Thursday, October 21, 2010

20th and 21st States–Rhode Island & Connecticut (Oct. 25, 2010)

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Night before… red skies at night, sailors delight!?

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I’m not sure if it is cheating or not… but WAIT, it’s my game and I am making the rules… so, it’s NOT cheating.  I kayaked both states at the same time.

I put in in Westerly, Rhode Island and paddled back and forth from RI to CT down the waterway to the mouth of the Little Narragansett Bay.

See Map.

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Now… here was the most interesting thing about this paddle… white geese.

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However, it was over a four mile paddle to get to the mouth of the Bay and by then I was too tired to explore the more interesting areas.   Eight miles was a long paddle at that point in time.   I wish I could have found a place closer to put in, but so much of that land is private and it’s hard to get to the water or find a place to park.  It was a real struggle for me to get back to the boat ramp.  So sad.

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But I enjoyed exploring the beach areas I could get to and was looking forward to moving on and kayaking NJ, DE, MD, etc..

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The fall colors were near perfect and I never tire of old stone walls.

19th State–Massachusetts (Oct. 21, 2010)

Wow, what a pleasure.  I got to meet Kay (known as “Oldmapsne” or the gal in the red van with stars all over it).  She is a tad older than me, I’m not saying, but had no trouble at all keeping up with me in her little red kayak.  What fun.  Saw a beaver mound.  Had lunch on her deck.  And the house is a treasure trove of old maps, a genealogists paradise.

Note from Kay:

I live on ... and we kayaked on Secret Lake in Athol, Massachusetts! Such a nice day that was ... so glad you came by and made me get out on the water for the first time that year.

Kay

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Photo by Kay.

Thought some of you might enjoy our dialog that day.

Dear Kay,
 
Thank you for a lovely evening last night and for the tasty dinner... and all the laughs.  It is truly a pleasure to meet my kind of crazy person, for a change.  I'm really glad you turned my luck around.   Hope we can paddle your little lake today.  What a great place you have here.
 
Charlene

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Good morning! It's fun to have you here ... makes me think I really am part of a society (vandwellers) I didn't even know existed a year ago!
 
I hope we don't freeze our butts off!
 
Kay

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Your butt???   My butt sits in water!
 
You could wear my wet suit and I could wear my fishing wadders.
 
Charlene

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No wet suit for me ... too much work involved getting in to it! I've got a cushion, and I won't be sitting in water, just on a cold seat!
 
See you soon!

Kay

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Weather could not have been better.  I forgot the story of this boat… I’ll have to ask her again.  I think she built it herself?!

She sells old maps of the northeast online at http://www.oldmapsne.com/ .

Who is Swankie?

My photo
Anywhere, USA, Full-Time USA traveler, United States
In 2006, I was shopping for a wheelchair. By 2007, I had new knees, better health and by 2008 a kayak. In Aug 2013, I kayaked my 49th state, Alaska, at the Holgate Glacier and in May 2014, I kayaked Hawaii, my 50th state, to celebrate my 70th Birthday and the finale to the wonderful adventure of Kayaking America? Next up... Solo Hiking the Arizona Trail, 820 miles? Maybe. Still healing from shoulder and trying to decide.

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