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my dad hiking in a mangrove swamp in the Everglades – adventure travel is a family affair

Many adventure travelers out there are solo travelers in search of interesting places around the globe. Most of these global explorers most likely got their start from family vacations. I definitely fall into this category as my adventurous side was nurtured by many family trips to places like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, the Wisconsin River, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

In a recent interview post by ButterflyDiary, I was asked who my travel heroes were. I included my Dad who introduced me to hiking, canoeing, and cross-country skiing as a child. While most fathers were taking their children to Disneyland, my dad drove us past Orlando farther south to canoe with birds and alligators in the Everglades.

On Monday, I will be leaving for another adventure trip with my Dad in Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. We will canoe and portage over 25 miles into the rugged interior of the park at Lake Kawnipi and then stay for three of four days and return. This trip is not easy for people my age or younger, but my dad still is able to conquer it easily at the age of 73.

My dad holding up a northern pike on Lake Kawnipi in Quetico

Another adventure traveler I admired greatly growing up was my dad’s brother and my Uncle Richard Nelson. He used to be my paddling partner on many trips into Quetico, the Boundary Waters, and also places like the Jack’s Fork River near his home in Arkansas.

A sight I will miss is my Uncle Richard paddling at the front of my canoe

Tragically, he passed away in 2004 in a freak accident in his back yard. Uncle Richard used to be in the Air Force and served all over the world in times of war and peace. His favorite stories came from a period of time when he was stationed in Chaumont, France before DeGaulle kicked NATO out of the country.

Many times since his death and many times on this forthcoming trip my Dad and I will tell Uncle Richard stories. The memories of loved ones are often most vivid at destinations where you traveled together.

We felt Uncle Richard’s presence acutely here as between 3rd and 4th Falls was his favorite place

Uncle Richard was a phenomenal wood gatherer and a top notch dishwasher. Every time I gather wood and wash dishes in his absence his memory will come to mind.  I also think of him often when I write this blog as he was a notorious Luddite and hated the computer, but I know that he would have loved reading this blog.

My dad and uncle on the Jack’s Fork River in the Ozarks of Missouri

I am sure travelers everywhere can sympathize with a fellow traveler they either lost due to passing away or just simply lost contact with. If you have memories of a lost traveler feel free to share in the comment section.

TT

The goal of Traveling Ted is to inspire people to outdoor adventure travel and then provide tips on where and how to go. If you liked this post then enter your email in the box to get email notifications for each new entry. Daily travel photos are excluded from your email in order to not flood you with posts. There is no spam and email information will not be shared. Other e-follow options include Facebook (click on the like box to the right) or twitter (click on the pretty bird on the rainbow above).

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