Kayaking – Current River, Akers Ferry to Round Springs

We awoke to another beautiful day. I really think this has been the best week of paddling we’ve ever had when it comes to weather. The days have been warm but not overly hot, and the evenings have cooled down enough to make for great sleeping.

Today we put in at Akers Ferry and paddled down to Pulltite. We stopped at a gravel bar for lunch, and as always, this section of the river was an easy and beautiful paddle. The route from Akers Ferry to Pulltite is 9.7 miles long and offers plenty of scenic views along the way.

Once we reached Pulltite, we had the option of ending our day there or continuing on to Round Spring Campground. Six of us decided to keep paddling, turning the day’s route into a total of 19.5 miles.

As usually happens with a smaller group, our pace picked up on the second section. The current started off fairly slow but gradually increased as we moved farther downstream, making for a fun finish to the day.

After such a long paddle, we were pretty proud of ourselves. We were also a little disappointed that there wasn’t a throng of cheering fans waiting to greet us at the takeout. Since no cheerleaders appeared, we simply cheered for ourselves—and honestly, after 19.5 miles, we had earned it.

Another wonderful day on the Current River and another reminder of why we keep coming back to the Ozarks.

Kayaking- Current River Cedars Grove to Akers Ferry

 At 8:30, we met in the campground parking lot to drive to Akers Ferry. We needed to leave two cars there for the shuttle back from our takeout, so once those drivers were organized, we headed upstream to Cedar Grove to begin our paddle downriver.

The river is narrow at the beginning of this stretch, so we often paddled single file. This is such a great group of paddlers—all experienced and comfortable on the water—so we never had any bottlenecks or bunching up along the way.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, with temperatures probably in the 80s, bright blue skies, and just a few white clouds. Days like this always remind me how lucky we are to be out in nature, paddling some of the clearest and most beautiful rivers around.

The Current River is becoming very familiar to us now. We passed springs flowing from the rocky bluffs and stopped for lunch at the old hospital site, with Blue Spring providing a stunning backdrop. Altogether, we paddled about eight miles, spending roughly four hours on the water.

We saw plenty of wildlife throughout the day. An eagle soared overhead, geese lounged along the riverbank as if they were enjoying a spa day, and an otter rolled around on the bank, looking both funny and adorable. We also spotted several ducks and lots of large fish swimming in the clear water.

Back at camp, we enjoyed a community dinner with Michelle and Lauren, with everyone contributing something to the meal. We feasted on hamburgers, sautéed mushrooms and onions, Caesar salad, and fresh vegetables with dip. By the end, we were completely stuffed.

Later, we headed down to the lower campsite, where we sat in a circle, shared stories, and laughed until our sides hurt. As if we hadn’t eaten enough already, Doug made a dump cake for dessert. It was delicious—and the perfect ending to another wonderful day in the Ozarks.

Kayaking- Current River Pull-Tite to Round Spring

 There were five of us at the campsite—Scotty, me, Lauren, Lita, and Michelle—who wanted to go kayaking. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to get on the water before the rest of the Paddling Buds arrived later in the afternoon.

We launched around 10:00 a.m. and paddled 9.7 miles on the Current River. We loaded all the kayaks into Scotty’s truck, put in at Pulltite, and took out at Round Spring Campground, where we were camping. About halfway through the trip, we stopped for a lunch break. Unfortunately, Scotty and I had forgotten our lunch. Hopefully, that doesn’t become a recurring pattern on this trip!

Our total paddling time was about three hours, and it was a nice, relaxing way to start the week on the river.

Back at camp, I took a shower—and it wasn’t just any shower. Scotty has rigged up an outdoor shower on our trailer, and I absolutely love it. There’s something special about showering outside and looking up at the sky while you do.

Later, Scotty and John went to retrieve Scotty’s truck and the kayaks we had left at the Round Spring takeout. For dinner, we made fajitas, and Michelle arrived just in time to join us. She’s camping out of her car, which always impresses me. I’m continually amazed by the single women who come on these trips and the creative ways they make them happen—whether it’s camping in a car, pitching a tent, or occasionally bringing a camper.

As the evening settled in, we gathered around the tent campsite, getting reacquainted, sharing stories, and enjoying plenty of laughs. It was a wonderful ending to a beautiful day on the river.

Camping - Roundspring, Ozarks

 We had a slow start and left the campground around 9:30, heading straight to Walmart for a few last-minute supplies, including a toilet deodorizer to deal with a slight but annoying trailer odor.

