2022 CANOECOPIA EXPEDITION!

 There was a group of kayakers who left Baxter County, Arkansas and traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, in mid-March of 2020.  Their goal was to attend the world's largest paddle sports tradeshow (called Canoecopia--www.Canoecopia.com), being held in the Alliant Center in Madison.  However, after the group had already left Arkansas, the reports on social media showed that the Canoecopia event had been cancelled, by government order, due to the emergence of a novel Corona virus strain.  This was just the beginning of a world-wide phenomena called the COVID19 Pandemic.  When we finally got to Madison, we drove through the desolate parking lot of the Alliant Center, and then decided to go by the retail store that was sponsoring Canoecopia, which is called Rutabaga Paddling Center ( www.rutabaga.com  ).  The store was closed to the public, but undaunted, we started conversations with the workers who were unloading trucks outside, which eventually enabled us to go inside and meet the owner of Rutabaga, Mr. Darren Bush.  To say he was devastated, is not an overstatement.  Yet, he took the time to give us a personal tour of his store, and planned out an alternate itinerary for us, of hiking trips in the area.  He even managed a smile, for the selfie he took with us!  He encouraged us to come back, and said he would honor the wristbands we had, to attend 2020, for the next in-person event.

 

We were determined to go to the in-person event, held two years later in 2022, and set out for Wisconsin on Thursday, March 10, with a planned overnight in Ottawa, Illinois ( www.pickusottawail.com ).  We found a fun restaurant for supper in downtown Ottawa, and also a different restaurant in the same town for lunch the next day.  These two establishments were the only two restaurants we used during our five-day trip.  The remainder of our meals were the delicious WHOyaker potlucks.

The next day, we woke up to see that snow had blanketed the parking lot and the vehicles we traveled in:

The snow did not keep us from going to visit the historical event that Ottawa is famous for---location of the 1858 debate, between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, in front of the Reddick Mansion (www.reddickmansion.org ).  Ottawa, Illinois is famous for its murals, so we took a "windshield tour" to see as many murals as possible in the downtown area.

From downtown Ottawa, we drove the recently snow-plowed highway,  to Starved Rock State Park ( www.starvedrockstatepark.org/ ).  The 2,630 acre state park,  that is situated on wooded bluffland,  above the Illinois River, has a fantastic visitor center, where we stopped to view the exhibits and use their spacious restroom facilities.

We then crossed the river to the Illinois Waterway Visitors Center ( www.mvr.usace.army.mil ) above the lock and dam, and we were able to observe a tugboat with a cargo of benzene being floated through the lock.  The visitor center is famous for being an outstanding location for viewing eagles.  In fact, they had their telescope set up so we could get a "birds eye view" of a nesting eagle, so well focused, that we could actually get a closeup "view of the eye of the bird"!

From that location, we drove the remainder of the distance to Madison, Wisconsin, in time to make it for the official Canoecopia  startup time of 3:30 pm on Friday.  FINALLY, we were able to see the world's largest paddlesports trade show/symposium in person!

There were numerous seminars going on simultaneously, and this is a photo of one wall screen, for a class called "Essentials for a pocket survival kit"

Another class was by Dr. Neal Schroeter, about emergency procedures in the wilderness:

Another class was on how to choose the perfect paddle for your needs:

One of the seminars was about paddling the Buffalo National River, so these gals made quite the statement with their matching BNR tee shirts!

Also we learned the proper way to grip your paddle:

Another class was on proper exercises for paddling strength, and we learned that uplifting the arms is a good stretch for strengthening your paddling:

Meanwhile, back at the large house we had rented in Madison for the weekend ( www.vrbo.com ) these ladies enjoyed some hydrotherapy in the hot tub:

The next morning, Helen gave her daughter a cold snow scrub,  in the hot tub.  The deck had been dusted in snow overnight, and the thermometer read six degrees! 

One night, after arriving back at the lodging after a full day of attending seminars, the ladies made a beautiful charcuterie board.

Then it was up early the next day to head back to the Alliant Center, for a different kind of "soak" than what one receives in the hot tub.  On the contrary, we were all trying to "soak up" as much knowledge as possible from the opportunities provided by Canoecopia.  There were demonstrations on knot tying:

There was also a place where you could practice tying various knots:

Out on the showroom floor, there were many different kinds of equipment on display, including one for making kayaking accessible for those in wheelchairs:

I also encountered Rutabaga owner, Darren Bush,  out on the show room floor, carrying his banjo, which he has only been playing for the last three years.  He was heading for one of several "arts and culture" seminars Canoecopia provides. 

