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bigfootford's avatar
bigfootford
Nomad II
Apr 09, 2016

Travels With Charlie, something many do not know

I was listening to a favorite talk show yesterday and he had a quiz going for his audience.

He asked if anyone knew what inspired Steinbeck to write "Travels With Charlie"... The Answer was "Travels with a Donkey" by R.L. Stevenson...hahahaaa







The following is the philosophy behind his undertaking!

Wife and I have this same feeling as we travel around in our camper and truck. Most of the time we love to travel the less traveled roads. About 200,000 miles now... Across the US 3 times, Across Canada except Quebec, Yukon and Alaska...

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of our life more clearly; to come down off this feather-bed of civilization, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints. Alas, as we get up in life, and are more preoccupied with our affairs, even a holiday is a thing that must be worked for. To hold a pack upon a pack-saddle against a gale out of the freezing north is no high industry, but it is one that serves to occupy and compose the mind. And when the present is so exacting who can annoy himself about the future?"


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travels_with_a_Donkey_in_the_Cévennes


Jim
Truck Campers
  • silversand's avatar
    silversand
    Explorer
    Apr 12, 2016
    Skipbee wrote:
    Those who write know that dramatic embellishment is needed to keep the readers awake. A simple story of facts is usually dim and dull. A good story teller can whip up the action for the enjoyment of all. Steinbeck is way beyond the rank of simple story teller!


    ....very well said, Skip!
  • silversand's avatar
    silversand
    Explorer
    Apr 12, 2016
    R L Stevenson wrote:
    Alas, as we get up in life, and are more preoccupied with our affairs, even a holiday is a thing that must be worked for...


    ....so true! Especially even more so in these modern times...

    We enjoyed driving, last October, from within 130 feet of Steinbeck's house (on Long Island-- Sag Harbor) on his route to the New London Ferry (where he crossed the Long Island Sound, from the Orient Point departure, commencing his journey)...we've already driven most of Steinbeck's eastern route; we can tack on now the leg from his driveway to Orient Point :)
  • skipbee's avatar
    skipbee
    Explorer
    Apr 12, 2016
    Those who write know that dramatic embellishment is needed to keep the readers awake. A simple story of facts is usually dim and dull. A good story teller can whip up the action for the enjoyment of all. Steinbeck is way beyond the rank of simple story teller!
  • TomG2's avatar
    TomG2
    Explorer
    Apr 10, 2016
    Every great person, writer or not, has their detractors. "TWC" inspired me to experience the wonderful world of travel over fifty years ago. Thanks, Mr. Steinbeck.
  • bigfootford's avatar
    bigfootford
    Nomad II
    Apr 10, 2016
    JimBollman wrote:
    If you're into Travels with Charley you may want to look into Dogging Steinbeck: Discovering America and Exposing the Truth about 'Travels With Charley'. Kind of exposes Steinbeck book as really a work of mostly fiction. Good read. You can get the gist of the book doing a Google search and read some of the stuff written about the book.
    http://www.amazon.com/Dogging-Steinbeck-Discovering-America-Exposing-ebook/dp/B00A6X9ZR0/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1460251564&sr=1-2&keywords=travels+with+charley


    Jim...


    Guess I was attempting to convey the way many of us travel with no real itinerary thus the boondocking and lackluster travel... The RLS description says it.

    Who cares that Steinbeck was writing fiction or partially, his TC was not fiction. What a great story, along with his other writings in my opinion.

    Jim
  • JimBollman's avatar
    JimBollman
    Explorer
    Apr 10, 2016
    If you're into Travels with Charley you may want to look into Dogging Steinbeck: Discovering America and Exposing the Truth about 'Travels With Charley'. Kind of exposes Steinbeck book as really a work of mostly fiction. Good read. You can get the gist of the book doing a Google search and read some of the stuff written about the book.
    http://www.amazon.com/Dogging-Steinbeck-Discovering-America-Exposing-ebook/dp/B00A6X9ZR0/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1460251564&sr=1-2&keywords=travels+with+charley


    Jim...
  • 67avion's avatar
    67avion
    Explorer II
    Apr 09, 2016
    Thanks for this post. As a young fellow I read all of Steinbeck's - and Robert Louis Stevenson's work. The other guy that should be part of this triumvirate is Jack London. They're among a number of great writers on my TC bookshelf.

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