In August 2003, John Guider walked out the back door of his home in Franklin, TN and placed a canoe in the creek behind his house. Three months later, he had paddled all the way to New Orleans. Along the way, Guider kept a detailed journal and took hundreds of remarkable photographs, documenting his amazing journey that led him down five rivers, including the Mighty Mississippi. A traveling exhibition of his photography and this companion coffee table book chronicle this life changing experience and bring this adventure to thousands of Arm-Chair Adventurers across America.

In the fall of 2008, John decided to start a new adventure, rowing and sailing the Great Loop. This time John built his own 14.5 foot Expedition Skerry (a cross between a sailboat and rowboat). He set sail in the Cumberland River in Nashville, TN on June 6th, 2009 and two months later he had reached the Mississippi shore in the Gulf of Mexico.

Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis, MD helped John make modifications to his boat so that it would be more seaworthy in the Gulf. The deck was replaced and the sail rigging modified. John began Phase II of his Great Loop journey from Bayou Caddy, MS on June 9th, 2010.