Adam Elliott, 29, is taking the extremely scenic route from Minnesota to Natchez — he’s kayaking down the Mississippi River.

“At first I figured the trip would take me 50 days,” Elliott said.

He started his journey in Minnesota May 14 and still expects to be on the river for at least two more weeks before he arrives in Natchez.

Elliott has only been kayaking for a little over a year and said he is still confident that the river isn’t as nasty as everyone makes it out to be.

Elliot used to work at a Chrysler dealership until he got serious about his life and quit his job.

“I quit my job, found some people to take care of my cat, asked my parents to watch my dog and gave my girlfriend my checkbook for bills,” Elliott said. “It was time I stopped letting life pass me by time to started doing something.”

Elliott even left his girlfriend Katherine Christian behind to pursue his experience. Elliot and his girlfriend have been together since 1999.

“I did make him promise me that he would wear his life jacket and stay in touch with me,” Christian said. “I think what he is doing is awesome.”

Elliott said the first couple of days were tough going, but the people that he met along his way were very nice and hospitable.

“In Minnesota there where three different families that took me in, fed me, let me stay at their homes and even let me shower; just so they could hear my story,” Elliott said.

As of Thursday Elliott said he hadn’t showered since St. Louis and he was scheduled to arrive in Cairo, Ill., Saturday. He also hasn’t been sleeping in beds, hotels or even that many campsites. Instead, he has actually been sleeping on sand bars and on the banks of the river for most of the trip.

“I am actually going to meet up with him just so I can see him when he gets to Cairo,” Christian said.

Elliott had planned to take the trip and had not worried about having a companion or meeting anyone actually on the river. But as most things do, the unexpected came his way in the form of a fellow paddler named Art Noll from Madison Wisconsin.

“We just kinda met up and how we are paddling together,” Elliott said. “Now I plan on showing him some southern hospitality when we get to Natchez.”

“My cell phone was under water for eight hours and after that I could only text for almost two weeks,” Elliott said.

Having no communication other than text messaging with Christian must have been tuough not only because she is his girlfriend, but because she is also his weather forecaster.

“She uses the computer and tells me when the nasty stuff is coming up,” Elliott said.

Elliott said he has experienced all kinds of weather and people along his travel but the most spectacular sights have been the wildlife.