Hello fellow paddlers,

We here at Adventure High Sea Kayaking hope you are all enjoying your New Year and are having a wonderful winter.  It seems it is getting a bit colder up there in the north.  We say this because both Kevin and Ryan have been down south in Antarctica since November.  We actually did have the chance to come back home for Christmas and New Year’s but have recently flown back down south to the white continent just as the temperatures began to drop.   Kevin spent the month of January exploring South Georgia by kayak and Ryan is also back exploring Antarctica by Kayak.  This was the first time Kevin and Ryan have worked together in the past four seasons in Antarctica.  Working on the Ocean Endeavour, Quark’s newest ship, was a successful challenge and of course many good times were had. 

We do miss our family and friends but are excited about being back down south.  We are also extremely excited about the up coming 2016 summer on Grand Manan Island as we are developing many new programs designed around skill development, adventure and creating passion for the sport for all ages and skill levels.  Epic multi-day trips locally, to remote islands and out of province, skill development programs, a kayak festival run in collaboration with Summer’s End Music Festival, CKNB guide training, and much much more!!!

Please stay tuned to hear more about these exciting new programs.

I am now back from Antarctica, where the adventures were amazing.  Wish you could all be there, as there are not the words to describe what an incredible place it is.   The scenery is awe-inspiring and as beautiful as the pictures are, it doesn’t even begin to capture the beauty of it all.  I’ve heard you all had quite the winter here in Canada and USA, and believe it or not it was colder here than Antarctica, as it is their summer when I am there.  Will be posting a few pictures for you to enjoy and maybe get you thinking about taking a trip of a lifetime down there!  Would love to take you kayaking around the iceburgs and whales.

What’s new at Adventure High?  Quite a bit actually, as many already know we purchased the Compass Rose Heritage Inn on December 31, 2013 – the day I left for Antarctica.  This week was the first time I have had the opportunity to walk through the property as the owner!  Really excited for the 2014 season and all the new things we have planned.  At the Compass Rose we are planning to build a deck on the back of the dining room, overlooking the harbor, which will give guests another place to relax and enjoy the view.  We will be doing more landscaping on the water side of the property to give an even better view of the water.  There are lots of plans in the works, but timing is everything, so will do as much as we can before the summer and then look at doing more in the fall.  One thing we will be doing soon is upgrading the parking area, giving more spaces for our guests and the dining room.
This summer we will have the dining room open 7 nights a week.  Last year we only opened 3 nights a week, but from the feedback that we received it looks like it was a success, so we are going all out.  We offer a lobster dinner that was very popular.  From one guest who travels all over the province, declared it was the best she ever had!!

Easter weekend will be our official opening date for room rentals, so looking forward to another great season and meeting lots of new folks and hopefully returning guests.  We met so many wonderful people last year and know that we will meet many more.

Our cabins, Nature’s Window and Post Office are now open and ready for the season.  Its great that we now have accommodations to meet everyone’s needs.  Whether it be a private retreat in the woods, a cabin for families or B&B for shorter stays.

We still offer all our day trips for kayaking, along with multi-day kayaking trips.  Our newest addition is the “Grand Manan Experience”.  This is a four night trip, which is the first and last night staying at the Compass Rose, including dinner.  Nights two and three are spent camping on one of the outer islands and 3 days kayaking.  This is a combination of luxury and camping at its finest.

Adventure High is also partnering with Outward Bound and have several trips scheduled to run this summer.  I love how the company is growing and the direction it is going.  Several of the programs we are working on in conjunction with Outward Bound revolve around children – celebrating life and overcoming obstacles.  Very excited and proud to be involved in such noble pursuits!

We have just incorporated a new reservation system, which allows you to book either kayaking or accommodations on-line if you wish.  However, you can still call or email us and reserve that way as well.  Please give us your feedback on the reservation system, as well as our website.  We are always looking for ways to improve and to do that we need your input!

The summer paddling season is here!

The 2012-2013 Antarctic season has come and gone, with many good times had on ice. Kevin returned once again to share his love for paddling the southern ocean. Ryan also traveled to Antarctica this past winter to guide sea kayak trips off the fly-in cruise packages. You didn’t even need to brave the Drake Passage to join him for some of the most fantastic kayaking around. We also had the opportunity to work with a new wellness guide down south, and recruit her as an assistant kayaking guide for the summer season on Grand-Manan. It wasn’t too difficult to convince Sarah to take a break from the summer heat of her home, Montreal. Sarah came for a canoe trip around the islands of Grand-Manan on her vacation last year, so she was eager to come back for more Fundy fun.

The 2013 summer season has been building steadily. When we’ve been really busy with kayak trips, we’ve been lucky to be able to depend on Susan and Linda’s brother Perry for an extra hand. Their knowledge and enthusiasm is always a treat to have along for the trip. Mark our long-time guide, has also been back this summer help out. You always learn something new paddling with Mark, who’s been with us for 20 Years now!

Our newest venture has been running the Compass Rose Heritage Inn, which has kept us very, very, very busy! Linda has been serving delicious continental breakfasts to guests every morning in the beautiful dinning room. You don’t have to stay at the Compass Rose to enjoy a meal with fabulous ocean views either. We’re serving fresh lobster dinners every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, at 5:30 and 7:30. Dinner begins with a homemade soup, and the lobster comes with three sides – so make sure you bring your appetite! Linda is enjoying serving, and her son is wowing customers with his excellent waitering.

We still have availability at Nature’s Window and the Post-Office this summer, if you’re interested in cabin rentals.  The stunning views of the western cliffs, and Seal Cove from each of the cottages respectively continue to keep our guests endlessly entertained. Of course there are entertainment systems in each unit, but the Bay of Fundy is pretty hard to beat.