We're spoiled by kayak symposia in the upper Midwest

Sea kayaking continues to be of great interest to paddlers in the Midwest. The conditions on the Great Lakes are ideal for longboats. Sure, salt tastes great sometimes, but we have some pretty amazing paddling right here in our backyard.

Book review: Canoeing & Kayaking Wisconsin

The subtitle, "The rivers, the towns, the taverns," of Michigan paddler Doc Fletcher's latest book, Canoeing and Kayaking Wisconsin, tells most, but not all, of it. He came to Wisconsin to explore the dairy state's rivers with a group of paddling friends and put together a list of liveries, campgrounds and "watering holes" at the end of every trip. On top of that, he sprinkles in the history of the towns along each route and a "river quote" from each float trip, courtesy of his fellow river runners.

Spring is here

I grew up in an area of the world that had two seasons: green (for two months) and brown (for ten months). No seasons per se, just variations in temperature from almost warm to blazingly hot. In any case, the weather didn't affect what I did.