Paddling the Mississippi River
From source to sea is the plan – we’re slowed by low water, low current, and low temperatures, but we’re on our way!
Latest Entries
N’awlins
I have every intention of slowly filling in the blanks on this blog, but, for now, I want to give a quick update. We made it to New Orleans! We spent three days in Memphis. Punctuated by visits to the River to stare out wistfully and imagine canoe-shaped dots on the opposite shore, we were … Continue reading
Memphis, baby!
Your appreciation for your surroundings changes when you feel like you have no choice but to be there. A highway is a marvellous thing, it’s a backdrop for adventure, for swallowing up miles and flying across the countryside. It’s a gateway, a passage, it’s an escape route or a way home. But, when you’re standing … Continue reading
Stranded again
When we arrived at the motel, Captain Alvin wasted no time in telling everyone our story “We just rescued them off island 10! Their canoe floated away! They’d been there for two days without water!” We were the talk of the town. The motel was cheap and attracted a permanent crowd. Truckers Art and Robert … Continue reading
Rescued
The four men that rescued us, with their jeans and camo jackets and war painted faces, weren’t a group of duckhunters or fishermen like we first thought. There were several clues – first, they picked us up, and immediately headed, wordlessly, in the opposite direction (without asking us where we wanted to go). Second, they were … Continue reading
Network news fame
Cast away
We lovingly named her Georgette, after Kevin’s dad, who gave her to us. She was steadfast. We often remarked on her reliable nature, how she held her head high as she glided elegantly through the water. Equally dependable was she in cresting waves, in surging swells, and in all weather. She guided us fearlessly through … Continue reading
Are we crazy?
After saying goodbye to the lovely crowd in Grafton, IL (two nights and many, many great people – more later), we have since paddled on – we’re in Cape Girardeau, MO right now. We paddled 55 miles to get here , by far out furthest day yet. With a head wind and a high of … Continue reading
High up on a hill with a jacuzzi
As so many of our stories of good fortune seem to begin, yesterday we walked into a bar. We had paddled 38 miles into the dark to get to Grafton, Illinois. We made dinner in the cool, dewey night down by the river. Looking highly suspicious, we turned off our headlamps when the cops drove … Continue reading
Kevin’s birthday at the Purple Cow
We had no special plans for Kevin’s birthday. We walked in to the Purple Cow in the middle of the afternoon, discouraged by strong head winds. It’s a purple shack on the side of the river, raised up high on stilts for when the water’s high. We thought we’d stop in for a drink in … Continue reading
Video! Our trip so far…
by Kevin Caners Continue reading
Two canucks in a canoe 