When you set out to kayak the historic Haw River it's hard to suppress speculative thoughts about…read moreyour adventure and wonder how it will all turn out. This was on our minds as my wife and I drove past an "entering Alamance County" road sign on our way to the Haw River Canoe & Kayak Company at Saxapahaw, North Carolina. A leisurely drive along Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road parallels the Haw and suggests a hint of our forthcoming adventure. A tough bridge built for hard times stands over massive, craggy, dark gray rocks, chiseled into the river bottom by the waters bonding the town of Saxapahaw to the earth and the history of this area. On arrival, we could see paddlers struggling to sandwich their watercraft among the rocks around the Saxapahaw bridge. But we never foresaw when we left here, our memories would bear an indelible imprint of this place as "Aramanche" -- a place where Native Americans saw water flow through blue clay. One reason to rent a Kayak here is to unplug yourself from the present and reconnect with the past. In fact, the owner and his staff will tell you his fondest wish is for customers is to "unplug and reconnect." When you cast your eyes out over the Haw as you paddle a kayak, you'll see tranquil and rapid running waters, deep cuts into riverbanks and tree lines, and evidence of the dominating torrential waters that have run for millennia along this 110-mile river down to the Cape Fear basin near the Atlantic coast. The geological history of this place is violent. But there's more. There's tons of history and culture to absorb. Generations of native Americans and later, European colonists, are bound up in the history of this river. Native Americans ran The Great Trading Path that ran from Chester County, PA, along the Shenandoah Mountains roughly to where I-81 and route 220 meet near Danville, Virginia, today. From there, settlers found their way into North Carolina along the Haw. Why Go? If you're interested in American history, you'll visit to have fun and to bask vicariously in the river that was once part of the Underground Railroad. Along this river, Quakers would shepherd slaves from house-to-house, across the Ohio River, and into the free territories in the west. If you're a history buffwith an archaeological bent, you'll visit the Haw to find that blue-gray clay the Siouan Indians used as body paint. It was found in Saxapahaw, and the Indians called this clay "Aramanche", meaning, a place where "water flows through blue clay" in Eastern Siouan. If you're interested in seismology, you'll be curious about the natural fault line running from this area down to Charleston, S.C., that triggered the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. You can see this line on the surface under a little bridge in the nearby village of Glencoe, N.C., along Highway 62. If you enjoy riding the rapids as a Kayaker, you'll need to sign up for a class-III white-water adventure. The fault line that runs from Glencoe down toward the Cape Fear river basin features sharp drop-offs triggering the rapid waters adrenaline junkies crave. A guided tour along the Haw lasts about 3-hours. Go, unplug, reconnect with American history and, enjoy!

we were booked on Thursday @11 am. we were an hour away and it was raining. called the number…read moreposted online twice but couldn't get a hold of anyone when we called. left a VM. but no call back. we drove the hour and nobody was there. A couple of minutes later a nice young lady showed up. we agreed the weather was so bad the paddle could not go ahead. it is disappointing we had to drive 2 hours (there and back) for nothing when if someone had been proactive to contact us to say let's cancel. they need to monitor phone calls etc. or have a way to get in contact. We went back the next day when the weather was perfect. Lovely 3 mile paddle. Remember, you have to walk 1/4 mile trail to the launch with all your stuff including the paddles and walk back When done. There was nobody there to meet us on our return but no big deal I guess. They share the bathrooms with the business upstair. Very basic.

We enjoyed kayaking down the river on a beautiful August day…read more I went with a group of friends and we all had fun. The experience was easy- registration, payment and wavier sign was all done online. We arrived, checked in, and were promptly kayaking. We visited during corona- so masks while checking in and during the safely brief. If using their transport they also ask you to wear a mask on the bus. Fun, outdoor company and activities.

We did a family canoeing trip for an hour at Cape Fear River Adventures and it was nice. The…read morescenery was nothing exciting and it was full sun the whole time, but our daughter enjoyed the experience. I think tubing would be a little more exciting. Everything was very organized and well run. The grounds are nice too; there's some chairs to sit, relax, and watch the river while the kids play.

Kayak back support was terrible and not working. It was a very unpleasant experience.read more

We rented two paddle boards and had a not-so-great experience. We had no issues making the…read morereservations, finding the location, and opening the lockers. Unfortunately our lockers were missing key parts, including fins, ankle straps, and paddles. We contacted the support number, and someone responded quickly. He gave us codes to spare equipment lockers, but we had to go into 3 different lockers to piece together all the parts we needed. The main issue was the paddles. They have 2-3 parts that snap together, and most of the parts in the spare lockers were not compatible with each other. We spent 40 minutes trying to cobble together pieces to make two usable paddles. In the end, the guy extended our reservation for an hour, which was nice. On the water, we had no issues with the boards. One major point to note: the website says (in multiple places) that the pumps are electric. They are NOT. They are hand pumps. I don't think we'll rent from here again.

I finally got the chance to paddle with Knee Deep Adventures yesterday and it was absolutely…read moreincredible. We took a relaxing paddle down the Tar River and it was obvious how experienced Kelsey was. She spent time explaining what we were seeing, where we were, and different trips that they offer to see additional wildlife and locations. I will definitely be paddling with them again soon!

Great company!!!! Whether you're going out on your own or doing a guided tour, I HIGHLY recommend…read moreKnee Deep Adventures. We have been paddling with them for a couple of years now and love it! They make your experience super smooth by meeting you at the launch point, helping you get on your way, and meeting you at your end point. They will tell you all you need to know before you set off. If you do a guided tour, they are extremely knowledgeable about the area and wildlife that you may see along the way. 10 out of 10!

Rented a bike to transport to Mt. Airy, NC to ride the Granite City Greenway. They were most…read moreaccommodating. I had intended to rent an e-bike but they were concerned that my bike rack was not certified to carry the weight of the ebike. They did a search for my rack but could not find it and we agreed we would just rent a regular pedal bike. I appreciate their concern and ability to accommodate my change in bike rentals. Staff is most helpful and very friendly.

I can't say enough about how much fun our family had on our Triad Trolleys ride! Our family…read morerecently booked a trolley ride to transport us to Spencer NC's train museum for the Polar Express experience. We loaded up our whole family of 13, including 5 toddlers and we had a BLAST! The Trolley has been beautifully restored and incredibly comfortable. The owner, Hal, made sure we had a smooth and fun ride, playing Christmas music and making sure we were all having a fun time. He spent time with the kids showing them how different parts of the trolley worked and let them ring the bell. The excitement of riding the trolley honestly was as much fun if not more fun than the actual train ride to follow. We had such a wonderful time that we hired them again to take our family through Tanglewood's festival of lights. I can't imagine us going through the light show in any other way. Hal made sure to point out all of the displays that he knew the kids would enjoy. He also knew a great deal about the history of Tanglewood and shared a ton of interesting facts about how the park has changed over the years. The memories create on both of these rides will be cherished by our entire family and so happy we made the decision to go with Triad Trolleys! If you are looking for a fun way of exploring the Triad area or simply for a fun night out, I cannot begin to recommend enough renting one of their trolleys for your adventure! We will be using their services again and again!