Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:55 — 72.7MB)
This episode of Discover Lafayette introduces you to John and Becky Williams, owners of Pack & Paddle in Lafayette LA. This destination for outdoor enthusiasts offers not only equipment but experienced advice to guide patrons as they enjoy all manner of self-propelled outdoor activities. In business continuously since 1974, Pack & Paddle was founded by John’s parents, Joan and Doc Williams, when John’s mother bought an excess of canoes in the quest to create a wonderful Girl Scout adventure.
Pack & Paddle focuses on customer service and strives to retain talented and experienced staff who understand the needs of outdoor enthusiasts. Offering paddle trips and hiking tours to destinations that showcase the treasures Louisiana has to offer, the focus of Pack & Paddle is always on the individual customer’s needs. John and Becky Williams have made a conscious decision not to offer internet retail sales so that they can meet your needs as you walk in the door. In today’s world of easy access to goods that may be delivered quickly by free shipment but don’t actually work or fit your needs once you actually open the box, this decision to offer outstanding customer service will probably be touted in business books of the future as the way that locally owned stores maintained a profitable existence in the wave of internet sales domination.
John and his wife, Becky, purchased Pack & Paddle in 1999. As you will hear, John and Becky Williams live the dream we would all love to live: getting up every day to experience the pursuit of your life mission…..exploring the outdoors and enjoying the bounty which is free for us all! Listening to them will make you want to rent a canoe, learn how to paddle or hike, or pursue any outdoor activity which stimulates your innate drive to live life to the fullest! You’ll want to hear how easy it is to catch redfish from your kayak, the best places to take photographs of first-generation Cypress trees ((Lake Fausse!), or the best place to bring your dogs as you journey to a clear water, sand bottom bayou (Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Complex).
Pack & Paddle is the place in Lafayette Parish to get information on all outdoor adventure activities and to go to get fitted properly for all types of outdoor pursuits. Pack and Paddle is also a well recognized go-to resource for guidance on exploring the local forests, swamps, marshes, and streams that define Louisiana as a special place for the outdoor enthusiast to jump into and experience!
In this interview, you will enjoy John and Becky’s input on why South Louisiana is a destination for world travelers. You will also be introduced to the opportunities to be experienced when you travel to our region as a person who wants a world-class introduction to our beautiful topography.
With the continuing restrictions and social distancing requirements of COVID-19, it is a good time to hit the outdoors and enjoy nature. Pack and Paddle offers numerous kayaking adventures locally where you can rent equipment and go on guided tours. Check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/packandpaddle/ for current information.
For more information on Pack & Paddle, please visit https://packpaddle.com.
Thank you, Becky and Mike Williams, for all you do to welcome visitors to our community.
This post was updated on June 24, 2020.
