Check Canoeing Off

Zac and I woke up bright and early around 7:15 and got ready and headed to Jalapa a small town around Marion. We met our friends Eric and Brooke and dropped the truck off so we could ride with them to pick up the canoes.

We rented the canoes out at Riverbend and had them in the water by 8:30! Then we began our five mile journey down the river. It was such a great time I really enjoyed being outside. The scenery was beautiful the green trees against the relaxing ripple of the water made me want to start every day with canoeing. We laughed and ate candy and enjoyed the company of each other. Besides the BIG OLE rock that bumped Zac straight off his seat and right into the middle of the canoe the trip was as smooth as can be. Well we did have to walk once but that was only for a very short time like maybe two minutes. And thankfully the night before I had with the help of Zac sought out the appropriate river walking shoes. It only took four stores Dollar General, Walgreens, Marsh and then finally CVS came through. Best shoes ever so comfy. They aren't the cutest though but let me thoroughly recommend ( DOGGERS)!! I jokingly told Zac I might where them more often then I should he gave me a look and I smiled.

Zac said his day was made when we saw our first ever bald eagle!It sitting on a branch right in front of us. I had to admit that was pretty cool! Ironically Eric had just mentioned them only ten minutes earlier. For me the birds and the wildlife were only a small part of what made the day so great it was peacefulness I felt out there with no distractions just us and nature cooperating as we glided our sometimes awkward canoe away from the rocks. It was a good feeling to know that besides minor disgruntle we were a team

At one point we even stopped off at this little stream that broke away from the water. We took about ten minutes on foot to walk through part of it. It was really neat and I was thankful we got the opportunity to do that. It was mainly in the woods and although the water was much shallower it was also much colder. We saw little fish and overall it was just really pretty seeing how the rocks were perfectly shaped to let the water glide over them.

We got out of the river around 11:30 and the boys pulled our canoes up a really steep hill and then through a very crowded with weeds, brush, and trees trail. That was my least favorite part of the trip going through a wooded trail with only small footpath and lots of mosquitos didn't get me very excited especially when the boys couldn't tell us if it was the right trail or not. It was ! We made it out and I'm excited for our next canoe trip!!