About the Expedition

I once read that kayaking stories were boring to non-kayakers. This has not been my experience. Anytime I have shared my kayaking adventures they were usually met with earnest enthusiasm, especially if I had photographs to accompany my tales. Today kayaking is the fastest growing sport with over 7.3 million kayakers in North America alone. As more people become acquainted with the activity there will be more and more demand for kayaking books about places to kayak, and experiences at these locations.

The purpose of this trip is to gather experience, material and photographs for a book I intend to write. Route 90 - Kayaking Stops from New York to Seattle will be the story of a trip along Interstate Route 90 from New York City to Seattle, Washington.

What makes the trip so interesting is the fact that there are a large number of amazing kayaking places within short driving distances from exits off Route 90.

The kayaking stops chosen for this trip all meet the following criteria: 1) they can be kayaked by most any kayaker from beginners seeking kayaking experience to advanced kayaking adventurers; 2) they are extremely photogenic and offer views of nature unspoiled by large crowds; and 3) they can be accessed and enjoyed in 2 hours or 2 days, depending upon the kayaker's preference. In other words, each stop could be a destination unto itself.

Traveling with a kayak on the roof of an SUV offers a kayaker an unbelievable ability to stop and kayak along most any route. Whether you carefully plan your trip or you just play it by ear, you can have surprisingly wonderful kayaking experiences. While I have always been a big planner Ð mapping out my route, making extensive lists of items to bring, reading every book I could get my hands on about an area I might wish to visit — I have also enjoyed many impromptu kayaking experiences just by pulling off the highway and following an interesting terrain or sign to a lake or stream. Experience has taught me what to look for in seeking out a good, safe kayaking stop and I will attempt to share that accumulated knowledge in this book. Everyone ultimately knows what water is right or wrong for their kayaking skill level but reading about other kayaking experiences can help us all make intelligent decisions about whether to attempt a spot or not.

The idea for writing this book is the result of extensive planning for a trip I decided to take from New York to Seattle, Washington and to the San Juan Islands west of Seattle. I was extremely excited about kayaking in the San Juan Islands and decided that rather than renting a kayak there I would like to have my own Dagger Meridien SK-S (and Nigel Foster paddles) with me. After investigating shipping options and talking with fellow kayakers I decided that it would be best to drive the kayak out myself. This presented me with the happy option of having to plan a route, decide stops along the way and determine how many days I wanted to allow for the long drive. The kayaking guide book will be the happy result of all of this planning. I hope it will inspire others to put a kayak on the roof and head off across the beautiful highway called Interstate 90.

Route from New York to Seattle

The map below shows the route taken from New York to Seattle. I drove on Route 80 through New Jersey and Pennsylvania then connected to Route 90 in Ohio. Route 90 runs through Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington State.

Route drawn on a Mapquest.com map.