71 articles tagged with kayaking
When colleagues mentioned Joliet, Illinois, I'll admit my first thought was industrial heritage—not exactly the biodiversity hotspot I usually chase. But after spending a weekend exploring the Des Plaines River corridor and surrounding preserves, I discovered something remarkable: a resilient...
When most people hear Auburn, Alabama, they think football and the iconic War Eagle battle cry. But during a recent spring weekend exploring the Southeast's architectural vernacular, I discovered something unexpected: Auburn sits at the confluence of several ecosystems that...
The first time I saw Lake Superior stretch toward the horizon like a freshwater ocean, I understood why Duluth calls itself the adventure capital of the Midwest. This isn't the Minnesota of endless prairies—it's a landscape of dramatic cliffs, dense...
Growing up landlocked in Kentucky, I never imagined I'd become so passionate about ocean sports. But after my first research trip to California's coastal innovation labs, I was hooked—not just on the marine technology I was documenting, but on the...
Jacksonville surprised me, and I don't say that lightly after decades of travel. Most visitors rush through Florida's largest city en route to Miami or Orlando, missing something rather special: a network of pristine waterways that rivals anything I've experienced...
When I first planned a research trip to Arkansas to study pre-Columbian earthworks, I expected academic fieldwork—not the revelation that this state harbors some of the most accessible yet wild outdoor spaces in America. Little Rock surprised me with its...
Twenty years of fighting for water rights in courtrooms never revealed the profound connection I'd feel when actually immersing myself in those contested waterways. Sacramento—a city built at the confluence of two mighty rivers—harbors a paddler's paradise that most visitors...
There's something profoundly humbling about paddling the Missouri River as it flows past Yankton, South Dakota—a place where the water carries stories of Lewis and Clark, indigenous peoples, and countless travelers before us. After years exploring Southeast Asia's waterways, I...
There's something mathematically perfect about the way Presque Isle curves into Lake Erie—a natural vector drawing adventurers toward its shores. As a physicist who's traversed sacred spaces from South Indian temples to Scandinavian forests, I never expected to find such...
There's something deliciously ironic about a place named 'Great Dismal Swamp' being one of the most fascinating ecological treasures I've encountered. Just a short drive from Chesapeake's urban core, this 112,000-acre natural refuge defies its gloomy moniker with vibrant biodiversity...
There's something magical about discovering wilderness pockets nestled within suburban landscapes. St. Peters, Missouri might not top most adventure travelers' bucket lists, but after spending a weekend exploring its green spaces with my friend's family, I'm convinced this unassuming Midwest...
When I tell people I'm heading to Nebraska for a beach weekend, I'm typically met with confused stares or outright laughter. But here's the thing about travel – the most profound experiences often hide in plain sight, waiting in places...
As someone who's spent decades exploring the world's great adventure destinations, I've found that sometimes the most surprising discoveries come in the most unexpected places. Green Bay, Wisconsin—known primarily for its football fervor and cheese-filled tailgates—has quietly been building an...
Standing on the shores of Nuku'alofa with my three children—Mia (15), Kai (12), and little Luna (8)—I felt that familiar pang of both joy and sadness. This was exactly the kind of place their mother would have loved to explain...
Standing at the confluence where Barnegat Bay meets the Toms River, I felt that familiar sense of *ma* — the meaningful pause between moments that my Japanese father taught me to appreciate. The coastal ecosystem here in Toms River, New...
