There’s nothing rushin’ about this river

The lazy days of summer are straight-ahead and that means it’s prime season for one of Sonoma County’s favorite family adventures, a Huck Finn type of getaway that is neither expensive nor difficult to get to.

The Russian River flows through such famous Wine Country destinations as Geyserville and Healdsburg before it makes its way out to the sea through gentle hills covered with thick redwood forests and teeming with rare birds and other wildlife. About a 10-mile stretch of the river from Forestville to Guerneville is ideal for calm-water canoeing or kayaking and a local company called Burke’s Canoe Trips helps make it even easier by providing canoes, kayaks and a shuttle service that will return you to your car near Forestville.

The Russian River, in this case, is not exactly the “rushin’” river. In fact, the water here is so tame that it’s really not all that good for inner-tubing because in some parts you can’t keep enough forward motion without a lot of paddling. For that reason, canoes and kayaks are ideal.

Once our canoe was packed with a few minimum provisions such as sunscreen and a cooler full of drinks and sandwiches, we set out tentatively from the launch point. Canoes are inherently unstable, at least if you haven’t been around them for awhile, and it took us a few minutes to get comfortable with our balance and to get some confidence we could maneuver properly. Soon we were into a calm stretch of water, barely moving but only requiring a gentle paddle to keep making good forward progress. This was when we really started to take in the natural beauty of the river — the thick forests of giant trees and the continuous ballet performed by the birds of the Russian River such as the great blue heron and osprey. Along the way we would see turtles and deer as well. We also enjoyed paddling by the charming vacation cabins that are perched above the river in many strategic locations along this stretch of the Russian. Spectacular bridges span the river at various points although most of this float was away from the highway, making it feel even more remote than it actually is.

We spent the next four hours or so alternating between negotiating some of the stronger currents — or what you might call very small rapids — and quietly paddling on a beautiful blue-sky spring day. We stopped only for a few minutes to have a sandwich on a spectacular sandy beach, although we’re told most people linger at these beaches to swim, sunbathe and just hang out with their fellow travelers for hours on end.

After mastering maybe a dozen fast-current bottlenecks and with less than a few hundred yards to go to our finish, we were feeling supremely confident that we had regained the canoeing prowess of our youth. And then the unthinkable happened: we flipped. We had run aground in some shallow water and momentarily forgot that you don’t dislodge a canoe by shifting your weight. We were wet, but not really cold, and we did immediately retrieve everything except a wayward paddle that we followed downstream a hundred yards to pick up.

Our pride was wounded. But we did feel better later when the Burke’s Canoe people told us that fully one half of their customers flip at some point along this seemingly calm and idyllic stretch of river.

Nearby accommodations

Back in our car, we now drove the 10 miles back down to Guerneville where we would spend the night. Guerneville is a popular destination for outdoors enthusiasts as well as those who love the charm of colorful small towns. Many visitors drive just a few miles down to Jenner where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean.

We spent the night at the West Sonoma Inn and Spa, a stylish group of buildings at the edge of Guerneville. The innkeepers here have gone the extra mile in providing a lot of extras for guests that often are not found in small-town lodging facilities — plush beds, fireplaces, granite counter tops, wet bars, private decks and mini-kitchens.

A light European breakfast is offered at the West Sonoma Coast Inn that includes gourmet organic coffee, juice, fresh fruit and pastries. Prices at the inn start at less than $100.

For more information on Russian River canoe trips, phone (707) 887-1222 or visit www.burkescanoetrips.com. Burke’s Canoes charges $58 per canoe for use of the canoe, safety gear and pick up on the company shuttle. For more information on the West Sonoma Coast Inn, phone (800)551-1881 or go online to www.westsonomainn.com.