Minnesota — Mississippi River

103 Days. 2,300+ solo miles. A pen, pad, camera and the adventure of a lifetime. Crossing America by Canoe. A Mississippi River story.

In late August of 2017 I set out to complete a dream-to canoe over 2,300 miles through the heart of America on the nations largest artery, the Mississippi River. With no partner, few expectations and a yearning for adventure I packed my boat and headed north to the headwaters of the Mississippi in norther Minnesota. For the next 103 days I traversed the country by canoe, from the Northwoods of Minnesota to the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Along the way I was taken in by the kindness of strangers and stricken by the beauty of the river and the people who call the Mississippi home. These are the stories of that journey. The people and places, triumphs and tribulations. The adventure of a lifetime.

Day 2 Mississippi River

My first full day on the river was great! It started off early with a phone call from my old middle school, Clinton Rosette. Despite having no service at the campsite, I learned that walking about 200 yards down a 4wheeler trail yielded 1 to 2 bars...enough to make a few calls. My first conversation went well, and I'm excited to team up with my old middle school to make a class project out of my adventure. Throughout the 2,300+ miles I will be checking in with the class and working with them on projects such as US geography, historical towns along the river and sharing the various natural wonders I encounter, all while telling stories from the journey. While all of that is good and well, the aspect I am most excited about is working with the kids to help them understand that any goal is possible. That it is OK to be different and have different goals than those around you. More to come on that in the future.

MinnesotaWill CollinsDecember 21, 2018Mississippi River, Source to Sea, Minnesota, Lake ItascaComment