I'll never forget my first kayak crabbing trip in Puget Sound. I thought I knew what I was doing after years of fishing from my kayak, but watching my borrowed crab pot sink into 40 feet of water with no buoy attached taught me a $50 lesson real quick. The old-timer who lent me the […]

I'll never forget my first unplanned swim in Lake Travis. One minute I was confidently paddling along the limestone cliffs, the next I was bobbing next to my upside-down kayak watching a motorboat wake roll away. That cold water shock hit like a slap in the face, but what really got my heart racing was […]

The first time I paddled beneath the towering cliffs of Pictured Rocks, my hands were shaking - not from fear, but from pure awe. A 200-foot wall of multicolored sandstone rose straight out of crystal-clear water so cold it took my breath away. That was twelve years ago, and I've been obsessed with Lake Superior […]

Last Fourth of July weekend, I watched an Illinois conservation officer write three tickets at Busse Lake in about 20 minutes. The violations? Missing PFDs, no sound device, and a motorized kayak without registration. The total fines? Over $500. That expensive morning could have been avoided with a basic understanding of Illinois kayak laws. After […]

Last summer, I found myself paddling through downtown Chicago at sunset, skyscrapers towering above while herons fished beside my kayak. That's when it hit me - Illinois offers some of the most diverse paddling experiences in the country. From urban adventures to pristine wilderness, the Prairie State has it all. After exploring waterways from the […]

Last Tuesday, I was paddling across Lake Travis when a guy in a rental kayak pulled up beside me. "Hey, how long does it take to get to that island?" he asked, pointing to a spot about a mile away. "Twenty minutes if you hustle, thirty if you're taking photos," I told him. He looked […]

The sun was just breaking over the Lincoln Memorial when I pushed off from Thompson Boat Center for my first paddle on the Potomac. After years of kayaking lakes and rivers across the country, I wasn't prepared for what DC offered - monument views from the water, cherry blossoms reflecting in the calm morning surface, […]

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? […]