As we paddled down the Delaware yesterday, I was inspired not only by the beauty of the area, but also by the history of the river. There were multiple points on our journey when I felt connected to something greater than the moment we were in.

Despite crossing over the Delaware countless times when traveling around the area, it wasn’t until yesterday that I made the connection that we were paddling on the same river that George Washington crossed in 1776. As we discussed at the end of our paddle, it was the “same water” that has been on this planet forever. It was a pretty cool connection to make.

A second moment that stuck me was when we encountered the ancient boulder fields towards the end of our trip. The juxtaposition of the jagged rocks shooting out of the still waters was a simple beauty that stood out to me. Once again, it was humbling to think that those rocks have been there for thousands of years.

Lastly, I thought it was really cool to learn about the canal barges that dominated the trade industry in the region during the early 1900s. I can only imagine how cool it would have been to see a 90 foot boat floating down the canal, unobstructed by the hustle and bustle of modern technology. On our drive back to Lafayette, I noticed a mural that was painted on the railroad bridge at the intersection of the Delaware and Lehigh River. Painted clearly on the side was an image of one of the canal boats that we had just learned about. It is clear that the city of Easton is proud of its historical relationship with the waters that flow through it.