Getaways & Day Trips Guide › Getaways: The Great Outdoors

Grand Experiences Canoe and Kayak Outfitter

113 Grand River St. N. • View on map »
Paris
519-442-3654 • 888-258-0441

Operating on the Grand River near Brantford, Grand Experiences offers some interesting trips. The two-hour Moonlight Paddle presents the unusual option of exploring the river south of Paris at night; in the evening, a 12-person, 25-foot voyageur canoe (or any combination of individual canoes and kayaks) is launched downriver. A blue heron waits onshore, ready to catch one of the river’s 85 species of fish. The route winds through old Carolinian forests and past abandoned mines (the town got its name from plaster of paris, extracted from gypsum mines). Hungry canoeists can fortify themselves with a meal at Roberts’ (519-442-5500), a casual fine dining restaurant where the menu may include smoked salmon, warm wild mushroom salad, and Asian shrimp salad. The Moonlight Paddle package includes an overnight stay at the Country Manor Bed & Breakfast (519-442-6551), a spacious, modern home with English gardens and decor.

Driving Time:: one hour and 45 min.
When:: Moonlight Paddle May to Oct.; other canoe and kayak trips vary.
How Much:: Moonlight Paddle from $120 per person (includes equipment, bed and breakfast).