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returning to canoe country

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Hello out there everyone in canoe country. I'm very glad to have found you guys. I live in northern Mi. about an hours drive south of Mackinac. I moved to Florida in 2006 but was homesick and moved back about a year and a half ago. I'm hoping to retire in a year or so as I just turned 66 in Dec. Upon retirement I expect my canoe will be out on area rivers and lakes with me in it.

At this time I have a nice sea kayak from Florida and am going to be looking for a new solo canoe. I sure like the looks of the swift canoes. I've had sawyer loons, majic,and other nice boats. Our family used to own a canoe livery on the AuSable river for almost 30 yrs. Whew, enough already!!!!
 
Ok.. More rational response. Welcome to the campfire! I am packing for a trip to Florida with canoe.. I get a lot of inspiration from this site. I am making Erica's granola and Odysseys wifes turkey and cabbage soup. We share lots of ideas . They are all what has worked for the posters and we all have somewhat different tripping styles.

Don't throw out the kayak.. Oh I envy you.. Lake Superior Provincial Park and its week long kayak trips.. Just a couple of hours further and you nave Pukaskwa National Park and its wonderful two week possibilities best experienced by kayak.

Now I was going to suggest going to Canoecopia in March in Madison WI.. but you have that pesky Lake Michigan in the middle. Swift will be there.. You are in a difficult spot ..going over at Sarnia would lead you to Swift in Dwight but that is a good eight hours too.

I know you will find a way to find a nice canoe though.

No throwing out the yak... Apostle Islands.. Pictured Rocks.. Iffy in canoe and better for kayak. Need not mention BWCA which is insane to take a yak to.

We do have some that do both ac and dc here. The environment dictates.

There is a Wisconsin Canoe Symposium in June on a weekend but again.. that pesky Lake Michigan. Its not a commercial event though ; its more instructional and share and play in others boats.
 
I was going to suggest Canoeicopia, too. I used to live in the Soo. You have some great places to play. I love Lake Superior Provincial Park, but don’t just drive by Cedarville and the islands in Lake Huron. There’s at least one nice forest service campground on the south shore of the UP, which would provide nice places to paddle on Lake Michigan. And, Pictured Rocks has beautiful places to paddle, too. But back to buying a canoe... Canoeicopia is pretty cool! All the vendors, lots of “class sessions.” Even if you don’t go to Canoecopia, head over to Rutabaga (Madison, WI) to hunt for boats. Rutabaga sponsors Canoeicopia. Rutabaga is a big canoe/kayak shop on the water. I was going to look for kayaks at the “local” outfitters in Hessel and Goulais River, when it dawned on me that they both sell the same brands and at best, I’d get to choose the color of the boat, but only look at different models of the same basic manufacturers. I called Rutabaga on a Sunday afternoon and the owner answered. I asked about brands and models—he thought they had 750 boats in about 600 models (or something like that, I don’t remember the exact numbers). I paused, and asked if I’d get help, or just wander around looking at boats. He said that since I was coming so far, he’d schedule someone to help me. He scheduled a 5 star BCU kayaker who spent 5 hours with me. We looked at lots of boats, I sat in a number as the gentleman adjusted the fittings, and then he and I went on the water to test 4. I have nothing but good things to say about them. Good luck, and welcome home!
 
Welcome Jerry! Good luck on the move, future retirement and canoe shopping. Also lotsa luck finding my wife's turkey and cabbage soup. I oughta know, because she's not especially keen on turkey of any kind. Haven't seen that bird around this household in an age. Not my fault, she refuses to cook those enormous birds anymore. "Waste of oven space" she calls them. I offer to BBQ a turkey and she says "Not on my watch." So there you have it. I am allowed cabbage, for some reason which makes no sense to me at all, on account of the unfortunate effects that has on air quality. Again, no sense in me delving the deeps of my wife's logic, in case I come up empty and it also becomes my fault. Am I rambling?
Anyway, I think you'll find Kathleen the intrepid far north traveller is the Mistress of the Excellent Soup.
 
Anyway, I think you'll find Kathleen the intrepid far north traveller is the Mistress of the Excellent Soup. [/QUOTE]

i read your blurb to Kathleen, Odyssey. She laughed out loud. I'm a little bit concerned though, that she might demand that I always refer to her as the Mistress ot the Excellent Soup.
 
Welcome, I too would suggest that Canoecopia would well be worth your time and effort to attend. In addition to lots of canoes and every accessory possible there are a lot of great seminars to check out too.
 
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