I'd really like to try taking a half-day trip paddling on a local river on an established paddling "trail" with my 10 YO. If we like it, we may do some longer trips. I know a place where I can rent a canoe and paddles for a great price, and we already have life vests (they're the kind you use for skiing, but that's okay, right?). I've paddled small boats around a small area a couple times, but I have zero training, unless you count the 1 hour of guided white water rafting I did as a kid. Even though I don't know much about it, it seems really intuitive, but as with most things, there may be some important things to know that aren't so obvious. Are there any gotchas I should be aware of before I try this?
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The journey is more important than the destination.