Rebecca Hardy and Seth Irwin were lounging in the shade, enjoying a pair of the adirondack chairs placed strategically around the Ayers Creek Adventures property. A couple, Peter and Linda Hutchinson, already was out on the creek. The next school tour wouldn’t arrive for another few hours, so there were some minutes of quiet to enjoy. And I cannot impress upon you enough the depth of the quiet that can be found less than 200 yards from Assateague Road.
Ayers Creek Adventures is entering its 8th season and each year, so far, has been better than the last for owners Suzy and Steven Taylor. When they started the business, it was just the two of them taking tours out on the creek, renting people kayaks, and designing excursions. Over the last several years, a combination of return guests with positive experiences and the people who they’ve told, has helped sustain and grow the business.
New digs on old land
Steven has been fixing up the different aspects of the property bit by bit over the years, making the entire place more efficient and welcoming. The most recent addition is a converted chicken house. It acts as the retail counter as well as a canoe and kayak display area. Ayers Creek Adventures sits on Steven’s family property. As with so many of the other places on the Eastern Shore, it used to be a farm. The early 20th century chicken house required significant restoration.
You still can see the age on some of the original beams, but it is rustic without being run down. Up against the wall you’ll find rows and rows of kayaks and canoes on mobile racks Steven built to make the storing and toting the boats easier. There also is plenty of private space in some of the other sections of the building for changing.
The best way to launch a kayak
Ayers Creek Adventures was among the first in the area to put a Yak-A-Launcher to work. It’s an apparatus that floats in the shallows to help people who might otherwise have trouble getting into and out of kayaks. The launcher looks a bit like an upside down goal post on floats. You stand on the floats, holds the center bar and then ease into the vessel. From there it’s just a mild push off to start an adventure. When you return to the mainland, maneuver the kayak back through the upside down uprights, pull yourself up and step out onto the dock. It’s a piece of cake.
Spectacular views before you even get started
Ayers Creek Adventures offer sunrise, sunset and moonlight paddle tours as well as tours of the salt marsh, and forested wetlands. And those are just the basics. Of course you are free to rent a kayak and explore for yourself or have a paddle tour customized for your group. Kayak excursions are great for youth trips, team building, or just having a bunch of friends get together.
Suzy said she even has had bachelorette parties take out the eight person stand up paddleboard for a few hours of fun on the creek and bay. They also rent tandem kayaks and canoes. It’s a great way to spend a couple of vacation hours, or even an entire day.
