Hi, this is Vanessa, your ENLIGHTENMENT salon host.

How about a springtime kayak in California’s newest state park?

Located eight miles west of Modesto, the 1,600-acre Dos Rios park has lots to brag about. Besides being California’s first new state park in nearly a decade, it is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in California history, and it’s seen as the future of conservation in California. The park protects the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers, waterways that begin high in the Sierra Nevadas and cross the state to provide drinking water to large portions of the Bay Area.  

Formerly a working ranch, Dos Rios now features guided hikes in this restored floodplain, including by kayak. I’ve reserved 10 spots for the next kayak trip. Join me for a paddle with park staff who will inform us about pond ecology and tell us how the environmental story of the Central Valley is still being written,

It’s $30 per person for kayak rental (tandem and single kayaks) or $20 per person if bringing your own kayak or standup paddleboard. (The park entrance fee is waived during the opening phases of Dos Rios.).

. If you’re interested in participating, please sign up here to show that you’re interested, and I’ll contact you shortly with details on paying, meeting place and carpooling options. .Because there are only 10 spots, the first who pay (via Venmo, PayPal or Zelle) are the first ones to get them.