An avid kayaker of 25 years, and someone truly passionate about the outdoors, Eric Allred launched Bethlehem Historic River Tours after realizing how underutilized the Lehigh River is. At the time, he was working towards his MBA at Lehigh University and knew this was the perfect business venture.
Allred has seen kayakers from age four to 80, and everywhere in between. “This is for novices, first-timers [and] people that want to go out for the weekend,” he says, noting that anyone under the age of 10 is put in a tandem kayak with an adult. Allred highlights the historical relevance of Bethlehem in each tour, taking a break at SteelStacks to talk with groups and have them share their stories of how they have been touched by the steel industry. The historical portion is one of Allred's favorite parts of his tours and he hopes it is for all patrons as well. Tours can run rain or shine, but if guests are not happy with the weather conditions, Allred is happy to accommodate. As opposed to whitewater rafting, these tours are calm, cool and relaxed. The season runs from May through October, and tours during the fall season are just as visually stunning, thanks to the foliage surrounding the river.
434 Clearfield St., Bethlehem | 877.529.2599 | historicbethlehemrivertours.com
