About 23 miles Northwest of Bismarck is Harmon Lake, a 145-acre reservoir set on Otter Creek in North Dakota’s Great Plains. Since a lack of precipitation made the Little Missouri River too low to paddle, this artificial lake set among rolling grassy knolls and cycling paths was a good alternative excursion. It’s 1800 miles from Hartford to Bismarck across the US heartland. Hundreds of miles of corn and soy cash crops, peppered with industrial cattle farms line the highway as…
On our way back East from Grand Teton and Yellowstone, we stopped in Colorado to continue enjoying the Rocky Mountains. In order to grab a shower after a week of camping we settled in Grand Lake, Colorado. This small tourist town is located near the Western entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. Similar to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, Rocky Mountain National Park limits activities you can do with pets. By staying outside of the park, we were able…
After a year and a half of staying home, we knew our 2021 Canoe52 trip needed to be epic. We love Connecticut, but we wanted to venture far away into an environment that was much different than what we were experiencing day in and day out. With two weeks blocked off on the calendar, we determined we could squeeze in three states: Wyoming, Colorado and Kentucky. Our adventures in Wyoming began with a 3 day roadtrip to reach Grand Teton…
If there is one thing you can say about Wisconsin, it is remote. The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage in upstate Wisconsin blissfully meets this description. After loading the car and disembarking, the number of people fishing on our paddle to the campsite was a testament to the waterway’s beauty. We were, however, fortunate to have most of our stay free from clamor of campers and the buzz of motorboats. The focus of our stakeout on the flowage was silence and scenery. The…
We did it, we canoed in the Boundary Waters!! Minnesota will forever be a magical place for me. I only spent 6 days there but I’m already scheming to get back. About 2 years ago we got the idea to visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Thousands of lakes only navigable by canoe in the remote wilderness of Superior National Forest in Northeastern Minnesota. We secured our permit on opening day of permit season in February and ventured into…
Like a scene straight out of Deliverance (1972), the black waters of Georgia’s Ebenezer Creek are eerie. Approximately 20 miles north of Savannah lies a river with water so black that it looks like it is filled with tea. Decayed vegetation from the surrounding swamp fills the water tinting the color black. The river has excellent examples of water tupelo and virgin bald cypress. The boat landing had a few cars with trailers parked in the lot. The enormous trees…
Virginia’s Eastern Shore can be boiled down to great hospitality, quiet corners, and pristine beaches. As mentioned in the “Great Dismal Swamp” post, Virginia has been a magical place. Our time here has consisted of a burgeoning restaurant scene and access to beautiful bays and sandy beaches all accessed from a 1970s Airstream parked on an organic farm adjacent to Hungers Bay. We found the farm, which is situated on a high bank of the bay, through Air BnB. The…
We were on a roll. Our canoe hit the water at 7:45 AM. Our gear was stowed, the cooler had plenty of ice and vitals, and Rigby was perched on the bow. This was our first official paddle and camp foray since Sleeping Bear Bay and the Finger Lakes. This time, however, we were paddling 3 miles to a campsite in the Great Dismal Swamp to peep the cyprus trees. With all of our experience and fortitude, however, we were…
We fashioned an anchor from a milk jug and rocks on Sleeping Bear Bay. We paddled out a couple of hundred feet from shore and drop the make-shift anchor to take in the scenery. So often our travels take us to remote areas with few people nearby and we live the solitude. Sleeping Bear Bay did not have a traditional dock or boat launch, so we had to complete our first portage to the lakeshore. Originally we posted up on…
Since we live in Connecticut, we determined that the paddling story had to be epic. With this in mind, we opted for a multi-day adventure stretching the length of the Connecticut River from Enfield to Old Saybrook. That is over 60 miles in 4 days. The origin of the word, “Connecticut,” means, “long tidal river.” It’s an Algonquin term. Over a series of posts dedicated to our adventure through Connecticut, we will illustrate the beauty and importance of the river,…
