East Coast/STL/Lotawana Day/Missouri River/nowwhat

Last post was coming from South Carolina.  From there I made my way further south, stopping in the first gated community of america, Hilton Head Island.  Saw a nice harbor, lighthouse, America's Cup winning sailboat, and lots of yuppies.  I also stopped in a small fishing town called Beaufort, which I really liked to see and was how I imagined many southern coastal towns.  Last stop on the east coast was in Savannah, Georgia.  I was able to line up a couch surfing host who was helpful showing me around and getting to know the I-95 culture that exists.  The town had a really nice feeling with old buildings, lots of parks, great art museum, riverfront, and full of moss draped trees.  From there, I left at midnight to drive through the night to make it back to St Louis for a free Sonic Youth show under the arch.  I met up with a couple friends there who I enjoyed the show with and stayed at another sweet couchsurfers house who had a little party.  By the time I made it to sleep I had almost stayed awake for 48 hours, and I probably smelled the worst I ever have...until later on in this post.  The following day in St Louis was my friend Trevor's bachelor party at the City Museum.  A group of nine of them drove from KC to STL and we had a fun time at the museum. It is a difficult place to describe, but it is my favorite place in STL and can only be described as Willy Wonka big kids playground meets Alice in Wonderland, but must be seen to understand it.  Since returning home from STL, I cleaned up my sailboat, practiced for the ski show, played bike polo, and halfway unpacked some bags.  Lotawana Day was this last Saturday, and well as keg kickball on Friday.  Both were a really good time.  Keg kickball is a pretty epic annual event, complete with a giant slip and slide in to home plate.  Lotawana Day started off at 7 am where a friend and I rollerbladed the mile run wearing hockey gear, sticks, and ball.  We had waterballoon fights, ski show, and the usual massive boat party @ goat hill.  It was an exhausting day, and my friend Dylan and I had planned to kayak the Missouri River all the way to STL the following morning.  So Sunday morning came around, and we packed up our gear and dropped in the river at City Market area in KC.  A few hours later, we realized that STL might not be in the cards, but we would still be able to make it to Columbia, MO and get back in time for my friend Trevor's wedding on August 1st.  I had had the idea to paddle down the Missouri River for quite a while, so I am really glad that I have conquered it now.  It was a long, slow, wet, and tiring process... but we finally made it and had my friend Austin come pick us up in Columbia.  We had been on the river from Sunday afternoon until 10pm on Tuesday night.  We slept on a barge one night, and paddled/floated through the night another night.  It was a long time to stay and sleep in a kayak, and we were fully exhausted by the time we stopped.  This brings me up to tonight!  After Austin came and picked us and our boats up in Columbia, I went with him to a hip hop show that he was going to DJ at in Lawrence.  It didn't pan out to be a big crowd or awesome time, but what else was I going to do on this Wednesday night?  Anyhow, it's now past 4am and I need to get some sleep for what tomorrow brings. Things have been pretty busy, and I like it. August will hopefully include some sailing, bicycling, parties, longs peak? I don't know what to expect, but expect more.

Here it is

It is pretty difficult to keep up with a blog.  And as I write this I am in a hurry once again, so this will be a short update.  In my last post I had just arrived home from europe.  I left a day or two after on my way to Dodge City, Kansas.  I spent about 8 days out there harvesting wheat and driving the combine, breaking up silo concrete pads, moving dirt, painting a chicken house, and miscellaneous other farm work.  By the end I was thoroughly worn out and ready for a nice 4th of July.  I spent it how I always do, at Lotawana on the boat with friends.  We had grilling, swimming, pontoon boat, and fireworks... the all american dream.  After the 4th, I drove my grandfather back out to Dodge City, and once again back home.  I was only home for a few more days before departing for Virginia and the east coast.  Before leaving however, my friend Austin and I threw a hell of a boat dance party.  I got a generator to run Austin's DJ equipment, we hooked up some xmas lights around a blank pontoon boat which we tied alongside ours as a floating dance floor, and we jammed out.  With good music, dancing, shaving cream, and skinny dipping...I think it was one of the best boat parties I have had.  Anyhow, I am writing this post from South Carolina.  After dropping the boat off in Virginia, and going out on a nice lake there, I made my way through Asheville, NC, Charlotte, and now Myrtle Beach, SC.  I am planning on hitting up Charleston SC, Hilton Head Island, and Savannah, Georgia.  I dont know what other stops I will make after that, or if I will start to head home.  There is a free outdoor concert tonight and a karaoke bar named the Sand Wagon that I might meet up with some people I met earlier today.  I am going to sleep in the truck tonight, but I have couchsurfing lined up for tomorrow and the next night.  That is all.