I'm game if you want to put it on your bucket list! The paddling part would be a problem for me I'd think ... but I don't have a clue how the drift would be on that trip. A small kicker might be nice for any lakes or reservoirs along the way.
Before my medical problems, my SEAL buddy and I were planning a VERY aggressive trip (that means exciting with maybe a bit of danger thrown in) down the Mekong River. Our biggest problem was deciding where to start the trip, but we knew we wanted to head through to Vietnam. We planned to purchase a small wooden boat in some small river village at our starting point, donate it to a Vietnamese local on the Delta once we completed the trip, then make our way to Saigon ... errr, I mean Ho Chi Minh City for a flight back to Thailand (IF we lived through it!). Again, our biggest challenge was deciding on a starting point. The Melong flows from China (I think the source is in the mountains of Tibet), through Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and on to the Delta in Vietnam. We had already planned the trip one year, but they had some major monsoons and the river was flooded (and extremely dangerous). We were that close to trying it. I speak some Lao and Thai (and TINY bit of Cambodian), my buddy speaks some Vietnamese ... so we had a good portion of that barrier covered ... but we always seemed to be able to communicate no matter where we went.
Bottom line is, the Arkansas River should be a piece of cake!
I'm retired, have a truck, a couple'a eBay bucks in my pocket and am willing to travel!
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain
I have actually to get started working on my bucket list road trip up the Al-Can Highway. It'll probably take two years advance planning. You're welcome to come along.
Here's the goal: buy a truck and boat to drive to Alaska up the Alcan. The trip will be a month minimum, maybe two. Sell the truck and boat in Canada and make enough off the sales to pay for a ticket home and pay for at least half the expense of the trip.
Your ebay experience would be invaluable. We could buy new fishing equipment, camping stuff, and sell it in Alaska as well. What would work best is to prearrange all that and just in effect be delivering to buyers.
Oh, and the Jedi Shit Disturber is riding with me. We might could use a DD.
BKB
Nope, the flying home part would have the Jedi pooping his pants. 'Course, with him along, we could just take HIS truck, once we get up there, you and I could fly home and he could drive back to N.C.!
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain
Bite me bof' yall. I'll fly home. I just prefer to be the one doing the flying.
Reckon they will let me fly the thing?
A Government that pays people to do nothing destorys their willingness to do anything!
Lets have Thumper buy us an old DC3 on EBay and we'll let you fly us up there and back.
BKB
Now you talking!Originally Posted by BarryBobPosthole
A Government that pays people to do nothing destorys their willingness to do anything!
I'm a few more years away than you on planning something like this (25 more years to work), but that sounds awesome.
One of the things that keep me focused on working, saving, planning retirement, is the excitement that will come with being able to plan a TWO MONTH LONG trip like this.... And having NO CLOCK to worry about punching.
I know two old men who were gonna float the White River from Newport to the mouth of the Mississippi. The second day, they caught the houseboat on fire and crashed it into a wooden bridge sitting it on fire also. It's one of my favorite stories to listen to.....lol
I think the DC-3 would make a great story !!!
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