Will be floating with my family of four on the Meramec and using the state park concessionaire.  We are thinking about just renting one canoe and letting our kids, 10 and 12, float on tubes along with us.  (They would probably rahter be in the water, anyway!)  Another option is an inflatable two person raft for the kids.  Can anyone provide us with advice about whether this would be a good idea or not?  Would it be better just to spend the money and rent two canoes?  Also, do you just generally attach your cooler to the canoe somehow?  Are there many nice places to pull out and dip in the water and picnic?  Does a couple of hours sound right for the 5 mile trip?

We'll be doing the same thing a few weeks later starting from Sam A. Baker State Park on the St. Francois.  It's the same concessionaire, so we have the same questions.