Flat water, and most mornings it's yours

It starts at the Adventure Center in La Calera. Pick a kayak or a paddleboard, take a paddle and a life vest, and push off into water with no current and no swell. Guidance is on hand for first-timers; everyone else just goes.

The route is whatever you make it: a loop past the horse-head statue, a slow drift along the tree line, a straight run to the far bank and back. Mornings are stillest. Bring sunscreen and a change of clothes for afterwards.