If you're familiar with the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you may want to pick up "Redwood to Deadwood," a book by Colin Flaherty about hitchhiking across America. Hitchhiking? In this day and age? And living to tell about it? Now that's an adventure.
That may be the cynical Detroiter in me (I grew up down there). Or maybe I've seen too many hitchhiker horror movies.
According to author from Wilmington, Delaware:
"Before I tucked my thumb in for the final time, Id run with wild horses, visit a pot farm, hunt big game, poach big game, get chased by a helicopter, get into family feuds, ride in cop cars, reconnect with old friends, make new ones, get tired and exhilarated, scorned and accepted, kicked out and invited in.I know how to cook muskrat, squirrel and rockchuks. And, oh yeah, I almost got murdered."
Like I said, hitchhiking can be dangerous. The book includes stories from and rules of the road --- for those thinking of taking their own adventure. Flaherty, 53 at the time, spent three months on the road for this book.
Several critics and regular ol' readers have given a thumbs up, or sideways, to this book about "thumbing it."
A favorite, from Dr. G at Amazon.com: "this book will entertain and inform you ... it may even inspire you to go out there, roll the dice, stick out your thumb and give it a shot yourself. I mean, he lived to tell the tale, right?"
For those interested, there's also hitchwiki.org.
Just don't forget to bring your charger. "Would you mind if I plugged this into your cigarette lighter for a bit?" This is strictly an e-book, for those new-fangled e-readers like the Kindle Fire. You also can read it on your computer or laptop.
What do you say? Have you hitchhiked? Is it a new way to see the world? Or is it a mode of travel that is passé?
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