After a late lunch in the parking lot, we made our final drive into Eminence. There’s something reassuring about arriving at a campground we’ve visited many times before. We quickly settled into our site and put out all the extras: the outside tent, side table, festive lights, and even our marquee-style sign that proudly says, “Scotty & Julie, Paddling Buds.” We are home.

Best of all, we reunited with our paddling friends Lauren, John, his new friend Kara, and Leta. We spent the afternoon catching up and sharing stories from our camping adventures over the past year.

For dinner, we made pizza on the Blackstone grill and enjoyed a Pumphouse beer. Life is good!

To top off the evening, we attended the ranger talk on turtles at 8:30. Then, like the old folks we are, we headed back to the trailer and turned in, excited to kayak the next day.

Biking - Sangamon Valley Trail

 We had a relaxing morning at the campsite before heading out around 9:00. It’s always much easier to get on the road when we haven’t unhooked the trailer the night before.

On the way, we stopped near Springfield, Illinois to ride the Sangamon Valley Trail and ended up biking 14 miles. It’s a beautiful trail and obviously very popular, as we passed plenty of cyclists, hikers, and moms pushing strollers along the way. The path is mostly tree-lined and nicely shaded, with a few wooden bridges crossing over creeks and roads. It was the perfect break in our travel day.

Back at the trailer, we had spinach dip for lunch. We recently rediscovered spinach dip and are very happy it has made its way back into our lives. So good!

We had another night booked at Pere Marquette, and Ricky and Rae said they would meet us at Aerie’s Winery. It’s always a treat to see one of our kids, but even nicer when we get to see them twice within two weeks.

To get to the winery, we rode a gondola up the hillside, which was a fun experience. Along the way, we spotted several deer below us, and as we climbed higher, beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and the Mississippi River opened up before us.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner outside on the deck, taking in the scenery and savoring the time together. Before long, it was time to ride the gondola back down. We said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways, already looking forward to the next time we can be together, whenever that may be. ❤️

Biking- Weldon Springs

 We got the trailer packed up and ready so we could be at the RV dealer in Sheboygan right at 9:00. Scotty ended up buying a new converter, and it cost about $290 more than we had hoped to spend, but it’s one of those necessary repairs to keep the trailer running properly. At this point, we’re starting to think Wisconsin is an expensive state between the campground fees and now this!

To improve the mood a little, we stopped at Culver’s for lunch. We had sandwiches, I shared some of Scotty’s cheese curds, and the best part was getting ice cream to go. Scotty made me wait until we reached the campsite before eating mine. Too bad the refrigerator was still working!

From there we headed to Weldon Springs State Park in Illinois. It’s a smaller park with a lake nearby and a quieter feel. As soon as we got parked, Scotty immediately started working on the converter and had everything fixed within thirty minutes. He’s pretty amazing when it comes to this stuff.

With daylight still left, we went out for a 10-mile bike ride and stopped at a grocery store for baby wipes. When we’re camping, we don’t always shower if we haven’t gotten too sweaty, and whenever we can, we prefer using the campground showers.

Biking - Sheboygan, Wisconsin

 Today was a lazy morning as I stayed in bed for a while. I had a fantastic night of sleep, which was much needed after a few restless nights. The campers next to us had been up late the night before, and every step they took sounded like it was right outside our trailer. Lucky for Scotty, I stayed awake to guard our home anyway. 😄

Eventually we got on our bikes and rode the trail into Sheboygan. It’s a great trail with space beside the road clearly marked for bikes, so riding with traffic felt very safe. There was very little incline, making it mostly smooth, easy riding. Along the way, we stopped at the James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden. It’s a quirky spot with lots of cement statues apparently made by a man possibly around the 1950s. 

We passed through some really beautiful neighborhoods and spent part of the ride alongside Lake Michigan.

We stopped for a late lunch at [blank]. We each ordered cheeseburgers and they were absolutely delicious — big, juicy burgers served on hard rolls. I had a side salad while Scotty ordered cheese curds, which were really, really good: chewy, squeaky, and everything cheese curds should be.

After lunch we rode along the harbor and riverside toward the small lighthouse. It was such a beautiful area, and you could tell a lot of careful planning went into the development. On the way back to camp we stopped at the nature center, which was small but very well designed.

Back at camp, we decided to use the campground showers, and that turned out to be a great decision. The water pressure was amazing and the shower was wonderfully hot. It felt lovely after the day’s ride which totaled 19 miles.

There was still daylight left, so I sat out in the sun while Scotty tinkered with the battery, which has been a little temperamental on this trip. I also rode down to the marsh walk for sunset.