Hatrack River Forum: Spring Break Planning

This is topic Spring Break Planning - Canoeing in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :

A friend of mine and I have spring break starting this weekend, and we've decided on a canoe trip. Unfortunately, we haven't quite figured out where to go yet. We're in SE Michigan, and we figure on a day's drive.

So far, we've narrowed it down to five rivers:
*Buffalo River in Arkansas
*Pearl River in Mississippi
*James River in Virginia
*Ocmulgee-Altamaha Rivers in Georgia
*Pee Dee River in South Carolina

This is the website we got our ideas from. Anyone have any experience/reccomendations?

Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :

Anybody...?

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

The James is good, as long as you're canoeing the part above Richmond. Unless you have very good whitewater experience and are using airbags, Hollywood is probably too difficult for canoes. Not bad for kayaks or rafts (in fact, it's rather easy).

North of the city is great, but you'll need wetsuits. I've tubed down from Scott's landing down a couple miles. It's great - picturesque, good water, not too remote.

Dagonee

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

A little cold for that now, isn't that? [Angst]

Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :

I have some whitewater experience, but not enough that I want to do any real rapids this time of year with a loaded canoe. We're hoping for about a five-day trip.

Kwea - Not really. That's why we're going south, anyways. [Smile]

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

Virginia was in the teens over the weekend.

North of the city is easy pickings in a canoe, but I don't know how long it is.

Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :

quote:
Virginia was in the teens over the weekend.

Posted by IrishAphrodite19 (Member # 1880) on :

I came in here to tell you that my parents had been on the one in Georgia and loved it, but then I realized you had said the Ocmulgee-Altamaha rivers and not the Okefenokee Swamp. I read the 'O' and 'Georgia' and thought Okefenokee, oh well.
But, to get back on topic, the Okefenokee is a good place to go as well if you want adventure as well. The alligators are cool.

~Irish

Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :

That looks cool, though the alligators give me pause. [Smile]

Unfortunately, camping trips are limited there this time of year.

Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :

Well, we didn't actually go canoeing. We were about to load the canoe on the van and drive off when we realized that the both of us were looking forward more to the road trip aspect than the canoeing part of the trip. So we decided to leave the canoe and just start driving.

In seven days we:

slept in the car six nights
discovered the joys of showering in gas stations
visited 11 states (MI, IN, IL, MO, OK, TX, NM, AR, TN, KY, OH)
camped in the second-largest canyon in the US (Palo Duro, TX)
logged over 3500 miles
stalled four times
spent a night in Cuervo, TX (a town that consists of a gas station, a couple houses, and a lot of abandoned cars)
got pulled over twice (including my first time ever)
saw the largest cross in the US
walked around a closed museum
made it from Ann Arbor, MI to Albequerque, NM and back

It was the most spontaneous thing I've ever done. [Smile]

Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :

Ooh...Palo Duro Canyon was pretty. It's been several years since I've been there, I was only 9 or so. I remember a spot where your echo would bounce like crazy if you shouted.

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

The Illinois is pretty any time of year!