MR340-We Have Arrived!

The road trip to Kansas City was great despite the fact that I only had 2 hours of sleep at work the night before. I tried to nap but Mel seemed to veer off the road every time I closed my eyes. Coincidence? I think not! Rotten little sister!

We arrived and checked into the hotel and went directly to the boat ramp. What else would we do? There were already about 50 boats stationed around the ramp waiting for the next day.

Here is the view of KC from the boat ramp.

There she is...the Clark W. Griswold. Yep! That is the name of Mel's boat. Named for the lovable character from the movie National Lampoon Vacation. You gotta love it! Paying homage to the man that was always optimistic and confident despite the numerous blunders that occurred on his adventures. Let's hope Mel's adventures are filled with far less disasters! Oh! The paddle...it's named cousin Eddie!

The boat came off the truck and we began to ready it for the tomorrow. There really wasn't a lot to do yet but it felt good to be there and working toward her goal. Our cousin, Joe, came down to help and provide moral support! Thanks, Joe! We love you!

Here are the things that surprised the non-kayaking river support person...the people! Young, old, athletes and overweight, moms (that really looked like soccer moms) and hippies. What an eclectic group of people! And everyone was so kind and friendly, sharing tips and advice, battle stories and well-wishes.

So there they sit like soldiers waiting for battle. Remember, this is a race against the other competitors and a challenge for the mind and body.

Now we wait. Mel has checked in, attended the mandatory safety meeting and we will brief one last time before bed (and again in the morning)!

Remember her in your prayers for the next few days and I will try to update often.