On the final day, we took our charcuterie leftovers to the Alliant Center and had a WHOYAKER potluck lunch.  There was food service available for purchase at the Alliant Center, but we opted to take our meals in our backpacks, so we did not have to lose precious time waiting in line, for menu items to be prepared.   The photo shows there were eight ladies in our group, and I heard Rutabaga owner, Darren Bush, refer to us as the "Arkansas Posse"!  At one of the seminars where door prizes were being awarded for who came from the farthest away, he gave each member of the "Arkansas Posse" an outdoors-related door prize!  By having a variety of interests within the group, and splitting up based on our interests, we covered seminars on paddling the Ozark National Waterways Park, paddling the Boundary Waters, camping for folks over fifty, outdoor photography, preparing for wild animal/human encounters in the wilderness, Apostle Islands paddling, wilderness medical emergency guidelines, overcoming fear, leading groups in the outdoors, campfire culinary skills, kayaking with your dog, compass navigation, choosing the proper kayak for your outing, paddling the Mississippi, and many other seminars too numerous to mention!  After we returned to the lodging in the evening, we would share what we learned, and use "screen mirroring" from our smart phones, to put the images on the big screen television, at our rental VRBO. 

Many of us ended our time at Canoecopia by attending the live music concert (that included Darren the banjo man) playing songs related to paddling and the outdoors.  It was a high-spirited song-fest, that received a standing ovation, as an expression of gratitude for the countless hours of preparation that goes into staging "the world's largest paddlesports tradeshow/symposium"!

After Canoecopia ended on Sunday afternoon, we drove to a market the locals told us about, where we bought Wisconsin cheese (Afterall, we could not leave "The Dairy State" without savoring the delicacy that made them famous!).   Then we drove about half hour further down the road to visit  Devils Lake State Park.  At one pulloff, we observed an attractive couple doing a professional-looking photo shoot, of their shiny black sports car, against the contrasting white of the frozen lake.  So, of course, we asked them to take a photo of our group:

 

In March of 2020, Devils Lake State Park was the location where our group did extensive hiking on the Ice Age Trail (after learning indoor events were cancelled) and photos of that adventure is in the archives, in an article called "Canoecopia Expedition", dated July 2, 2020.

This photo of the still icy-looking road, explains why there were very few visitors at the park on this late afternoon day, even though it is one of Wisconsin's most visited state parks!

On the trip home, we were delighted to find lower gas prices in Rolla, Missouri, because it had been almost a dollar MORE per gallon in Wisconsin!

We offset the high price of gas by having a picnic of leftovers along the way home, instead of stopping at a restaurant:

However, since we saved money on lunch, we splurged at the ice cream store in Rolla, as a final treat before making it back home:

 After all the ladies in our group had left the store, except for Helen, the owner of the ice cream store asked Helen what type of group we were.  She told the owner that we were all her daughters.  When the owner commented that none of us looked alike, Helen's quick, (tongue-in-cheek) reply was, "Oh, they are all by different fathers!"   This reminded me of one of my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verses.  The paraphrase of Psalm 133:1 from The Message says, "How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!"   I can assure you that this trip with my "paddling sisters" was wonderful and beautiful!  It gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia

CANOECOPIA EXPEDITION!

The photo of this group of women was taken at a rest stop along the Interstate in Illinois, as the two cars in our "Canoecopia Caravan" stopped to obtain travel information, and check out the facilities.  The headline written in red above our heads is very appropriate with the phrase "We Were Women", because each of us was a member of a group called "Women Hiking the Ozarks", or "WHO", for short.  In the Ozarks, the hot (and tick-laden) days of summer are not ideal for hiking, so the group started getting together regularly to kayak the many lakes and streams of the Ozarks, and decided on the name "WHOyakers" for their paddling endeavors.  For several weeks, we had been planning a trip to Madison, Wisconsin, to attend the world's largest paddling expo, called Canoecopia, scheduled for March 13-15, 2020.  When we left Arkansas, the event was still scheduled to occur, although we were hearing a few reports from other parts of the USA that there were concerns regarding a new type of flu, that was caused by the Corona virus.

On

the way to Wisconsin, we stopped to spend the night at a rental property adjacent to Starved Rock State Park ( www.starvedrock.org ), in Illinois.  I was excited at the prospect of visiting this particular state park because I had heard it was famous for its large population of eagles, and claims to be Illinois most visited state park.  We went to their historic lodge that evening, to check out a local talent contest they were having, that was similar to those currently popular on television.  And of course, the beautiful and immense fireplace in the great hall was another photo opportunity, for this structure that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.    The letters "SRL" above us stand for Starved Rock Lodge.

