A Lake Monona commute on a voyageur canoe

Thursday was Paddle to Work Day in Madison. Organized by the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission, the event is part of

It took about an hour to maneuver along Lake Monona's north shore to the takeout along John Nolen Drive between Monona Terrace and the Machinery Row Building. By this time, two members of our party had disembarked: First, a local TV reporter at Hudson Park; and later, Hulsey himself, a triathlon enthusiast who jumped ship to get in some training time by swimming the rest of the way. As we approached the takeout, where the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Voyageur-sized boat trailer awaited in the parking lot, we raised our oars in salute.

Paddling to work in a Voyageur canoe was quite an enjoyable way to begin the day. If you think it looks like fun, there are a number of opportunities to paddle a replica Voyageur in the coming months. The