I love Duck Tours. If you’ve never been on a Duck Tour, you’re missing out. It’s an opportunity for you to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of harbor and river towns, while foolishly quacking at locals. If you are lucky, the tour company will provide you with a beak shaped quacker, so you can not only sound ridiculous, but look ridiculous as well.
Bonus points for you if you are with your teenager, because they will be mortified. Tweens, especially, love to exacerbate this:)
(Warning: If you’re a person who only enjoys “authentic” travel, like pretending to be a local in a place you’ve never been, Duck Tours are not for you.)
A Little History Just For Fun
Duck is actually DUKW, and refers to a military amphibious transport vehicle used in WWII. This is what Wikipedia has to say about them:
The designation of DUKW is not a military acronym – the name comes from the model naming terminology used by GMC; the “D” indicates a vehicle designed in 1942, the “U” meant “utility (amphibious)”, the “K” indicated all-wheel drive and the “W” indicated two powered rear axles.
Ducks were manufactured during the WWII years to transport people and goods across land and sea. The last military Duck was manufactured in 1945, but Ducks have been used in various situations throughout the years, from fighting fires to training exercises.
The most entertaining use of the Ducks is the shuttling of tourists, by land and by sea, as they quack, take in the sights, and humiliate themselves.
Duck Tours are available everywhere; San Francisco, Boston, Wi Dells, Hawaii., etc. If it’s a coastal town, you’re probably good. There’s even one in Hot Springs National Park. Adult tickets tend to run about $30, while kids are closer to $20, but coupons can usually be found online or in one of the local papers in the area, so check those first. Discounts can be substantial at up to $10 per person. Any mom knows how fast that adds up.
The first Duck Tours were founded in Milwaukee, WI, and now reside in Wisconsin Dells. I feel compelled to mention this as a born and raised Wisconsinite.
My Favorite Duck Tour
I’ve been on a few of the tours myself, but my favorite was in Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale is known as the “Venice of the Americas”. There are waterways everywhere, and it has that indescribable oceany atmosphere that I love.
The tour, despite its cheesiness, is filled with tons of history that I was completely unaware of. I always just thought of Florida as just the sunshine state, but the history of how Fort Lauderdale became Fort Lauderdale is truly a story worth hearing.
The intracoastal waterway is also a unique feature of the Fort Lauderdale tour. It’s spectacular, but also interesting, in that all sorts of celebrity type homes are there. Wendy, of Wendy’s lives there, the Anheuser Busch home is there, and I believe Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame. Can you imagine the block parties? There are yachts everywhere. Providing you don’t die of envy, you’ll love it.
*image credit – kthypryns
**image credit – smart destination
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I have been to one duck tour at the Stone Mountain in Atlanta. It was so cool. The captain let kids handle the wheel when we were floating in the lake. The duck noise maker was obnoxious but fun at the same.
Shame on me, I live in South Florida for almost 10 years but never try the duck tour in Ft. Lauderdale. Must try next time I visit my friends.
You should Amy, and if not, find another way to get into the Intracoastal Waterway. It really is gorgeous:)