The Miss Rockaway Armada is essentially the coolest project ever. It’s a group of several dozen artists and vagrants from distant corners of the continent, who have converged upon the mid-west in order to create art and seek out the wild adventures ingrained in the soil and water of the American wilderness. Mostly, they’re a collective of beautiful kids buildings elaborate rafts to float down the Mississippi River. What more could you ask for?

The amazing photographer Tod Seelie has done a fantastic job of documenting the mayhem this summer, posting a slew of jaw-droppingly beautiful images on his blog, Sucka Pants. Another participant in the project is the enormously talented Polaroid Kidd, who is no stranger to wandering around the country as a vagabond, documenting the hidden glories of a wayfaring life. Here’s a picture of him (on the top left) in one of Seelie’s photos, exploring an abandoned monastery:

It’s thrilling to see a group of artists leaving their respective urban enclaves and getting together to make something amazing happen in an ordinarily quiet, oft-ignored place. Take the time to read their mission statement. I wish I could drop everything and join them! Check out the Miss Rockaway Armada Flickr pool for more views of life on the river.