Last summer, I watched my paddle slice through water so clear I could count individual rocks 20 feet below. The Wood River's turquoise current pushed my kayak through a corridor of aspens while Mt. McLoughlin loomed in the distance. After paddling in 15 states, I can honestly say Oregon spoiled me – and it'll spoil […]

I'll never forget my first time kayaking the Mountain Fork River in southeastern Oklahoma. The morning mist was lifting off the water when I spotted a bald eagle perched on a dead snag, surveying its kingdom. That moment – paddle frozen mid-stroke, heart racing – sold me on Oklahoma kayaking forever. After 15 years exploring […]

Last April, I found myself paddling the Kansas River at sunrise, watching a bald eagle snatch a fish from the water not 30 feet from my kayak. The mist was rising off the water, cottonwoods were budding along the banks, and I thought – why did it take me so long to discover Kansas paddling? […]

Last April, I watched the sun paint the Blue Ridge Mountains gold while paddling through morning mist on Lake Moomaw. A great blue heron stood perfectly still on the shoreline, waiting for breakfast. That's when it hit me – after 12 years of paddling every corner of Virginia, from the wild dolphins of Virginia Beach […]

Last July, I watched the sunrise paint the limestone cliffs of the St. Croix River gold while paddling my fishing kayak through glass-calm water near Taylors Falls. A bald eagle swooped down 20 feet from my bow, snatching a smallmouth bass from the surface. That moment – just 45 minutes from Minneapolis – reminded me […]

Last September, I was paddling the Upper Iowa River when a fellow kayaker from Chicago pulled up beside me at Chimney Rock. "I had no idea Iowa looked like this," he said, staring up at the 300-foot limestone palisades. "I thought it was all corn fields." I hear that a lot. After 20 years of […]

Introduction Last summer, I paddled the Pembina River just as the sun broke through the morning mist, and I'll never forget how the water looked like liquid glass between those towering valley walls. North Dakota might not be the first place that comes to mind for kayaking adventures, but after spending three months exploring every […]

The morning mist was still clinging to the Susquehanna River when I launched my kayak from the Shady Nook access point last October. As my paddle cut through the glass-smooth water, a bald eagle soared overhead – just another typical morning of kayaking in Pennsylvania. After 15 years of paddling every major waterway from Lake […]

Last July, I paddled out from Edgewater Beach just as the sun was painting Cleveland's skyline gold. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame gleamed in the distance while freighters cruised past, their wakes gently rocking my kayak. That's when it hit me – Cleveland might just be one of the most underrated kayaking destinations […]

Last summer in Milford Sound, my paddle blade sliced through water so still it mirrored the 5,000-foot cliffs above. A fur seal popped up next to my kayak, rolled onto its back, and stared at me like I'd invaded its living room. That's when it hit me – after paddling in 47 countries, I'd finally […]