Expedition Team: Rosie Miller. Jacque Kelly, Dave Miller
Expedition Date: August 2017
Rosie, Jacque and I participated in the 2017 Ohio River Paddlefest, the nations largest paddling celebration. We were part of over 1,600 kayaks and canoes that participated. We paddled 10 miles beginning in eastern Cincinnati at the Schmidt Recreation Center ramp and ended four miles west of the Cincinnati Reds Stadium at Gilday Riverside Park on the Ohio River. Weather was perfect, 70 degrees, a cloudless sky and a smooth river. It took us 4 ¼ hours to complete. For safety, all river traffic (barges, steamboats and powerboats) were not permitted on the river until 12noon.
We saw dozens of historical and city sites along the way. Many people canoed with their dogs or were dressed up. Several large boats had bands or singers serenading us as we paddled by. Docked across the river from the starting line was the infamous USS Nightmare boat. Around the six mile marker we turned north into Mill Creek and paddled an extra mile up and back on this famous waterway. Near the ten mile finish line I feverishly paddled across the river to the Kentucky side to investigate and take photos of a large wrecked boat whose identity is unknown.
