A Great Ride Tale

[Albert]

No, no I think this is the right forum. I had to take a trip this week and as I often do, my first stop at the airport was the book store. After browsing for a while I came across a paperback version of John Steinbeck's "Travels With Charley" (not sure if it's recently in paperback, I just hadn't seen it). I've always been a Steinbeck fan but had never read this one. Well a quick scan of the first paragraph of the forward and I was hooked.

 

For anyone who suffers from a wanderlust (and I suspect there's more than a few around here), this is a must read. Forget the fact that it's travel via pickup truck, Steinbeck captures the passion, trepidation and joy familiar to those of us afflicted. I'm only half way through but I highly recommend it to anyone addicted to the smell of asphault.

[Jeepster]

+1

I read it (in paperback) about 30 years ago. It might be time for a reread.

[Dave McReynolds]

It was popular at the time it came out, and may have had an impact on the start of the RV industry. In those days, if people wanted to travel around the countryside and didn't want to stay in motels or with relatives, they usually hauled around a travel trailer. People who were more interested in traveling with one rather than parking it somewhere often hauled around Airstreams, and often joined Airstream travel clubs.

 

But you didn't see many converted trucks, and those you saw were often homemade contraptions. You get the sense in reading Steinbeck's book that he is trying something new and somewhat adventuresome. Being one of America's best writers at the time, was able to catch peoples' imaginations, so a lot of people wanted to try it out.