Adventure Travel
Books Prompt Travel . . . and Vice Versa
Aug 22nd
Several best-selling books in the past few years have led their fans to travel to the locations in which the plots are set. A whole industry seems to have sprung up offering tours and packages built around the settings of Elizabeth Gilbert‘s memoir Eat, Pray, Love – which will likely go into overdrive with the recent release of the movie based on the book. Popular excursions based on sites mentioned in Stieg Larsson‘s Millennium series of thrillers are selling out in Sweden. One community which has perhaps benefitted the most, proportionately, from fan interest in the locale of their favorite books is tiny Forks, Wash. Ever since the first book in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series was published, the community at the edge of the continent which had suffered through severe economic decline as the logging and fishing industries sagged has enjoyed a welcome influx of tourist dollars.
Certainly, this is not a new phenomenom in the worlds of publishing and tourism. Readers of Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes for years have sought locations in London and throughout the U. K. mentioned in the books penned by J. K. Rowling and Arthur Conan Doyle. (I remember my girls being thrilled, several years ago, to be traveling through King’s Cross Station, from which the Hogwart’s Express departs for the wizarding school in the Potter series.) Surely, any writer who has the skill to describe a foreign place in intriguing and enticing prose (and populate it with enchanting characters in a thrilling plot) will likely set his readers to dreaming of visiting that spot. Indeed, for many of us, our first introductions to worlds outside our familiar circuits probably came through the pages of a book.
Conversely, the memories of and lessons learned by travelers have for centuries led them to share their experiences in books that have become literary classics — and in turn sent their readers off on explorations of their own. John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley and William Least Heat Moon’s Blue Highways early gave me a desire to hit the road and explore our country. Even more ambitious journeys such as those related in Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft and Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner can set one to dreaming and considering the possibilities of life-changing travels of one’s own.
Do you have a favorite travel book? Is there a book, fiction or nonfiction, which has spurred you to journey to see the sights it describes (or at least dream of doing so?)? Have you chosen to read a book based solely upon its setting? How have books affected your travel plans?
– Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor
White Water Fun
Aug 14th
This past week I enjoyed my first white-water rafting experience. We are vacationing in Central Oregon, and as soon as we got settled into our accomodations, I looked into my options for some outdoor adventure. Sun Country Tours offered what sounded like the perfect first-time trip (especially for daughter Jenny, who took some convincing that while thrilling and wet, this was going to be a safe and fun experience). We chose a three-mile trip on the Deschutes River, just outside of Bend.
We boarded an old school bus with about 30 other folks, most visiting from outside of Oregon, and were dropped off at the launch site just above the Big Eddy section of the river. After being fitted out with lifejackets and paddles, Jenny and I boarded a raft with four other guests hailing from North Carolina. Our guide, Gus, helped acquaint us with some basic safety guidelines and paddle maneuvers and commands as we glided along a fairly smooth section of the river. There were plenty of jokes and laughter, but one couldn’t deny the tension and nerves lying just under the surface as we approached our first set of rapids, the rather alarmingly named Class-2 “Murder Death Fang.”
With some whoops and more than a little splashing, we bumped right over that first obstacle quickly and fairly easily. The rapids didn’t live up to that frightening title at all. Okay, we can do this! Gus had to keep reminding our two “leaders” at the front of the raft to follow his commands (paddle forward or back, left or right, and stop) and let him do the steering — this in spite of the fact that neither of them had ever rafted before. After giving ourselves a “paddle high-five,” we maneuvered the raft to shore so that we could climb out and scout the next few sets of rapids.
I could see as we stood on the bank looking down at a mass of glass-green water churning into white foam that Jenny was regretting her decision to join me on this little excursion. Gus pointed out the route we would be taking and his strategy for attacking each portion of the river. After introducing us to the first “strong Class 3″ named Kenmore (yes, like the washing machine — for the obvious reason), Gus walked us farther downstream to discuss the next rapids. These were also a strong Class 3, but the terror that had enveloped my mind at that point prevents me from recalling what horrifyingly appropriate name that one is called. As our now quiet and more-than-a-little-anxious group trudged back upstream to climb back in our raft, Jenny rolled her eyes at me and announced, “You owe me, big time!” I tried to sound upbeat and light-hearted as I reassured her that all would be great, but all that fast-moving and dangerous-looking water had me a little weak in the knees, too.
After wedging our feet firmly under the seats in front of and behind us, we paddled the raft back to the center of the current. Gus steered us into the proper path, and then we were paddling as fast as we could. We slammed into the wall of standing water just over the first drop and were engulfed by water washing over the front of the raft and smashing down on us from behind. Involuntary hollers and yelps erupted along with exhilarated laughter, and ferocious paddling finally brought us clear of that first obstacle. I remarked that my legs were more tired from straining to hold my posture in the raft than my arms were from manning the paddle, but what a thrill that ride was! We had only moments to realize we’d made it through that first powerful stretch with no one going overboard before we were upon the next Class 3. Again we were engulfed from all sides, it seemed, with the roaring, chilling deluge, momentarily blinded by the splash and deafened by the wash of water before paddling furiously out of it.
By now we were eager to meet more white water, but the most challenging stretches were behind us. We splashed through The Three Stooges (Class 2) and then Rodeo, where one member of our group got to sit at the very front of the raft and ride the Class 2 water as if on a bucking bronc (she fell back into the boat after just the first bump). And then, well before we were ready for it, our pull-out point was reached. All of us, even Jenny, were wishing we could run the river again.
I would certainly recommend this kind of excursion to anyone visiting this area, and I am eager to try a longer outing on my next trip here. And on a hot summer day, there couldn’t be a more thrilling, fun way to cool off!
– Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor
Afternoon on the River
Aug 1st
Twice within this past week I have enjoyed a jetboat ride on the Rogue River out of Grants Pass, Ore., just a short trip up Interstate 5 from my home. We’ve had a lot of company recently, and these two-hour jaunts are a great way to share some of the local area with out-of-town guests, especially on 90-degree-plus days. Hellgate Excursions hosts some 85,000 visitors a season (May to September) on its prop-less, hydro-jet-powered boats that can skim, fully loaded with 60 passengers, over the rocky riverbed in just eight inches of water. With sudden stops and 360-degree turns executed by the highly entertaining pilots, one is guaranteed to get a little or a lot wet, depending on where in the boat you sit.
A typical 36-mile roundtrip takes one from the banks of the river in downtown Grants Pass to the beginning stretches of Hellgate Canyon, the start of the “wild and scenic” stretch of the waterway that was one of the eight original rivers designated in the 1968 National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, signed into law by President Johnson. This particular part of the river has long been popular as a film location for movies and T.V. shows (Gunsmoke, Rooster Cogburn, The River Wild . . . even the jump-off-the-cliff scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), but what we found most fascinating on our trip this past Friday afternoon was the wildlife we encountered along the tamer banks of the river.
The driver/guides on the boats do a great job of pointing out all manner of critters they spy while concurrently piloting the boats over the riffles and rapids at up to 40 mph. There are great blue herons, geese, ducks, Western pond turtles, deer and beaver (usually, one only sees their lodges). There are lots of osprey nesting in the tall trees along both sides of the river, and one can easily hear the high-pitched calls of the young in the nests while the parents circle over the water looking for fish for dinner. Huge, ugly turkey vultures share the air currents waiting for something to scavenge, and we were told there were three nesting pairs of bald eagles along the stretch of river we would cover that day.
Only a few miles after we got underway, our guide spotted a single eagle, white head and tail feathers clearly visible, high up in a Douglas fir, and he dropped the boat into an idle and let out a piercing whistle. I’m not sure that the bird was responding to that or something else, but he launched himself off his perch and began circling lower and lower over the water until he made a quick dive towards the surface a short way downstream from the boat. He came up empty-handed (empty-taloned?), but it was nonetheless thrilling to see such a large, magnificent specimen of our national bird in action in the wild. Later on, we spied a pair of eagles which once again seemed to respond to our pilot’s whistle and circled directly over our heads only 20 feet above us — beautiful!
The most fascinating sight we encountered came when we were nearly back at the dock. A large osprey sat on the bank, perched atop a large 3- to 4-pound spring steelhead he had somehow managed to pluck from the water. Apparently tired from the effort of the catch and marshalling his strength before attempting to carry the fish back to his babies and nest high in the treetops, he eyed some unwelcome company not far away — and it wasn’t the humans in the boat. About 20 feet downstream was a hulking turkey vulture, eager for an easy dinner. As we watched, the scavenger hopped slowly towards the hunter, all hunched over and sneaky like some villain in a melodrama, his black, drooping wings like a cape draped about him. I would’ve loved to have watched the scene play out, but we needed to get back for the next tour, so after five minutes or so the guide started up the engines again and we lost sight of the foes. We were told that it was likely the osprey would lose the fish, as his mate didn’t dare leave her babies alone in the nest (eagles could swoop in and snatch them up without an adult standing guard), and the turkey vulture could expect reinforcements of others of his kind who would eventually wrest the prize from the exhausted bird.
It made for a great conclusion to our river trip. Each of the excursions I’ve taken on the Rogue has been unique and interesting, and I’m looking forward to sharing the experience with the next group of friends who come to town. Headed my way? Let me show you what I’m talking about!
– Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor
Pursuing Travel Dreams
Apr 3rd
Just yesterday, Kim Krol blogged about her adventure zip lining in Hawaii, and last week Fran Gallagher wrote about his plans to visit the D-Day beaches at Normandy when he travels to France this week. It got me to thinking about some of the places I still want to visit — some of them as much for certain ubiquitous activities which are associated with those locations as for the places themselves. Both Kim’s and Fran’s experiences are ones I’d like to duplicate, but there are lots more.
For instance, I’d love to visit the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, but somehow just floating over it in a glass-bottomed boat wouldn’t suffice. I’d want to dive into those blue waters and be surrounded by all the beautiful coral and sealife. That would require me to first learn to snorkel or scuba, of course, but if I got as far as Australia, you can bet I’d acquire the skills to enjoy the full experience under the water.
Closer to home, I must admit that I have yet to visit the Grand Canyon (but it’s on my list!). While I look forward to someday standing on the rim and drinking in the views of that great natural wonder, I’d really love the chance to take part in a rafting trip on the Colorado River through it. My sister Robbe actually took such a trip several years ago and had a fantastic time. And really quite close to home is the Pacific Crest Trail, running along the crest of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains continuously from Mexico to Canada. Although I doubt I’ll ever hike the entire length of it, I nevertheless would like to get out on some stretch of it for a week or two and enjoy the beauty and peace. I wouldn’t mind a similar trek on the Appalacian Trail, either.
Some others? Sailing through the Panama Canal (or the Suez). Riding a camel across the deserts of Egypt. Going on safari (photography) in Africa. Hiking across a glacier in Alaska. Riding the bullet train in Japan. Attending a fashion show in Paris. The list goes on and on. Adding to it makes for pleasant daydreams, and pursuing crossing items off gives me travel goals I can look forward to.
How about you? What are some things you’d like to do in this wide world, near or far from home? And what have you already done that you heartily recommend others do?
– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader
