"With a naturalist's keen eye and the sense of adventure of an explorer, Doug Alderson reveals a compelling glimpse of Florida. Wild Florida Adventures proves that there's so much more to the Sunshine State than condos and theme parks." Conor Mihel, editor-at-large, Canoe & Kayak Magazine "Only consummate Florida outdoor writer Doug Alderson could have penned such a delightful - and practical - guide to exploring the state's natural wonders." Jennifer Portman, Tallahassee Democrat senior writer. "I've had a great time traipsing around the Florida rivers and trails with Doug Alderson, and as a Florida native, I learn something new every trip. I'm very excited about this book... so I can help unlock the secret places Doug knows about and I haven't been " Bryan Desloge, President, Florida Association of Counties On land or water, Florida is a wild playground because of its incredible beauty, diversity and vast stretches of public lands. In Wild Florida Adventures, author and photographer Doug Alderson will inspire you to pick up a paddle or lace up the hiking boots and start exploring the Sunshine State. From kayaking the length of the Florida Keys to searching for record-sized trees in a huge swamp to meeting the famous naked man of the Santa Fe River, this complementary sequel to Wild Florida Waters takes readers into Florida's unique places. A couple of favorite rivers such as the Suwannee and Wekiva are revisited with a different twist, and land adventures include a journey through the botanical wonderland of Torreya State Park, an exploration of a wild cave near Marianna, and a frigid campout in the Osceola National Forest with former Florida senator and governor Lawton Chiles. One out-of-state adventure-trying to tackle the mighty Mississippi River by canoe-has been added because it reveals the shortcomings of planning a long-distance trip a thousand miles away in Florida. The results are disastrous-and funny. Useful how-to information at the end of each chapter helps people plan their own adventures.

What follows is a collection of true life short stories of some of the adventures I have had over the last decade and a half as a solo kayaker. They all take place in Eld Inlet, Southern Puget Sound.

Grab a paddle as the author leads you on day trips and overnight adventures on the rivers and lakes of northwestern Washington. Travel to out-of-the-way destinations where kayaking allows us to pursue our innermost individual freedoms. Freshwater exploits in a sea kayak - not your typical jaunts in the Pacific Northwest. Here's proof that enchanting journeys are born in dreams of personal exploration. A Canadian paddler heads south to probe the rivers of Washington, searching for "slow pushers" to propel his kayak lazily downstream mile after mile. In the process, rivers and lakes become inspiring expeditions for an amateur paddler and his wife. A travelogue memoir of enlightening adventures set in the magic of the Pacific Northwest. WASHINGTON: Skagit River, Dakota Creek, Nooksack River, Silver Lake, Lake Samish, California Creek. OREGON: Willamette River. BRITISH COLUMBIA: Fraser River, Powell Lake.

Most books on this subject fall into two categories:
How-To's and Grand Expeditions.
Paddle Adventuring happily fills some of the inviting spaces in-between.

This tribute ranges from the joy and zen of paddling to the zany, from novice to skilled tripping and family cruising. It reflects useful lessons learned and possibilities that beckon - from local to favored waters like Ontario lakes country, Chesapeake and Florida rivers, New England, the British Columbia coast, Alaska, coastal and interior Belize.

Millions of us are beneficiaries of a vast array of new outdoor and on-the-water possibilities, offering more than a lifetime of easily pursued adventure from mild to wild, from global in scope to after work, and right around home. Paddling is a universal activity unrestricted by age or sex that almost anyone can do, a recreational style that is simple, versatile, hip, wholesome, ecologically friendly, affordable, a door to freedom, connecting with nature and providing easy access to varieties of joyous adventuring.

Increasingly we need outlets which offer diversion and simplicity in the face of daily complexity. Recent announcements touting hundreds of planned, "You Can Paddle" events in the United States put it this way: "Paddling brings sanity to an insane world. It quiets society's noise and reconnects us to something vital and real. Paddling can change your life if you let it." ...Chevy Trucks. James Raffan, author of "Bark, Skin and Cedar," has written "To paddle a canoe is to embark on a luminal journey that can sweep a willing heart across thresholds of new worlds."

TABLE OF CONTENTS includes:
The Paddle Thing
Paddle Adventuring
"Taste Life"
Heritage
Canoes Schmooze, Kayakety-Yak
"Canoe"bial Bliss
Nuts & Heroes
Canoe Views
Gunkholing
Whitewater
Paddling with Kids
Tripping and Cruising
Portaging
Mug & Grub
Fishin' & Wishin'
The Wild Side
Stump Sermons
Staying Topside
Out & Beyond
U 2 Can Canoe - and Kayak Too

Paddle Adventuring is opti-centric; lots of photos, saving, in theory at least, thousands of words. As for the "kaleidoscopic" mix, the versifications might sometimes conjure faint company with Rap or Cowboy Poetry, but inspired this time by the rhythm of paddle strokes, the gentle rise and fall of the oceans swells, and the windy-day lapping of waves. It is an appreciation of useful shared experience, a window on a segment of the paddling world. Old timers may nod and chuckle; newcomers might be encouraged to just get out there, and go.

There are references to much that is happening in the paddling universe-motherships, urban paddling, canoe design, canoe trails, kayak trends, paddling seniors, remedial paddling, safety, conservation, saving and restoring rivers- and some how-to's via the not-how-to's. The paddle offers a return to a conscious sense of body and self. From imagining to doing. Grabbing hold, a handle on your world, "paddling you own canoe..". or kayak... instantly and tangibly responsive, buoyant. Real, Exciting. Revitalizing.

Canoeing the Mountain transports the reader, bringing them along on a life-changing wilderness canoeing adventure on the wild and beautiful Mountain River in Canada's Northwest Territories. Only a few days into the 18 day trip, close calls and serious challenges begin for eight friends when one of their four canoes wraps around a rock. This true adventure campfire tale shares the many joys and trials of an unforgettable trip, while celebrating whitewater canoeing, the wonders of nature, and the paddler's inner journey.