Welcome. Canoe52 is an evolving adventure that began as a shared dream and continues to unfold, one paddle stroke at a time.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE NAME?
Inspired by that first trip to North Carolina, I wanted to see everything this country had to offer from the seat of a canoe. Canoe50 didn’t quite have the right ring, so the project became Canoe52, expanding the goal to include Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico as a small nod to as a nod to their place in the American landscape.
The journey began as a shared road-trip adventure with our Old Town canoe strapped to the car. Since then, it has grown into a long-term quest that continues to evolve. Based in New England, expect road trips, camping along magnificent rivers and lakes, and plenty of tips about paddling.
MEET THE PADDLERS
Canoe52 Today
Tony
From the classroom to the water, Tony’s life is rooted in curiosity, exploration, and connection. The first 25 states marked an unforgettable chapter of Canoe52 and laid the foundation for everything that followed.
From the stern seat, he continues to guide the canoe forward. The back of the boat offers perspective, reading the water, adjusting to conditions, and staying in rhythm with the movement of the boat itself. Steering requires patience, awareness, and a steady hand, qualities that shape both the journey and the life around it.
Based in New England, Tony continues traveling state by state in pursuit of waterways that reveal something distinct about place, its landscape, history, and culture. Canoe52 is not an escape from life, but an expression of it: a way to reconnect, recharge, and move forward with intention.
The Original Crew
Amanda
Amanda was an essential part of the original Canoe52 team. A historian and artist, she brought curiosity, creativity, and a deep appreciation for the stories behind the places we visited. She had a gift for meeting new people and finding the best vegan meals in every city along the way.
Trip planning was her domain. While procrastination may have followed her elsewhere, not when it came to mapping routes, organizing gear, and preparing for the next adventure. From the bow seat, she offered thoughtful reflections on packing, camp food, and the details that make road trips memorable.
Tony
From the stern seat, Tony brought a steady hand and a wide-angle perspective of the canoe, his paddling partner, and the surrounding landscape. His passion for paddling dates back to childhood, and Canoe52 became an opportunity to experience the nation’s waterways and waterbodies in a deeper way.
As a teacher and historian, he took in America’s natural, built, and cultural environments with curiosity and intention. A self-proclaimed foodie and connoisseur of place, he enjoyed discovering local fare and local flair wherever the canoe landed. His early posts focused on connecting to the environment, highlighting anything #historynerdy, and sharing the dos and don’ts of navigating from the aft of the vessel.
Rigby
Rigby was a sweet Portuguese Water Dog and a true companion on the early Canoe52 adventures. True to her breed’s name, she loved the water and was rarely content unless she was in the canoe, turning her white paws brown at every opportunity.
She was equal parts campsite watchdog and affectionate shadow, happiest when playing fetch or climbing on top of her humans after a long day on the river. Rigby paddled alongside us for many of the first 25 states and remains an unforgettable part of the Canoe52 story.
CONTACT
We’re always looking for suggestions on where to go next. If you have any tips you’d like to share about places you’ve canoed or beautiful bodies of water in your home state please let us know. You can drop us a line on our Contact page.
