We Had an "Oar"-deal!

Another great day for us!  We had reservations with Riverwood Canoe & Kayak for 9:00 this morning.  On our way to Osceola to meet up with Riverwood, we stopped in town to see Cascade Falls that is just off the main road. You can see the falls from the road, but if you want a closer view, you have to take 156 steps down.  You can also continue two-tenths of a mile to get a glimpse of the St. Croix River.  After our short walk this morning, we met up with Andrew from Riverwood (who is very nice!) to be driven to the launch site to start kayaking in the St. Croix Falls National Scenic Riverway.  This was such a relaxing morning!  There weren't many people on the river this morning and the water was like glass along the way.  It was so peaceful and felt like we had the park all to ourselves.  We spent the morning floating along talking about some of our favorite National Park moments.  Along the way, we saw an eagle, an osprey, a heron, and several shy turtles (they'd jump in the water long before we got close to them).  Sadly no pictures of the wildlife since the turtles wouldn't cooperate and we used our Go Pro for pictures today (which doesn't have zoom).

Cascade Falls

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

Selfie time!

After our kayak trip, we had a 4 hour drive to Itasca State Park.  This is where the Mississippi River headwaters are.  Once you get to the Visitor's Center, it's a very short walk (only 800 feet) to Lake Itasca and the headwaters.  This was a very pretty area and we spent about a half hour walking around and taking pictures.  It's so funny to see how small the headwaters are - it's only 18 feet across!  When you think of the "Mighty Mississippi," a 'stream' isn't what you think!

Lake Itasca is behind the rocks and the Mississippi starts in front of the rocks. 

Standing in the middle of the Mississippi River!

We have an incredible view tonight from our hotel room on Lake Bemidji, where we are enjoying the sound of the lake, watching baby ducks, watching the sunset, and drinking some Hunt Club.  I almost let the view keep me from blogging, so consider yourselves lucky.  :-)

Sunset on Lake Bemidji 

Duckies!