Over the summer, I learned about micro-adventures by Alastair Humphreys. According to Humphreys, a micro-adventure is an adventure that is short, simple, local, and cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing, and rewarding.
After I thought about it and read some examples, I realized that the majority of our excursions since 2017 have mostly been micro-adventures. So, with this coined term in mind, I want to share our recent micro-adventure at Kickapoo State Park; pedal boating in an elaborate white swan. Of course, we have to make it cute!
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Kickapoo Adventures Lake Rentals
A few weekends back, we decided to head to the Kickapoo State Park and take a ride on the pedal boats. It wasn’t anything that was planned. We were simply riding around eating some delicious caramel popcorn from a local deli and decided that we would go and have some fun since it was such a gorgeous and sunny day out.
Neither of us had been pedal boating this summer, so we were excited to take a few moments, stretch our legs, and get our daughter on the boat. After making the decision, we headed back to the house, made a quick lunch, and headed to the park.
If you have never been to Kickapoo State Park, you should go. It’s lovely. We have spent a considerable amount of time at Kickapoo – mostly camping. Check out our most recent day camping trip to test out an SUV tail tent from Temu.
Character Pedal Boats: The White Swan
Kickapoo has beautiful campgrounds, as well as a variety of rental options for lake activities to suit all ages and interests. From kayaks and tubing to regular paddle boats and character pedal boats, there is something for everyone.
On this occasion, we chose pedal boating with the elegant swan paddle boat which certainly added a touch of whimsy to our adventure. Other characters included a fun yellow duck and a lavender dragon. Next time, we will reserve the dragon!
Arrival and Safety
Upon arrival, we had to check in, sign our waivers, pay, and leave our identification cards at the desk. While adults don’t have to wear their life jackets, children do. The staff ensured everyone’s safety, and we appreciated the attention to detail. The rental fee was $15 for a half-hour, a reasonable price for the enjoyment we experienced – and making this an easy fit for being a micro-adventure.
As we glided across the serene water, the warm sunshine and gentle breeze made the experience even more delightful. Our little one’s eyes wandered around taking in the new sights and sounds.
As we pedaled and chatted, we genuinely cherished the quality time together, watching our daughter’s face light up with joy. As our time came to a close, we pedaled the boat back to the dock where staff was there to help us get it roped down and exit safely.
After our pedal boating adventure, we headed back to the car to find a nice shaded location to enjoy the picnic lunch that we had brought along. It was truly the perfect ending to a wonderful late afternoon.
Final Thoughts
Overall we had a beautiful time on our micro-adventure. If I could change anything, we would have arrived earlier so that we could spend an hour out on the lake. We arrived close to closing and were only able to have half an hour – which was still okay.
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