Follow me around the world
Kayaking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller Kayaking Date: September 17, 2019
Rosie & I kayaked seven miles down the river from Meramec State Park to Meramec Caverns. The river was very clean and clear. A beautiful day. A local fisherman told me he eats the bass and perch that he catches. Saw lots of turtles & blue herons. We kayaked into a cave that sparkled from the sun’s reflection on the water and rocks. We saw dozens of other caves along the way.
Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller Expedition Date: July 24, 2019
Rosie & I rented a double kayak from the state park and paddled down the Tomoka River. Within two minutes I spotted a manatee (Photo#3). We paddled upriver and countless channels seeing lots of beautiful birds. Ninety minutes later I saw a manatee come up for air about fifty yards upstream heading our direction. Rosie was in the bow of the kayak. A minute later I saw bubbles about ten feet in front of the kayak. I knew the manatee was going to surface for air real close to us. The manatee suddenly surfaced, splashing Rosie, bumping & slightly tipping the bow of the canoe. She yelled so loud you could have heard her in Tennessee. I couldn’t film the encounter as I had to use the paddle to balance the stern of the kayak from flipping. We have both snorkeled in the water with manatees in the past so we knew manatees are very docile, but Rosie was worried about flipping into the water with alligators nearby. The park ranger had told as that several gators were nesting down some of the channels. After the encounter we enjoyed a scenic trip back to the dock. When we left the park we saw a family of armadillos (Photo#2) by the road.
Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller Expedition Date: July 2, 2018
We got up early and drove a couple miles to Adventure 60 North Kayak Livery. Rosie & I put on waterproof clothing and paddled 4 miles across beautiful Resurrection Bay on Kenai Peninsula. This was our first time on a 14 foot two person sea kayak. Sea otters swam by us constantly & bald eagles flew overhead. We beached, hiked into a state forest one mile to a beautiful waterfall called Bridal Veil Falls (Photo#8) where we had lunch. The weather was a sunny 60 degrees on the way back across the bay but on the way back it suddenly changed, clouds and fog rolled in and we were pelted by cold rain drops and gusty winds.
That night at Ray’s overpriced Waterfront Restaurant we enjoyed salmon chowder, hot crab cakes and the local Alaskan brewski. Seward, being a deep water port, does get a few cruise ships and container ships. Since we were leaving this town of 2,500 people the next morning we missed by two days, the famous Seward Fourth of July event including the Mount Marathon run. The run began in the late 1800’s as a bar room bet. Could anyone run up the 3,022 foot peak and back in one hour or less? Now the 3.5 mile run through town and up Mount Marathon (Photo#10) and back is a classic test of endurance.
Expedition Team: Rosie Miller, Dave Miller Expedition Date: September 2017
We drove to Miamisburg with two kayaks and put in on the west bank across from downtown. We paddled south almost to Rice Field and then back north. We hugged the shore coming back to make it easier to paddle against the current. I am glad we did because we saw hundreds of butterflies and some hummingbirds eating the sweet nectar from the blossoming flowers. You can see a hummingbird in Photo#3 & #4 but in the last photo that straight line thing with antlers and rapidly flapping wings heading to the flower is also a hummingbird.
Expedition Team: Rosie Miller, Dave Miller Expedition Date: September 2017
It was a little chilly but we wanted to go kayaking. It had rained twice that week so the Great Miami River was up. We paddled south a mile and then back towards the dock. Just north of the dock is a small creek or side channel about 8 feet wide. With the higher water I was able to paddle the farthest east back into that channel than ever before. It got too shallow just before the overhead bikeway bridge. I took a photo and video. It is one of my most watched videos. The photo is so good that it was made into a large photo and is hung at the Moraine Municipal Building. Another copy of it is in my basement at home. It is the first photo below. I am very proud of it.
Kayaking Team: Rosie Miller, Marylee Dunphy, Jo Hinker, Joyce Williams Kayaking Date: September 2018
River Guide Rosie was busy in September as she met her friends on several occasions to kayak north from Moraine East River Landing, into some side channels and then south back to the dock. She doesn’t charge a fee for her service but does work for tips or Panera Bread gift cards.
Fishing Team: Matt Miller, Dave Miller Fishing Date: June 2018
Matt and I put in just south of the low dam south of Miamisburg opposite Chautaucqua. The Great Miami River glistened in the bright sunshine. Matt had his kayak loaded with fishing gear. We headed south and immediately encountered some fast rapids. Sadly, his friend Adrian had overturned his kayak at this spot a few days earlier and lost his tackle box and some gear. Just beyond the rapids near the east bank was the body of a dead deer. Matt and Adrian caught some huge catfish there. Apparently, the deteriorating remains and smell of the deer attracted catfish. The odor was pretty rank but Matt casted near the deer and soon he caught one large catfish. I tried the same area but had no luck. Later downriver we beached on a huge flat rock in the middle of the river and fished off of it a few minutes.
I added a photo of the same rock when I was bicycling on the nearby bike path. One single sunflower was growing out of the rock. The photo I took got published in the Dayton Daily News.
Fishing Team: Matt Miller, Dave Miller Fishing Date: July 2017
Matt and I were out fishing on the Miami River. Matt caught a large catfish and I caught a bluegill. We cruised south to the West Carrollton/Moraine low dam and then four miles north past SunWatch Village. As we boated under the Main Street Bridge we saw a bunch of bird houses caked onto the side of the bridge with bird heads sticking out. Heading back south to the dock Matt saw a beaver with a stick in its mouth on the east bank. He cut the engine and we glided over towards it. Miraculously, the boat got within one yard of the shore and the beaver didn’t move. You could suddenly see that the beavers eyes realized we were very close and he took two steps and dove into the river. He splashed so close to the boat that water splashed up into the boat and got me wet.
Expedition Team: Rosie Miller, Dave Miller, Jacque Kelly Expedition Date: May 13, 2018
Jacque joined us as we put in north of the Dryden Road Bridge opposite Edwin Moses Blvd. and took the current south to the Moraine East River Landing. A half mile south of where we put in on the west bank is a large drainage tunnel. I kayaked in until I couldn’t see any farther. I will return with a head flashlight and see how far I can go. This tunnel will make a great scene for our zombie movie that we are filming. We saw blue herons and turtles. One flying heron looked like Mothman. I saw an old brick from Ironton, Ohio lodged in the roots of a fallen tree. I want to return in my boat and dig it loose as it is probably from an old brick manufacturing plant on the Ohio River.
Fishing Team: Matt Miller, Dave Miller Fishing Date: May 7, 2018
Matt and I tried our luck fishing north of Moraine East River Landing. The temperature was in the 60’s and fish weren’t biting other than a few bluegill. I also caught a large stick by accident. In another photo, Matt is holding a large carp caught an another outing. I tossed in a couple more photos of Rosie and me cruising on the Miami River where we caught a few bluegill. Anytime we went out there were always plenty of blue herons.
