Customer Reviews

Bluffs to Bayous

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Byron Curtis fulfilled a dream by kayaking solo down the Mississippi River starting in Prescott, Wisconsin. After being on the river for one week, Byron learns that terrorists chose his birthday, September 11th to attack the United States East Coast. His descriptions of those he encountered and the challenges the river provided along the way make for entertaining, suspenseful reading. Byron has an adventurous spirit and is thankful for each day. His love for his family and the support they give him is evident throughout the book. His journey is complete when he is reunited with his wife and son at Morgan City, Louisiana 42 days after his journey began. Whether on land or water, it is clear that Byron is a man of integrity and character.

This book provides an excellent guide to the Mississippi River, and I liked the list of supplies at the end as well as the daily lat/longs indicating his starting locations. The story itself is a quick read, not very deep, but more of a narrative of simple experiences that occurred on the trip.

I would suggest the book for anybody preparing to canoe or kayak the Mississippi, but not for anybody looking to get a deeper meaning of life on the river.

This would be a great read for book clubs! The author does a nice job of providing a frank, honest perspective on not only life on the Mississipi, but the personal struggles he faces as well. The narrative style of the journal leaves you peeking around each bend and cautiously navigating through the thick fog right with Curtis. In our fast-paced, rush to get-ahead world, it was refreshing to read about someone who took the time to do something he always wanted to.

If your looking for a book dealing with paddling down the Mississippi then I would reccomend this book. If your looking for an adventure book that is well written then this might not be the one. I always felt as though every thing he encountered he left unfinished. Nothing too funny happened, nothing really bad, maybe a little dry. But still good. I really did enjoy reading it. Its hard for me to criticize since he has a book published and don't. But a good guy he does seem to be.

A real life saga of one man's journey down the "Mighty Mississippi". A confirmed river rat, he brings to life the joys and dangers of his solo expedition. Byron did a great job in carrying you along with him every step of the way. I found my heart pounding, muscles aching, stomach cramping but also excited, awed and lifted in spirit. Definitely a must read and would make a great gift for the adventuresome spirit.

A very good read. Written in the present tense with a very respectful style. Not a brag book. Gives a good look into the mental toughness needed to do this kind of solo stuff. Hard to put down. Hopefully we will see more stuff by this author.

Byron Curtis is a well-prepared kayaker who paddles down much of the Mississippi. Other than the scale of the trip, he takes few risks. And since he rarely gets out of his boat, and never for any length of time, he relates few interesting experiences. The terrorist attacks which happened while he was on his trip could have provided something to write about, especially later in his trip when people seem increasingly suspicious of him. However, he never explores this or any topic in depth here.

Someone may find the campsite coordinates and packing list useful, however that content itself doesn't seem like enough to justify a full-length book.

If your interested in a Mississippi River trip, Byron Curtis certainly
lends a hand with his book "Bluffs to Bayous". A very good armchair adventure or a motivator to plan your own river trip.

I know this author personally. This book was very informative from the very start to finish. Could not put it down once I started from page one. The sense of adventure was over whelming for Byron and for the great Mississippi ride. I recommend this book to everyone.