Two in a Red Canoe; Our Journey Down the Yukon by Megan Baldino & Matt Hage

 In honor of the Big Read I said  I would read about Alaska so I chose Two in a Red Canoe; Our Journey Down the Yukon.  Hey I thought, a young couple in love braving the wilderness, what a lovely romantic story! What did I know?  My friends laughed because they know my idea of the great outdoors is mall parking lots. And camping out?  Getting there before the mall opens.  Anyway I started to read-- the authors Megan and Matt prepared for a year before they started their 2,000 mile journey down the Yukon.  Whoa, that isn't preparing for a summer jaunt!  Megan worried about bears and if she will be strong enough to paddle for 2000 miles, Matt believed that she would manage and wouldn't get eaten by a bear!  However mosquitoes were another matter.  Ugh!  Megan describes the mud and the bugs, but she also describes the great beauty of the Alaskan wilderness.  Even more so she writes of all the welcoming people that wave to them from the banks of the river, who invite them to share a meal.  It was hard for me to read about the paddling and the storms.  But it was a pleasure to read the historical notes that were included with each place they visited and of course Megan's description of all the interesting people encountered on their voyage.  Matt's photographs were the perfect accompaniment to Megan's descriptions.  Will I ever take a canoe journey?  Never!! However I might read another adventure story--what would you suggest?