Quite often we receive interesting comments and queries on our web site. And one of the most unusual requests lately came from an American family living in Hong Kong. Susan Kuyper, her husband Tom, and their two teenage sons, Ben and Jay, were going to be visiting the States on business and pleasure this summer and found that they had about three extra days with nothing scheduled. They decided to look for a family activity in which they could all participate.

Susan used an internet search engine to find us. Typing in the words, "Virginia," "rivers," and "water sports," the Friends of Dragon Run site popped up. Our guided river trip sounded fascinating to them and after several e-mail exchanges, with descriptions of the trip, directions on how to find Saluda, suggestions on a place to stay, and arrangements on when and where to meet, the big day in July finally arrived, when we met in the Food Lion parking lot at Saluda and proceeded to the river.

The water was extremely low and we had many portages and sporty maneuvers under and around logs and traverses across muddy, slippery banks, but we completed our journey with no mishaps and many special things to see. Big stands of marsh hibiscus in full bloom, in-your-face looks at those beautiful little Prothonotary Warblers, majestic cypress trees around every bend, and those achingly beautiful scenes of Dragon Run in all its summer glory combined to produce a truly memorable experience for them. They also discovered the fun of kayaks and, by the end of the trip, had decided they ought to buy some.