A third space for people who love to adventure.

Five years ago, I started a kayak rental business. I loved helping people get on the water, but running it took more than I knew how to give.

The last summer Lincoln Paddle Co. was open, a friend and I spent it floating Nebraska rivers and lakes, filming as we went — not knowing yet that it'd be the last season. Then I made the hard decision to close the business.

That winter, I spent my time turning the footage into a documentary we called Float Nebraska — a story about water, friendship, and the places right outside our doors that are easy to overlook. This spring, I booked a local theater for a screening. Standing there before the doors opened, I honestly didn't think anyone would come. Then nearly 80 people showed up. They stayed, talked, and shared their own stories about getting outside.

That led into a free community paddle meetup this summer. Before long, more than 50 people were arriving for a full moon paddle and there was nowhere left to park. For a year, Lincoln Paddle Co. had gone quiet — but what I thought I'd closed was showing me a new way forward. Less about renting a kayak, more about building a reason to gather and help more people get outside—even here.

So here's the idea: maybe bring Lincoln Paddle Co. back in a small curated event fashion (next summer), but first launch a new Local Adventure club — both built for the community that brought it back in the first place. An idea worth tossing out there;)...