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…
After our adventures in the alpine lakes of Wyoming and Colorado, we headed back East. Stops along the way home included Denver and Topeka for some sightseeing, no paddling. We added Kentucky as a canoe stop before the final stretch of driving home. We also wanted to add a river to our summer trip. This would be the Kentucky River. The Kentucky River Palisades consist of about 100-miles of blueway. The limestone cliffs are a part of a 450-million year…
After paddling Monarch Lake and before leaving the Grand Lake area, we had to spend some time in Rocky Mountain National Park. During our visit in the summer of 2021, timed entry is a requirement due to overcrowding in the park. We stopped in at 6pm, the cut off time for timed entry so we were able to roll right in. Below is a gallery of our Rocky Mountain National Park experience. This is another national park that does not…
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 our paddling trip to Grand Teton National Park, we made our way North to Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is not a paddling story for us, but we wanted to share a photo gallery from our exploration of the park. Visiting with a dog limits what you are able to do. Dogs are not allowed in the backcountry or on hiking trails. Our visit within the park was limited to the major tourist attractions. Yellowstone Photo Gallery Our Park Highlights:…
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…
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 originally planned to check Michigan off the Canoe 52 list in 2016. Those plans changed when we got Rigby who would have needed certain vaccinations in order to cross the borders between the US and Canada, plus with such a tiny pup we weren’t really up for the trip. When we decided to make Michigan our summer vacation for 2017, I looked into some fun places to canoe and go site seeing. I landed on Traverse City, Michigan, somewhere…
I absolutely love road trips. Growing up, we were a driving family. Trips from Connecticut to South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, and close by were all done in our family car. I think I was 20 the first time I flew in a plane. I’ve done my share of flying since, but always enjoy a good road trip. Let me tell you about the first time we took a road trip with a puppy. Canoe 52 is full of road trips.…
