Mississippi River Journal – Red Wing MN

I’m being especially nostalgic for the Mississippi River today. Four years ago we paddled our canoe into Red Wing, Minnesota. Red Wing was a planned stop for us, and we took a day off to hang out with one of Jessica’s friends from Americorp. It also gave us a chance to dry out our gear, as it had rained practically every day since we got on the river on May 14.

Enjoy,

-John

June 9, 2005
Red Wing, Minnesota
550 miles

We’ve spent the day and a half off the river here in Red Wing. Jessica has a friend here from AmeriCorps that has given us the run of her house. It’s nice to have a cozy bed and hot showers on demand to help recharge our batteries. Yesterday was our first complete day off in three weeks and it was about time for some real rest. The day went by quickly and we’ll be leaving this afternoon after running a couple of last minute errands. The river is calling.

Docking at the marina here in Red Wing was pretty funny. We tied up the canoe at the end of a long string of yachts, sailboats, and houseboats. Some of those craft cost a cool half million dollars or more. I could smell the jealousy in the air as we pulled in. Our tiny, muddy canoe doesn’t cost a dime to run other than a constant intake of food and water. We’ve been told that many of those boats never leave the slips because they are too expensive to operate. Nice place for a glass of wine though.

The past week has flown by. We’ve gone through the cities of Grand Rapids, Prescott, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and now Red Wing. We’re also along the Wisconsin border for our second state. Going through the Twin Cities was exciting, interesting, and nerve-wracking at the same time. This week we also went through the first five of the twenty-nine locks we’ll see before St. Louis. The locks are a marvel of engineering, even while going through with white knuckles gripping the paddle.

Everything is getting bigger. The river, the cities, the barges—everything. It’s neat to look one hundred feet up and see cars driving on these towering bridges. Just a few weeks ago we were ducking under remote two-lane bridges back at the headwaters.

We still have the river largely to ourselves most of the time. Except for a few barges we pretty much paddle all day without seeing anyone else. An exception to this would be anywhere near the marinas in the late afternoon. The zoo starts at 5:01 p.m., and it’s every boat for themselves. Most folks don’t go far from the boat ramps though. There must be some unwritten rule about taking your boat more than three miles from the marina or something.

Trimming the Fat, Part II
Part of our day off was spent getting rid of gear and clothing we weren’t using anymore. The weather has warmed up, so we’ve sent home the cold weather clothes and sleeping bag. A five-dollar blanket and sheet bought at the thrift store will be our bed for the rest of the trip. There are some other odds and ends that we either haven’t used or have found replacements for that are getting the boot. Having less gear and clothes to deal with means less to keep clean, secure, maintained, and most importantly, dry.

It’s been a real joy to trim off some of the psychological fat as well. Contrary to earlier predictions we haven’t killed each other. Things are going well, we’re in a groove, and everyday is a new adventure.

Things are picking up on the media front. Greta Cunningham from Minnesota Public Radio came in this morning to record a segment for Morning Edition. She was a very sweet lady to meet, and while we were doing the interview I couldn’t help but listen to her calm MPR-voice. Back home we’re always listening to National Public Radio so it was a rush to make it onto one of their syndicated programs.

Audubon Magazine also interviewed us for an article. It’s a great feeling to get the word out about Audubon’s Upper Mississippi Campaign and I hope they’re seeing some results from our expedition. They’re doing some good work trying to help people get connected back to this river.