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"Part of this process is them learning that some things
you're going to be naturally good at, and other stuff you
have to practice. You're not going to knock it out of the
park every time. You have to get better at it," he says.
"We took some kayaks out at city dock and we were
going up river. It wasn't windy and there wasn't a lot of
current, but it's work to go up stream. My son was so
frustrated. I told him number one, you're going to get
better at this and it's that it's easier going back down
river, and number two, I told him to look how far he
went. He worked for every inch. So learning that you
have to work for stuff, it's important for them to learn."
Muldrow thinks that Fredericksburg has the right mix
of outdoor terrain and organizations to get you started,
like Red Rocks Outfitters, Virginia Outdoor Center,
Friends of the Rappahannock and the American Canoe
Association, who provide education, classes and rentals.
"Fredericksburg gives you a low-risk start and then step
up your game. We have the trails. You can volunteer
with Friends of the Rappahannock and get out in the
woods and do cool stuff," he says. "We have people in
town who would love to teach parents [how to appreci-
ate the outdoors].
He maintains that despite their affinity for the outdoors,
he still has to pry his kids from the screen sometimes to
get them out, but once they do, they love it.
"My kids, like any other kids are addicted to the screen.
So we try to make an effort to break away from the
screen and get outside. When you get them outside and
doing something fun they're going to be happy they did
it," says Muldrow.
