Our kayaking journey down the Mississippi River began in Brainerd, 100 miles south of where the mighty rivers humble source is located in Itasca State Park. We heard the call of the loon and watched bald eagles soar above the majestic virgin pines. Our float on the river was slow, the strong headwinds and the little flow on the river took us about 4 hours to travel 11 miles south to Crow Wing State Park.

The next stop on our RV journey is very close to Itasca State Park, 1,475 feet above sea level, where the Mississippi River begins its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. This stop is also just a few miles from Bemidji, Minnesota where the legendary superman and woodsman, hero of the early logging days, Paul Bunyan, was born.