MISSOURI RIVER
Missouri is believed to be an indian word for "community of the large canoes."
It seems to be the mother river, if for no other reason that length alone. 
It is the fastest of the rivers we've traveled


MISSISSIPPI RIVER
It is much different in person than in legend and lore. It is masterful and
beautiful in the same moment. It is varied and changes personality as it
travels from the top of our nation until it empties into the Gulf.

ILLINOIS RIVER
This is a very mild river.





GRAND RIVER (Missouri)
The Grand River is a pleasant natural stream the begins in the lower western
part of Iowa and wanders southeast until it runs into the much larger
Missouri River just below the town of Brunswick. We have traveled this
river from Pattonsburg to Gallatin and from Little Compton to Brunswick,
Missouri. Unless this river is flooding or flash-flooding, it is shallow
with a few deep ponds. In fact, on the upper Grand we kayaked most of the
way by pushing with our hands on the steam floor to scoot over low areas.
We would paddle about fifty yards, then get out and pull the boats through
the next set of ripples. But I will say it was a very nice walk. Lovely
river scenes, we’d like to return someday. On the lower Grand, we took the
trusty Kaw Warrior and motored up on a cool cloudy day, which turned into a
thunderstorm before we got back to Brunswick. Many low places even on the
lower section of this river.

WAKARUSA RIVER (Kansas)
The headwaters are near Auburn Kansas west of I-335. This river runs into
Clinton Lake near Lawrence, Kansas and leaves the dam to follow a course
down to the Kansas River near Eudora. The upper part above Clinton is a
wonderful day trip for kayaks, mild enough that you can paddle both upstream
and down stream easily. Very pleasant countryside and several places to
take out for a lunch or rest stop. Nearer to Topeka at Highway 75, it
becomes overgrown and passage is all but blocked to any boat travel.









KANSAS RIVER (or Kaw)
A favorite river, which has many braided landscapes, sand bars, islands and
woods.



OSAGE RIVER (Missouri)
We traveled from the mouth near Bonnots Mill to Bagnell Dam and beyond.
About 102 miles before we came to Cy’s house on Lake of the Ozarks. We saw
an old train wreck left in the river, basking Gar fish, old dams, a helpful
lady that took us to get gas in an old Toyota sedan filled with everything.
We got some fishermen to load up our boat on their trailer and take us over
the dam to the lake. And we fought for our lives on the Lake as large
cigarette boats roared back and forth. That night, Cy let us borrow his
prized Le Baron convertible to drive back to Bonnots Mill to pick up Scott’s
truck. We may have just been too tired but the drive seemed like the Disney
movie “Toad’s Wild Ride” in which all heck broke loose. The Le Baron had
some steering issues, which heightened our awareness of the dark country
roads. It was a perfectly terrifying end to an otherwise mundane survival
trip.




GASCONADE RIVER (Missouri)
We have not traveled up this river only far enough to go swimming at the
ramp next to the train bridge. But it is clear water and we’d like to
follow it back one day.






DELAWARE RIVER (Kansas)
We’ve traveled this river twice and went as far as Valley Falls. It empties
into Lake Perry near what we have called pelican bay.

STRANGER CREEK (Kansas)
This tributary empties into the Kansas river near the town of Linwood, KS
and is usually very small. We took a ride up this creek on a day it was
high enough for us to motor back a few miles. Steep sides mostly, it cuts
through farm land. We found interesting history here in the form of a one
time hotel that was used by the railroad and is still standing. It was
later used as a school and now a low-priced apartments. There was the red
and white Linwood Café that Scott and I visited one morning after traveling
on the Kaw River. We ordered a breakfast and asked for an orange juice to
go with it. We sat at the counter while the server filled a glass with
water from a plastic container, then mixed in some Tang drink mix. We
counted it one of the many priceless moments in river travel.

PLATTE RIVER (Missouri)
This little river empties into the Missouri near Farley it follows some
hills around the KCI airport

MARAIS DE CYGNES RIVER
Oh boy, what a ride we had on this river. It was at flood stage and rafts
of logs were coming down. Many twists and turns as we powered through the
trees. I pulled berries off vines as we passed through the thick-forested
areas. The headwaters are in Kansas and flows east until they dump into the
Osage River that flows east to the large Truman Lake area. On separate
occasions we’ve traveled most all of its distance and back, passing through
such towns as Schell City,Taberville, and Osceola.

SAC RIVER (Missouri)
For canoes and kayaks, there are outfitters near Stockton. This is an
ancient and archeologically rich river. I traveled this near the Stockton
Lake area, where the river flows north. The water from the dam is used for
generating electricity and the result is once a day the level of the
downstream SAC River will rise over ten feet. It peaks about midnight, a
very unusual river to run but clear and green.