What does it really take to paddle the Mississippi River from its quiet headwaters in remote Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico?
In Source to Sea, Appalachian Trail thru-hiker John Pugh and Jessica Robinson turn a weekend promise into a 73-day odyssey-more than 2,000 miles of currents, critters, comedy, and choices that test body, mind, and partnership. It's also a test of patience and relationships, paddling ten hours a day and rarely more than ten feet from your partner for weeks on end.
Pugh and Robinson face a range of challenges, from cold sleet to relentless heat, thunderous storms, looming hurricane threats, and unpredictable currents-all while keeping their sense of humor (mostly) intact.
While paddling the river, they partnered with and promoted The Audubon Society's Upper Mississippi River Campaign, using their journey to highlight the importance of protecting the wild waters and river communities that sustain both wildlife and people.
The couple veers off the main channel to follow the remote Atchafalaya River; they trade barge traffic for wilderness, commerce for quiet, and the expected route for unexpected discoveries. Along the lower Mississippi, they encounter relentless solitude-days defined by wide water, distant levees, and the haunting beauty of a river few ever truly see.
Equal parts pulse-quickening adventure, honest travel memoir, and laugh-out-loud reflection, Source to Sea explores what happens when two people leave the safe path and let the river decide the next bend. For those inspired to launch their own journey, the book includes planning insights and hard-won lessons about gear, logistics, and life on the river.
Featuring more than 40 full-color photographs taken during the expedition, the book brings to life the raw beauty, challenges, and perspectives that define life in a canoe, and what it truly means to undertake an expedition of this scale.
Perfect For Readers Who:
- Love true adventure and travel memoirs that blend humor, grit, and reflection
- Are drawn to river culture, paddling, thru-hiking, and long-distance expeditions
- Appreciate stories of partnership, resilience, solitude, and absurd moments in nature
- Want practical takeaways for planning their own outdoor adventures
Book Details
- Genre: Adventure / Travel Memoir
- Themes: Resilience, partnership, exploration, solitude, nature, humor, risk
- Tone: Gritty, reflective, uplifting, humorous
If You Enjoy Books Like These...
If you're a fan of Wild by Cheryl Strayed, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, or Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, you'll love Source to Sea-a story that delivers both heart-pounding challenges and hilarious, heartfelt revelations that come when you follow a river beyond the map.
About the Author :
John Pugh is an entrepreneur, avid adventurer, speaker, author, and trail advocate who has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and paddled the Mississippi River, and has over 6,000 miles of outdoor experience. Passionate about how outdoor spaces connect people and strengthen local economies, John combines firsthand experience with research and advocacy. Whether hiking, paddling, or as a New River Conservancy board member, he's dedicated to showing how outdoor experiences build healthier, more vibrant communities. John is available to speak on leadership, resilience, and how lessons from the trail and river translate into success in both business and life. John can be reached at John@SourcetoSea.net
Review :
"John tells a story of our great river through a lens that we can all relate to-the adventure of paddling 2,000 miles down the Mississippi River, coupled with the adventure of your partner, and we can see how they both change us forever, for the better."
- Andrew Downs, Executive Director, New River Conservancy
"A great personal recount of an adventurous journey down the mighty Mississippi, complete with humor, an eye for detail, and honest humility. Join them on their exploration and discover pieces of true Americana that are rarely found these days. I can appreciate all the notes and journal entries that had to take place each day to capture what would eventually become this book."
-Crash Gregg, Editor, Raleigh Downtowner
"Follow along as John and Jessica take you on an incredible source to sea journey down the Mississippi River. Their tale is a comprehensive and detailed look at what it is to paddle the Mississippi River and take on the adventure of a lifetime. Part guidebook, part diary, part history tome, and part DIY how-to/what-not-to-do story. There's drama, there's comedy, there's laughter and tears, there are many surprises, and it's always interesting. This book has a little bit of everything and all the right stuff. I didn't want to put it down, and I don't think you will either."
Dan Faust, 2-time Mississippi River S2S paddler, Missouri River S2S, and crew for World Record holder Dale "Grey Beard" Sanders.
"As a fellow paddler of one of America's greatest rivers, I have to say that reading this book brought back a flood of memories. Stories of those first anxious days on the river, storms, battling the winds, alligators on the Atchafalaya, all this took me back to the river. Many thanks to John and Jess for sharing their journey with us."
Andy Bugh, Mississippi River S2S paddler
"A page turner from the very beginning. I felt like I was in the canoe with them. I got to experience all the adventure with none of the mosquitoes!"
C. Newton, Independent Review
