With things out there becoming more and more unpredictable and unstable, the world’s most popular travel destinations are quickly becoming ghost towns. The wanderlust is still in our hearts, though, but to get out and about we need to start getting creative when choosing destinations and flying anymore is too much of a gamble. I just read that RV sales and rentals are at an all time high. You know what that means? It means the good old-fashioned road trip is making a comeback.

Now, there’s plenty of nostalgia surrounding road trips. Most of us have memories of that one “insane” trip we took in college. It was so crazy and ridiculous they could have made a movie about it or maybe they did. I know I had more than one (don’t tell my mom).

Today I’d like to share with you a different kind of road trip. I call it, “a Road Trip in a Canoe.”

In order for a canoe trip through the Boundary Waters to have a good “road trip” vibe, I have two rules that need to be followed and have some great tips to help as well.

First Rule: Slow Down!

A rushed road trip is a bad road trip. Nobody has fun when you’re on a deadline and you have only 90 seconds for each potty break and you can only wonder at the world’s biggest chest of drawers. When you’re rushing past at 85 mph you can only dream about whose folding those giant socks. You’ll never know.

It’s the same on a canoe trip. Give yourself enough time. You want to be able to explore the pictographs or spend an hour watching a majestic moose without worrying about getting to your site before the sun goes down.

BWCA Canoe Trip Tip #1: Start Early.

My best road trips always started before the sun came up. Nothing interesting happened before 10 a.m. anyway. So put in the work early and cover some ground. This should loosen up the schedule and give you extra time to play around. It’ll give you a bit of a time buffer, too, in case you need to wait out some big winds.

BWCA Canoe Trip Tip #2: Stow the Electronics.

I doubt I’ll talk many of you into leaving your cell phone in your car, but will you please just turn it off and pack it away. You’re going to miss out on so many incredible sights if you waste all of your time crushing candy or Tik-Toking or whatever it is you do. Just like a teenager glued to his screen will miss out when you get passed by a legit Batmobile going 110 on I-80, and a once-in-a-lifetime sighting of Carhenge (It’s real. Look it up.), you’re going to miss those loons taking off or the billions of stars you can see at night.

Second Rule: Plan ahead, but be Spontaneous

If you follow the first rule, this second rule will be a breeze. Look at your map and plan ahead. That’s a smart thing to do.

Example: “We’ll paddle to this island and stop for lunch. Then, on this lake we’ll start looking for a good camp site.”

If you want some help with this, talk to Blayne or Dave. They’re oddly geniuses at planning great routes.  

It’s good to have a general plan but also plan to be flexible. You might meet some nice folks on a portage who tell you about a charming waterfall and you want to go play in it. Well, if you followed Tip #1 you left with plenty of time to goof around for a bit.

BWCA Canoe Trip Tip #3: Plan Breaks.

If you’re not an experienced (or in shape) paddler, you’ll get tired after a few hours. If you don’t take breaks, then all you’re gonna wanna do when you reach camp is set up your hammock and sleep. Not that a good hammock nap is bad; I highly recommend it. But that big steak dinner you planned for your first night is going to be a chore and you might convince yourself that three granola bars and a bottle of Tang is a sufficient meal and you’ll call it a night. If you take regular breaks, you’ll reach camp with energy to spare and you’ll get everything set up and be ready to explore your options like a 15-year-old on their first day of boy-girl summer camp.

BWCA Canoe Trip Tip #4: Portage Efficiently.

Portages are the equivalent of a gas station potty break. At best it’s a chance to stretch your legs, grab a snack or five and take a little bio break. In the same sense, a portage is not a true break.  Since it’s not a break then it must be work. To make it less work, come up with a system in your party and stick to it so everyone knows what their job is. In my family the goal was one trip to get everything across. Weight was distributed by strength down to the littlest kid who was had to carry all the paddles. Definitely the lightest load of anyone, but watching a little kid wrangle seven paddles is something fit for America’s Funniest Home Videos. If you fail to plan efficiently, then it’s usually mom or dad making a extra trips which is more work and they’re the ones who need to have the most energy on reserve.

Bonus Tip: If you’re carrying the canoe, keep your life jacket on. It’s a smart bit of extra shoulder padding and one less thing to carry.

BWCA Canoe Trip Tip #5: Snacks.

Road trip snacks would be on my list of the Top Ten Simple Joys in Life. They can be real good, it’s junk food you don’t usually eat on a typical day and it helps to pass the time between adventures. A foot-long brat infused with nacho cheese? Yum. A 2-gallon jug of Apple Beer? Yes please. Extra ice. Or what about a Jaw Breaker bigger than my fist? Well actually, I’d pass on that, but I think you know what I’m talking about.

Snacks on a canoe trip are just as important. They don’t just keep the hunger away until you can fry up those fish you caught. They’re one of the simple pleasures of a Canoe Road Trip. This is about the only time I have a giant bag of GORP, and when I’m out in nature, I don’t just eat the M&Ms. So plan ahead, get creative and be bold. Don’t be afraid to be the guy who brings the black licorice. However, have some room for spontaneity. I suggest you be on the lookout for them wild blueberries. Pick a bag of those and your griddle pancakes just went from so-so good to Oh! So Good!

There you have it. A perfect recipe for a road trip in a canoe to remember.