: First off, I have really enjoyed this particular thread. That said,
: I have been watching this one for months and writhing in
: jealousy of all the slices of paradise that have been posted;
: some of you guys really have it made! There is nothing more
: serene than a crystal clear sea, ancient glacial sculptures,
: sandy beaches, palm trees, year-round kayaking, sunny and 80,
: etc. ...I'm from South Dakota.

: Well, this weekend a friend and me took an overnight trip. We've
: been planning it for a few weeks; it is about an hour from home.
: We hopped on the Missouri River at Ft. Randall dam
: (43°03'17.94" N 98°33'13.73" W). Day one we picked
: off 35 miles and camped on an island in the middle of the river
: by Niobrara. Among other things, this offered sandy beaches,
: large cottonwoods, a perfect sunset, open fire ribeye's from a
: steer my Dad raised, and a full moon. Day two, we finished with
: a 12 mile stretch of the river to Springfield
: (42°51'22.34" N 97°52'58.63" W), then packed out and
: headed for home. The weather was perfect.

: While not the cleanest body of water, the Missouri River has
: painted a beautiful landscape after all these years of slicing
: through the Midwest. We experienced an abundance of wildlife
: along our trip but none more majestic than the bald eagle. This
: stretch of the Big Mo is adjacent to the Karl Mundt Eagle Refuge
: which houses the largest concentration of bald eagles in North
: America. Along our paddle, we saw numerous eagles and eagle
: nests with younglings peering over the side. Below is one of the
: images I captured. I have always been fascinated with the Bald
: Eagle: the power, the grace, the intent, the focus. I'm not a
: bird lover or watcher, but I sure enjoyed this, and man, that is
: one "bad-ass bird"!

: There was one particular point in the journey when I was watching a
: momma eagle feed her young, that I reflected back to this
: thread. The thought that came to mind is: "it would seem
: there is a little bit of paradise in everywhere we paddle!"

: Tyler N

: P.S. don't get me wrong, I'd still love to hit those spots ya'll
: are talking about!

I used to paddle at N 43.81249 and W -99.31288 all the time - even lived about 100 feet from the shoreline! Early morning/late evening was always entertaining, with an abundance of wildlife on display. But paddling when the waves were rolling, after a strong wind, was the most fun! No pics - I usually had my hands full keeping the 'hole' on the top of the boat.