Published: September 06, 2008 12:12 am         

Cruisin’ down the (Oklahoma) River

Who’d have thought 10 years ago that we’d be taking boat trips on the North Canadian River? Back then, when there was water in it, it was just a dribble. The biggest problems were keeping the weeds in the riverbed mowed and picking up the trash that accumulated in this unsightly ditch. What a difference a decade makes!

My husband Jack and I were guests on the Oklahoma River Cruises’ “Pioneer,” the newest of three river ferries travel between Regatta Park near Bricktown to Meridian Landing, close to Meridian and Southwest 15th.

A one-way trip takes about an hour and 15 minutes for the 7-mile stretch that is designated the Oklahoma River. Along the route, we saw a kingfisher, an egret and Canada geese. I’m pretty sure some of the geese were teen-agers. One daredevil flew right in front of the boat, just skimming the surface of the water. This seemed to me to be the equivalent of racing a train to a crossing!

There are two locks along the route, so the 18-foot drop in the river was no problem. The locks are designed for smaller boats — no barge traffic on this river — so the entire experience takes only a few minutes. Having traveled on large ships where the process takes a long time — and is as exciting as watching paint dry — this was a much more interesting and enjoyable experience.

Each lock holds about 150,000 gallons of water. Going upstream, it only takes a few minutes to fill the lock; draining the lock for the downstream trip is even faster. The slowest part is watching the gates swing open and closed. The water operation is completely dependent on gravity; no pumps are used. When the lockmaster is not on duty, the boat captain can operate the gates with a remote control a lot like a large garage door opener.

The river boats, or ferries, are first class — trimmed with teak and pine and sporting marine blue upholstery on the seating. Devon Energy gave a generous donation to cover the cost of the boats which were built in Albany, New York, by Scarano Boat Builders. The 65-foot crafts carry 35 passengers each.

Jack and I boarded the boat at Regatta Park. Getting there is an experience — Google didn’t recognize the address. Although there’s some highway construction, it turned out to be quite easy. We took Reno west off of I-35 and turned south on Byers. We wound around a bit and dodged construction signs but, after looping around mounds of dirt, we found the park. The ticket office is north of the Chesapeake Boathouse and there’s a convenient parking lot by the office.

On-board, DVDs give information on the boats and a quick OKC travelogue. All cruises get the safety talk. Deck hand Jackson Smith of Edmond pointed out the location of life preservers, modeled one and demonstrated use. He also told us that the average river depth is 8 feet. With the boats drawing close to 4 feet, in case of an accident the chances of passengers getting wet is slim!

Since ours was a special cruise, we enjoyed some perks not available on most of the regular public cruises. Hors d’oeuvres were catered by Aunt Pittypat’s and were excellent. The boats are available for private parties.

Everyone can enjoy the Friday night themed cruises, including “Taste of Italy Sunset Cruise” on Sept. 12, the “Ragin’ Cajun Sunset Cruise” on Sept. 19 and “South of the Border” on September 26. These cruises, $30 per person, are for adults only and cover cruise ticket, hors d’oeuvres, beverages and music. Live music is featured on Thursday evening cruises, which also include appetizers and beverages ($35 per person).

Daytime public cruises are available Wednesday through Sunday. Cruises leave from both Regatta Park and Meridian Landing. Take a round trip or one-way. Your boat ticket also gives you free rides on the Spirit Trolley so you can explore downtown or use it to get back to your parking area.

The boats are air conditioned so they’re pleasant on the hottest Oklahoma day but, as the days get cooler, they are even more appealing. Before you go, be sure and check the web site, www.okriverscruises.com, for up-to-the-minute schedules. Prices are there, too, with discounts for seniors and groups. This is a delightful addition to the Oklahoma City scene. These boats rock!

     

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