One for the Road: Revised Edition (Vintage Departures)

by Tony Horwitz | Travel |
ISBN: 0375706135 Global Overview for this book
Registered by SKingList of New York City, New York USA on 7/30/2006
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7 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by SKingList from New York City, New York USA on Sunday, July 30, 2006
"...the ideal tour guide for anyone who has ever dreamed of a genuine Australian adventure."

Do you *think* I could resist a book with that description?

Journal Entry 2 by SKingList from New York City, New York USA on Sunday, December 31, 2006
Dreamed of, or been through one. While I think he's nuts to hitchhike, this is a great story of both an Australia that most people don't see and an Australia of the 80s that is only partially still there.

Haven't finished yet but some of the best bits:

I like how he mixed Aboriginal aspects in with the rest. He integrated the two rather than just treat them as something apart. I also think he did this while still acknowleding the feeling of uncertainty that can be present. I still remember my initial uncertainty and trying to understand that, as much as I tried to understand anything else about Australia.

"...that was one of the things I liked so much about hitching: getting a personalized tour of the continent with people I'd otherwise never meet." I can say the same thing about backpacking, Greyhounding and BookCrossing. I met so many wonderful people in my travels and learnt so much that I wouldn't have otherwise . Kinda sad the upcoming trip will be plane only due to a lack of time :(

More to come when I've finished the book, but I'm definitely loving it. So much so that I don't want to go to sleep even though I have the chance after being up at 5 AM.

Journal Entry 3 by SKingList from New York City, New York USA on Monday, January 1, 2007
I thought this was going to be my ring in 07 book, but I finished it a couple of hours before the ball dropped. Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was great to see his perceptions of places I'd seen, and to hear about places I hadn't seen.

Love that he stayed at some of the same places, such as Radeka's in Coober Pedy. And his trip up the coast of WA made me really nostalgic for my own trip.

A great book on it's way for a mini ring.

Journal Entry 4 by SKingList from New York City, New York USA on Monday, January 1, 2007
Mini-ray:

SKingList USA
Woosang - NSW
Miss-Jo - NSW (added 2.5.07)
Catsalive - NSW
AmberC - NT
RockDg9 - QLD
Sharky13 - TAS
.
.
.
PC, Pass On, Wild Release...Whatever suits your fancy :D

Journal Entry 5 by SKingList at bookring in bookring, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Released 17 yrs ago (1/4/2007 UTC) at bookring in bookring, Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to Australia :)

Happy Reading!

ETA: For some unknown reason, GPM mail was cheaper and faster than normal airmail. Pleasant surprises.

Journal Entry 6 by woosang from Campbelltown, New South Wales Australia on Friday, January 12, 2007
**SIGH** Oh why to rings all arrive at once. Will get to it as soon as I can. Promise. Give me a nudge if I forget :)

Journal Entry 7 by woosang from Campbelltown, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, January 27, 2007
Finally got around to reading this book. It was an enteratining (if slighty dated) view of Australia from an American Hitchker's point of view. I did find I was not totally sucked into the book, but his descriptions were rich and un-biased. Throughly enjoyable.


Journal Entry 8 by miss-jo from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Monday, February 5, 2007
I accidentally hijacked the ring because Catsalive wasn't at the mini-meetup last week. Since I work far closer to her than woosang does, I thought that there was a fair chance that I could read it without delaying it at all.

I was reminded yet again of how much of my own country I haven't seen. I wouldn't choose to hitchhike, and I hope that some of the people are less closed-minded now than they were in the 80s, but I would love to go and see a lot of the places that he went to. Some day...

I'll pm Catsalive and get it moving asap.

Journal Entry 9 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, February 6, 2007
I have this now. Thanks, miss-jo.

Journal Entry 10 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Monday, February 19, 2007
I really enjoyed the book. I don't know how much you can get to know about a place when you're just hitching through but Horwitz wrote an intelligent & entertaining travelogue of his experiences. I don't envy him as I have no inclination to do the same, but I might have in the mid-80s.

This has the same feeling as Knockabout Girl which I just read. She worked & travelled in the outback around the same time.

Thanks, SKingList. I'll get this off to amberC ASAP.

Journal Entry 11 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Dropped in the post this arvo.

Journal Entry 12 by amberC from Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Arrived today, looks interesting.

Journal Entry 13 by amberC from Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Thursday, March 22, 2007
I couldn't get into this book, maybe because I didn't agree with most of his impressions. I have been to most of the places he mentioned, both in '87 and then again from '96 to 2005 and I don't know that I would have hitchhiked at any time.

I'm wondering where in Darwin he found "a monotonous expanse of crowded freeways" and we don't have a lot of "arcades, high-rises and traffic" even now, 20 years after his visit.

Journal Entry 14 by RockDg9 from Toowoomba, Queensland Australia on Thursday, March 29, 2007
Arrived here today.

Journal Entry 15 by RockDg9 from Toowoomba, Queensland Australia on Saturday, April 14, 2007
This was an interesting read. I'd done an around-Australia trip (although, the other way around, and in a 4WD!) back in '91, so it was good to read about all these places. I thought at times he seemed a bit judgemental about particular things, and I wish he'd written about more than just the pubs.

Journal Entry 16 by RockDg9 from Toowoomba, Queensland Australia on Monday, April 16, 2007
Travelling to Tas.

Journal Entry 17 by Sharky13 from Devonport, Tasmania Australia on Friday, April 20, 2007
Book arrived safely today.

Will add to my TBR pile & read it asap to keep the bookring moving.

Journal Entry 18 by SKingList from New York City, New York USA on Saturday, April 21, 2007
*momentary ringjack*

OK, crazy timing that I find an entry for this on the same day I book my airline tickets for August's trip to Australia. No 'genuine adventures' this time as its a rather short trip but I'm still excited.

/ringjack

Journal Entry 19 by woosang from Campbelltown, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, April 21, 2007
[Ringjack] Very cool! I may even get to meet you face to face :D
We will welcome you with open arms[/ringjack]

Journal Entry 20 by Sharky13 from Devonport, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, May 16, 2007
I finally got off my butt & finished this book before starting another.lol

Having just finished Knockabout Girl: A Memoir I saw similarities in writing & perceptions of the places visited & people met, even though the authors were of opposite sexes & from opposite sides of the globe. So similar & yet so different all at the same time.

Yet again I found myself retracing some old familiar places, after leaving Sydney to try my job hunting luck in Darwin, goping for a driving holiday to Broome & then driving down to Melbourne to move to Tasmania. Oh what a life I've had.lol

Having taken the bus from Sydney to Darwin I had a laugh at his sleeping position descriptions for bus travel.

"Consider the options:
1. Slump straight back or slightly to one side, with the knees crammed against the seat in front, & the head pushed forward upon the chest, as if in preparation for the executioner's axe.
2. Curl up in a pained fetal position, with the head shoved against the armrest & the feet pushing off against the wall of the bus, compressing the knees upward into the chin.
3. If the seat beside is empty: Recline across the two seats, trying to curl around the armrest, the point of which inevitably lodges like a tomahawk between the shoulder blades. Alternatively, roll over & take the hatchet directly in the chest."

Oh such fond memories of discomfort.lol

I really did enjoy this trip down his memory lane that made me re-think my own memories of towns & places that I too had visited.

Thanks for sharing.

Seek, read & enjoy.

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