Welcome to the River’s Edge Blog!

Hello from the Kiski River in Leechburg PA!

Please come visit our shop for the Fall Leaf Peeping season!

Coming Soon!

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer Ev and I are anxiously preparing for our sixth season here at The River’s Edge!  A lot is going on and we are excited to be adding tubing and primitive camping.  Our new boats will start to arrive in April for our three dealerships: NuCanoe, Emotion Kayak, And Jackson Kayak.  Not to mention all the new gear we will be adding this year from NRS, Chota, Stohlquist, Aquabound and Bending Branches!  As usual the kick-off event for us will be Alle-Kiski-Connie Rivers Sojourn May 17th to the 20th.  Call the StrongLand Chamber of Commerce at 724-845-5426 for more info.  As usual we hope to see you on the water!

On the Water

I was out on the river twice over the past weekend! Both times with classmates from my 25 year reunion. On Friday we paddled the Roaring Run to Vandergrift section and Sunday was the Grift to the shop section. Both days on the water were fantastic! My friends enjoyed the scenery of the Kiski River and the weather was perfect. I fished from a 12 foot Jackson Daytripper Elite on Friday and caught a few Smallmouth bass in between the conversations and the fun we were having.  The boat was awesome!  We now have demos and new ones in stock.  The River’s Edge is getting under sail for the Summer and the water is perfect.  Come see what your missing!

 

Tourism Matters

For those of you who may not realize it Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the country in total visitors at 138 million people! In 2007 those visitors generated $2.8 billion in state and municipal revenues. Tourism also is the second largest industry in PA with 400,000 employees who earn $10.7 billion in wages and benefits yearly. Tourism accounts for over 6% of all jobs in the commonwealth. Each of the 4.9 million households in the Commonwealth of PA saves $575
in taxes annually thanks to the taxes generated by the tourism industry. * Why does all this matter? Because recently the politicians in Harrisburg and the Governor’s office have decided to do away with tourism funding. I know you are asking yourself the same question I am, “How do you get rid of something that actually makes the state money?”. Unfortunately we must now call or email our senators, congressman, and the governor and ask this question of them. The politicians in Colorado made the same move a few years ago and they dropped from second in the country in visits to eleventh. The loss in tourism revenue was staggering! Be assured, we can expect the same results from the cuts that have been established. Only a politician could make a mistake like this. If one was to look at return on investment, the state gets ten dollars in return for every dollar spent, and this is a conservative estimate. Please get involved and let people know, TOURISM MATTERS!

Getting Ready for Groupon!

For those of you who are curious about taking a trip on the river,  I have an opportunity for you!  The River’s Edge Canoe & Kayak will be tomorrow’s feature deal on Groupon!  Also for our loyal regular customers, why not purchase a Groupon for yourself to save a little money in today’s tough economy.  Ev and I feel that a trip on the wonderful Kiski River is a great way to connect with nature and relieve some of the stress of our fast paced world.  We love the term “staycation” because you don’t have to drive hundreds of miles to do something fun!  With our low rates and impeccable service we will do everything we can to make sure you have an enjoyable experience.  Our region is a great place full of small shops, eateries and pubs that welcome people with open arms.  After a great day on the river don’t be in a hurry to rush home.  Stop, shop, eat,  and see what we have to offer.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

Spring!

According to the calendar Spring has officially arrived.  As I look outside at the snow falling once again I have to wonder?  The River’s Edge is now open for the season!  Ev and I have renovated the whole store and are adding more canoe & kayaking gear for our paddling customers.    We have just received a new shipment of Emotion Kayaks and SUP boards(more on this to follow).  Stop by the shop to see whats new and exciting.  Once again The River’s Edge will be participating in the Alle-Kiski-Connie Rivers Sojourn.  Join us for a scenic river adventure; paddling through the beautiful Allegheny, Kiskiminetas and Conemaugh Valleys.  Share in the rich heritage of these unique waterways.  For more information check out the StrongLand Chamber of Commerce website.   The event is May 12-15,  or paddlers can opt for the day paddle on Saturday.  This is a great opportunity to join a great group of paddlers.  Hope to see you on the water!

Time is Running Out!

Just around the bend...

Time is running out on our season and our Fall foliage trips. I would like to thank everyone for a great season. I am convinced The River’s Edge has the best customers in the world! Once again we have managed to put more people out on the water this year than last. Thanks to everyone who was a part of this. New and exciting things are in the works for next year. Planning has already begun for expansion of the kayak gear and bait shop. New for next year will be two paddle dealerships, along with dry bags, spray skirts, roof racks, clothing, and more. We will also have a new sport on the Kiski next year. We will be offering several types of stand up paddle boards. This sport is an ancient form of Hawaiian paddling and is showing up on more rivers and lakes across the country. The bait shop will also expand offering more rods, reels, lures and more! We have also begun preparation for the Strongland Home Expo in February. Maybe we’ll see you there.

FLAG Fall Sojourn

The River’s Edge will be closed Sunday 9-19-10 so we can participate in the annual FLAG Fall sojourn. Why not join us for this fun day on the river? Sorry for the late notice on the blog but we have switched much of our content to Facebook under The River’s Edge Canoe & Kayak. If you would like to join us call 724-719-9700 or 724-845-9501 if you need to rent a boat.