club and west toward Victoria Park, staying close to shore. We explored the basic in front of Government House, then paddled back around the old Coast Guard Wharf to check out the Charlottetown Tide Station from the water. Exiting and entering through the Yacht Club gave us a chance to see the three super-yachts (think “boats that carry their own jet skis”) up close.

It was a terrific way to spend a summer morning, and I recommend it to anyone.