The next day, we arrived at the park very early so that we could hike some of the trails the park is  famous for, many of which use pedestrian bridges to "even out" the "hills and hollers", plus 18 canyons, that the trails traverse:

One of the most scenic spots takes hikers into a box canyon, with a waterfall at the back, that makes for yet another great photo opportunity!

 

Another scenic spot the trail leads to at Starved Rock State Park, is a bluff overlooking the Illinois River, where one has a good view of the Starved Rock Lock and Dam system that has been built across the river to control flooding, while still permitting navigation.

We felt very fortunate to get to have such an enjoyable experience at Starved Rock State Park, because the next day, the park closed down, due to fears of the Corona virus!  When we went across the river to the Corps of Engineers Visitor Center ( www.mvr.usace.army.mil ), the employee told us that we would probably be his last visitors, for "who knows how long?", because he had instructions to lock the doors after we left!  But at least we were able to get yet another group photo of our crew sitting on a giant propeller from a river boat:  (I guess a propeller could be thought of as a type of modified "paddle", and hence appropriate for our group!)

When we finally made it to Madison to the Alliant Center, where Canoecopia was scheduled to be, it was one big empty parking lot---with rope barriers, locked doors,  and orange traffic cones, indicating nothing was going to be happening there---in particular, the world's largest paddlesports expo! HOWEVER, we did find a LARGE WORLD to get yet another group photo!  As you may recall, Wisconsin is called "The Dairy State", and this sculpture was erected for the 1967 World Dairy Expo. 

This photo shows the group of seven ladies from the Arkansas Ozarks, that traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, to participate in the early March, 2020, event known as CANOECOPIA.  Through a series of circumstances no one could have predicted, we ended up not only meeting the originator of this popular paddle sports event, but he used his phone to get the all-important group photo with him!  His name is Darren Bush, and despite the monumental disappointment he was experiencing, he managed to put on a smile for this photo!

 Darren gave us a thorough tour of his store ( Called Rutabaga, www.rutabagashop.com ) that is as much like a museum of paddling sports worldwide, as it is a retail business!  Notice the cap on his head must be one he quickly grabbed out of his inventory, because it still has the price tag on it!  In addition to the paddling artifacts and retail merchandise, it is filled with creative details that he has made himself, using his wood and metal-working skills.  After the store tour, we followed Darren to his desk, where he went on the Internet, to patiently map out the area attractions we could visit, since the Canoecopia event had been cancelled.  The locations shown in the remainder of this blog represent the "Plan B" our group experienced, after "Plan A" turned into a "vapor"!  We greatly appreciated Darren's assistance with developing an alternate itinerary for our group of outdoor enthusiasts!

  During much of our time in Wisconsin, our automobile route was designated as part of the Frank Lloyd Wright trail.  This included a drive to the small town of Spring Green, where famous American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, had his home and architectural studio for many years.  The name of his estate there is called "Taliesin", and our group stopped to get a photo of the sign near the entrance, with the expansive home site at the brow of the hill behind the sign.

Diana took this photo of me, with the sprawling Taliesin ( www.taliesinpreservation.org ) in the background.  I included the photo because it shows the "cat walk" extension on the far left of the structure.  In Arkansas, there was another famous architect, known as Faye Jones, who was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.  Jones designed a home on a hillside overlooking Huntsville, Arkansas,  for Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus.  The Faubus home has that same catwalk feature on it!

Other characteristics of Frank Lloyd Wright designs are the low-hanging roof eaves and low-clearance entry ways.  I am only 5'2" tall, yet I can touch the ceiling of the entryway to the Visitor Center at Taliesin.  Before this structure was the Visitor Center, it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, to be a restaurant overlooking the adjacent river. 

Another place we visited on this Wisconsin expedition, was Devil's Lake State Park ( www.dnr.wi.gov ).  I first heard about this place from my son, who went there to try out their popular rock climbing sites.  It did not disappoint!  We even got to visit with some rock climbers along the trail!

The photo below shows us "explorers" perched on the side of the mountain, with the frozen 360-acre Devils Lake below, in the background.  There were very few places along the trail that were wide enough for a group photo that met social distancing requirements, so we ended up having to get closer to each other!

