After a cozy night in the Holiday Inn in Paducah, Kentucky, Karen and I called for our first ever Lyft ride to take us back to Smithland, Kentucky, where we had left our canoe and some of our gear for the night. We just learned that our new friend Deputy Devin Brewer in Smithland had been watching out after our gear wondering what had become of us. We had met him the night we got into Smithland. Karen just spoke to him on the phone and filled him in on our day.
We loaded up the canoe with the wet tent and the other dry gear. By about 7:30 am we were on the river.
We are anticipating rain a lot of the day and pretty strong winds. However the winds never got unbearable and we were able to find shelter in some channels along the islands. One thing we are noticing as we get to the lower part of the Ohio River is that there are a lot of bars and a lot more islands undoubtedly do to the build up of silt along the way. We had to maneuver around more towboats and barges when we got to Paducah where the Tennessee River empties into the Ohio River. That provided a challenge for us but it worked out and we proceeded down the river and managed to find this beautiful state park before the afternoon rains hit. The visitor center was closed but we saw a man on a tractor and went to talk to him. Turns out he is a Ranger and he agreed to meet us with his truck and go pick up the canoe and all of our gear and bring it to a campsite. We just got the campsite set u we are sitting under a park shelter as the thunder and rain whirl around us. As soon as the rain stops for what looks like about an hour, we’re going to walk into Metropolis, Illinois, and see if we can find the Superman Museum. After a cozy night in the Holiday Inn in Paducah, Kentucky, Karen and I called for our first ever Lyft ride to take us back to Smithland, Kentucky, where we had left our canoe and some of our gear for the night. We just learned that our new friend Deputy Devin Brewer in Smithland had been watching out after our gear wondering what had become of us. We had met him the night we got into Smithland. Karen just spoke to him on the phone and filled him in on our day.
We loaded up the canoe with the wet tent and the other dry gear. By about 7:30 am we were on the river.
We are anticipating rain a lot of the day and pretty strong winds. However the winds never got unbearable and we were able to find shelter in some channels along the islands. One thing we are noticing as we get to the lower part of the Ohio River is that there are a lot of bars and a lot more islands undoubtedly do to the build up of silt along the way. We had to maneuver around more towboats and barges when we got to Paducah where the Tennessee River empties into the Ohio River. That provided a challenge for us but it worked out and we proceeded down the river and managed to find this beautiful state park before the afternoon rains hit. The visitor center was closed but we saw a man on a tractor and went to talk to him. Turns out he is a Ranger and he agreed to meet us with his truck and go pick up the canoe and all of our gear and bring it to a campsite. We just got the campsite set u we are sitting under a park shelter as the thunder and rain whirl around us. As soon as the rain stops for what looks like about an hour, we’re going to walk into Metropolis, Illinois, and see if we can find the Superman Museum.
We hit the 100 mile mark for this trip. We are 39 miles short of the Mississippi! Continually grateful for the amazing timing of our trips and the folks who come our way to help us. Here are some pictures from along the way today.
We hit the 100 mile mark for this trip. We are 39 miles short of the Mississippi! Continually grateful for the amazing timing of our trips and the folks who come our way to help us. Here are some pictures from along the way today. One of the highlights today was seeing an eagle’s nest and two juvenile eagles with a parent. You have to look closely or zoom in on that photo to see them!t
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Paddle With Us 