Where's the put-in?

Ya, right! Have you ever had a problem with the put-in? I have...

I once wandered around a small Ontario town for a whole morning wondering where my paddling partner was. Certainly not at the same put-in I was at. The town was so small I think I knew the whole place before we finally met up. Another time I traveled for two and a half days and never got to see the put-in at all! Now that was the worst of all.

Last winter in Marco Island I wound up going down a series of deadend streets with marble tiled driveways looking for a put-in. It was like a I'd gone to some kind of rich heaven with no put-ins anywhere. Now what kind of a heaven could that be? I beat a retreat before some rich sweet widow enticed me through the door...

We all know the best put-ins are the ones we can find, down little gravel roads with free parking spots. Down at the beach, the waters stretch before us out in the distance and even if it's raining, who cares. We unload, pack our gear and launch the boats, and with a smile towards our friends, we leave the shore forever - or as Pooh said, "Even longer".

I'm working on just that! I hope you are too.