Although we did not do the type of technical climbing with ropes and harnesses the way my son did, the trail we followed required a great deal of "bouldering"!  Someone in our group took this photo of Peggy and me, inching our way along the route.  (Peggy in front and I am the one in back with arms uplifted)

I was excited to get to visit a nationally-known trail, called the "Ice Age Trail" (www.iceagetrail.org ), while we were at Devils Lake State Park.  A WHO member in Arkansas (she also lives part time in Wisconsin), had told me about the Ice Age Trail, but at the time she told me, I did not know that I was actually going to get to experience it!

This photo above shows Diana peaking from behind one of the landmark rock formations.  It was not an easy task to get to the point where she is standing, so I was happy to just be the photographer at this formation, and not try to stand on the edge of it, like Diana was!  We could call this her "Post Card from the Edge"!

After her safe return to the main trail, she took a photo of the rest of us, standing in front of the famous natural landmark:

As a comparison, I am posting a photo from the bottom of the Ice Age Trail on the left, and a photo of the top of the climb on the right!

In keeping with its frigid-sounding name, it actually snowed on us a bit, while we were on the Ice Age Trail, which accounts for the rosy cheeks in this photo by the trail marker with the Ice Age logo!

As a souvenir, I  purchased the Ice Age Trail medallion to put on my hiking stick.  It gives me great joy to get to hammer in another national scenic trail souvenir, to go along with the ones I have from the Pacific Crest Trail, and Appalachian Trail.

Yet another scenic place we hiked was the area around Stephens Falls, located in Governor Dodge State Park ( www.dnr.wi.gov ).    The falls themselves were frozen, and provided a great backdrop for photographs!

At a location several miles away from Devils Lake State Park, we hiked at "Pewit's Nest" ( www.dnr.wi.gov ).  It is a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources State Natural Area.  The site had a frozen waterfall, and a trail that followed the creek through a riparian habitat:

One of the ladies on our Wisconsin trip has a visual impairment, but none-the-less enjoys hiking and paddling, whenever possible.  This photo shows that Wisconsin DOES have some paved, accessible trails, that she was able to enjoy, accompanied by another hiker on each side of her, as she walked.  She is a wonderful example of a person who is determined to live life to the fullest, despite the obstacles she has to overcome to do so!!

This same lady was able to have a version  of  an "Ice Age Trail" experience when her daughter gave her a "snow facial", as the group posed for a photo in front of a huge mountain of snow and ice we encountered during out "Up North" adventure!

I read it was a Wisconsin tourism faux pas to leave the dairy state without sampling their legendary "fresh from the farm" ice cream, so we made a stop at a popular ice cream store in Madison, on our last full day in that city.  What made our visit to the store even more enjoyable is that Peggy (shown in photo holding a sack of their ice cream) read the description of all 100plus flavors they listed on their website ( www.chocolateshoppeicecream.com ), as we were driving back to Madison following a day of hiking out in the boonies! 

 The visit to downtown Madison gave us a chance to take an "urban hike", with a view of the Wisconsin State Capitol on the horizon!

No trip to Wisconsin is complete without sampling their famous cheeses, and so we stopped at Carr Valley Cheese ( www.carrvalleycheese.com ) store to check out what they had available.  All of us bought various types of cheese at their store, thinking we were buying enough to give some away as souvenirs to friends back in Arkansas.  However, on our drive home, we learned that the restaurants in Illinois had been closed, by order of their Governor, so all that cheese we had purchased was consumed---serving as both breakfast, lunch, and supper, on the long drive through Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas!  We were definitely "Cheese Heads", by the time we made it through four states, eating nothing but cheese curds!

To help me learn various Scripture verses, I often try to find a visual aid from my photographs that will help "imprint" that verse in my mind.  The way the Canoecopia event turned into a "vapor",  is a reminder of the words of wisdom in James 4:13-15 that says, Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

The tickets we purchased for Canoecopia have been applied to admission for next year's event, listed as March 12-14, 2021.  So, if the Lord wills, I hope to have  "Miles of Smiles" at Canoecopiea 2021, but in the meantime, I have learned that I can have "Miles of Smiles", regardless of whether things turn out as planned!  Tricia

ADDENDUM: 

  While we were in Wisconsin in March, one of the ladies ordered a new kayak from the outdoor supply store we visited, and although its delivery was delayed by about 3 months due to COVID19 precautions, it arrived in time for our annual WHOyaker multi-day outing in Missouri, June 29-July 1, 2020.  This photo shows Ellen with her brand new kayak, as we started down the North Fork of the White River, near Caulfield, Missouri.  Both Ellen, and her new kayak, are beauties!