Jeffrey Rasley's Blog - Posts Tagged "travel"
"You have to get lost before you can be found," Farewell to the Himalayas
I'm making slow but steady progress on my "last book" about the Himalayas. These are a few of the topics: "i) What does it feel like to get altitude sickness, and how can it be avoided on a Himalayan trek? j) Are Sherpas the best mountain climbers in the world; if so, why? k) What is a sadhu, why do yaks only live in the high Himalayas, and do yetis really roam the Himalayan Mountains? l) How in the hell can Nepalese porters carry such incredibly heavy loads in wicker baskets strapped to their heads, and what do they think about while they’re carrying those loads?"
NPR-WFYI Guest Appearance
I discussed You Have to Get Lost Before You Can Be Found with Matt Pelsor, host of the show All IN, and related the story of Basa Village, Nepal.
https://www.wfyi.org/programs/all-in/...
https://www.wfyi.org/programs/all-in/...
Top Ten Travel Stories 2020
My article, Traveling Across the U.S. During the Pandemic, is listed #3 of the top 10 travel stories of 2020 by Go Nomad. It was an interesting experience, but not nearly as adventurous as travel stories I've written about Himalayan mountaineering and solo-kayaking Palau.
https://www.gonomad.com/178244-the-be...
https://www.gonomad.com/178244-the-be...
Wander Indiana to small towns
Our "wander Indiana" trip today was a visit to Attica and Williamsport. We thought the highlight would be seeing the 60 ft Williamsport falls (highest in Indiana), but, because of a lack of rain, the waterfall was not even a trickle. But we had a delightful time in Attica. We were lucky to have Michael as our server at Robie's Steak House. He turned us on to a self-guided walking tour of the town, which boomed in 1847 with the completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal. Like most canal towns, growth largely ceased, when railroads and highways rendered canals obsolete. But Attica did not bust, and it has a well-preserved downtown with a lot of public art and historic homes near Ravine Park. The statue of a boy and his dog is perfect, as is the New England-style Church. Population is around 3,500. Paul Dresser was supposedly inspired to write "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" on the riverbank by Attica.
Williamsport is just across the Wabash River from Attica and is the county seat of Warren County with a population of only 2,000. Williamsport was platted by William Harrison in1828, and he operated a ferry crossing there for several years. Williamsport and Attica both have nicely preserved and operating Carnegie Libraries. The Warren County Courthouse is small but is topped with an interesting-looking dome. The Presbyterian Church has a remarkably tall steeple. We walked the round-trip 3 miles along the trail below the falls, which was a beautiful hike, because the air was crisp and the fall colors have begun to appear in the dense wood. Just down the road from the falls was another trail along a marshy creek out to the river and just down river from the Paul Dresser Bridge.
To see photos: https://www.facebook.com/profile/7919...
Williamsport is just across the Wabash River from Attica and is the county seat of Warren County with a population of only 2,000. Williamsport was platted by William Harrison in1828, and he operated a ferry crossing there for several years. Williamsport and Attica both have nicely preserved and operating Carnegie Libraries. The Warren County Courthouse is small but is topped with an interesting-looking dome. The Presbyterian Church has a remarkably tall steeple. We walked the round-trip 3 miles along the trail below the falls, which was a beautiful hike, because the air was crisp and the fall colors have begun to appear in the dense wood. Just down the road from the falls was another trail along a marshy creek out to the river and just down river from the Paul Dresser Bridge.
To see photos: https://www.facebook.com/profile/7919...
Just Published by Midsummer Books
The book is the fictional memoir of an 18-year-old hitchhiking across the country in 1972. But it was inspired by the humorous, bizarre, and scary experiences I had hitchhiking from Goshen, Indiana to Key West and then to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, after dropping out of college for a term. On the road, Jack meets gypsies, tramps, and thieves, Good Samaritans, and Jesus in a Ferrari. He is accosted by sexual predators and fanatic "religious" cultists and given shelter by anti-war and civil rights activists, hippies, and military veterans living by a "pay it forward" ethic. Jack even encounters, as I did, two candidates campaigning to be the nominee of the Democratic Party for the US Presidency, George Wallace and Shirley Chisholm (who kissed me on the cheek).
The book tells a “coming of age” story through the voices of a naive young man and an older and wiser one. In the youth’s quest for adventure and independence he rediscovers the importance of family, friends, and community. The protagonist also comes to understand, as I did, that learning through experience and formal academic-education are both worthy quests.
A Hitchhiker’s Big Adventure: On the road from Indiana to Key West and New Orleans for Mardi Gras 1972
The link is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPVR4TLJ
It was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you will check it out.
The book tells a “coming of age” story through the voices of a naive young man and an older and wiser one. In the youth’s quest for adventure and independence he rediscovers the importance of family, friends, and community. The protagonist also comes to understand, as I did, that learning through experience and formal academic-education are both worthy quests.
A Hitchhiker’s Big Adventure: On the road from Indiana to Key West and New Orleans for Mardi Gras 1972
The link is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPVR4TLJ
It was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you will check it out.
