Well, perhaps we are getting soft or perhaps we are getting wise. We have aged 15 years since we began this journey, and the last couple of days are a reminder that as times and ages change , perhaps our planning changes as well. We stayed in this lovely cabin last night and this morning we decided to ask if we could stay a second night! We realized how much we needed some down time this morning, and enjoyed the beauty of the river from hundreds of feet above until noon. Then our hosts took us and our canoe (sans gear) back to where we had gotten out yesterday and we paddled a relatively stressless 18 miles to Magnet, Indiana. The wind kicked up a couple of times but gently. This is the first year we have not been hit with head winds on a regular basis! We saw more barges and had to time river crossings more carefully than in the past as well. It even sprinkled on us just a bit. We took one on shore break where Maggie left some foot prints along with those of what we think are a deer.
It was a lovely paddle made even more so by the fact that we knew we were going to be retrieved by hosts Gary and Karen and returned to this little cabin and its hot tub!
Karen and Gary took us up on our invite to join us for dinner and they suggested the little restaurant (see photo of dollar bills hanging over the bar) by the ramp where we enjoyed a local experience with corn meal dipped white fish, corn nuggets and potato munchers! An animated waitress and the folks coming in to play cards added to the experience. And The Andy Griffith Show was playing in the background.
Hum, now we are wondering…could we have more arrangements like this for future travels?? Are our bodies needing some time to relax after a few days on the river. Yesterday we were nearly done in but today we enjoyed the time back on the river. Tomorrow Karen and Gary will return is and our gear to Magnet, and we will complete our 2016 stint in Rome, IN, about 280 from the Mississippi River and nearly 1000 miles from where we started at Red Bird Corners, NY. Wow.
paddlewithus 