Canoeing on the Mississippi/Lost in the backwaters

August 15, 2012  Day 41

Up at 6 and had our coffee and took it on the trail.  We hiked up to Brady’s Bluff in Perrot State Park.  We drove to the parking lot and saw a lady walking on the road.  We all waved at each other.  There are 2 ways up Brady’s Bluff.  It turned out that she took one way and we took another and both ended up at the top.  Jack started talking to her and it turned out that she lived just up the road.  We were telling her about our travels and our travel club.  She was intrigued and said she and her husband would like to retire soon and were interested in the club.  She is a teacher and he is a biologist/fisherman.  He has a set net sight up in Homer Alaska that he fishes in the summer.  He has also done other types of fishing up there, originally from Winona, Minnesota.

  The trail was in the National Wildlife Refuge and their were tons of birds, herons, eagles, lots of fish , a turtle, the hugest lilypads I have ever seen that were in bloom with these huge white flowers.  It was what I imagine the bayous to be like down south, a little like the river my Dad used to take us on in Florida.  



We asked her what we should do around here and she suggested we take their canoe through this canoe trail through the back water of the Mississippi.  We took her up on it and drove to their amazing home on the river, built by a tugboat captain.  They helped us load their canoe on the car and she drove us down to the launch where we took off  for a 3 hour canoe ride.  It was amazing.  We never imagined the Mississippi to be so interesting.

Unfortunately, we missed one of the signs and were lost for about a half hour.  It was a little scarey but luckily we were able to turn back when we didn’t see any signs and  picked up the trail again.  Simply beautiful.  What kind and amazing people to allow us to borrow their canoe when we were total strangers!  .After the canoe ride we had a picnic in town and then drove to the McGilvery Road to see some historic bridges.  There are only 7 remaining in the world.  We walked to 2 of them and took pictures.  Then headed south toward La Cross and are spending the night just south of there.We spent the night at Goose Island County Campground right on the Mississippi.  Very nice large park.  We are very tired tonight so went to bed early, only to be awakened by a huge thunder and lightning storm.  It is a good thing that we put on the rain flap.  Way too many mosquitoes made it in to our tent.  BZZZZZZ in your ear all night, swat them in the morning and they are full of our blood!  Took showers and hit the road.

This is our view from 360 degrees, where would you go?