Philly, via the Delaware River

Where are some interesting places to boat? If you are new to boating, or even if you’re a veteran, you may wonder the same thing. Well, just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip. OK, so maybe it should be a tale of a not-so fateful trip…

There are actually quite a few places to trailer a boat to that are close to the Lehigh Valley. There are many local lakes and even the Jersey shore is not that far away. However, something that often gets over looked is the Delaware River. Typically, my family and I will make 2 or 3 trips a year to Neshaminy State Park – it is only about an hour away from Allentown, just a short distance off rte. 276. They have a very nice boat launch with 6 lanes and it drops into deep water. In fact, they have two launches, but the free one is much smaller and launches directly into the river. If you are boating in anything other than small, aluminum boat, take my advice and use the pay ramp. The small ramp is muddy and you are launching directly into the river’s current. The pay ramp is well worth the money.

Once we get on the river, we usually head south as Philly is only a 30-minute boat ride away at that point. The main point here is that we are going into Philly by boat! It really is a beautiful ride down the Delaware and once we get there we can buzz up next to the USS New Jersey – now that’s a boat! Then we either dock right at Penn’s Landing or even at Dave & Buster’s! When we dock at Penn’s Landing, there is a crosswalk that takes you right to South Street – an absolutely fabulous place to walk around. Have you ever tried to drive around, let alone park, in downtown Philly with a car? By boat is a much more enjoyable and relaxing experience. That’s what boating is all about – relaxing and enjoying life with family and friends. When my family and I walk around, I tend to gravitate towards the multitude of quaint places to eat and drink, while my wife seems to always end up at all of the places to shop at! I look forward to these day trips every year, as they are always enjoyable.

Get out there and make some memories!

Enjoy,
Dennis Galligani