Rich Brand is a man on the move, even if he’s only moving three miles an hour. The 40-year-old Denver, Colorado, resident has traveled 2,430 miles up the East Coast in a kayak since leaving New Orleans in January, and he eventually plans to end up back in New Orleans—via the Mississippi River.

On Thursday, he paddled into Davis Creek in Bavon and stayed at the home of Dianne Campbell, owner of Mobjack Kayaking. He was slated to paddle with some local kayakers on Friday and attend a meet-and-greet on Saturday. Because he camps most of the time on his journey, staying anywhere from a marina to an isolated island and eating lots of freeze-dried food, Brand said that Campbell’s invitation to visit, eat home-cooked food, take a hot shower, and meet people was a welcome respite.

“I’m hosted by random, amazing, cool strangers,” he said. 

A Miami native, Brand is on a two-year adventure, during which he hopes to inspire others to follow their passion...