New Bryson Book

by Erik Olsen on

Bill Bryson fans have a treat in store for them. Bryson’s newest book, a memoir called The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid goes on sale October 17. Some folks who relish his travel stories might be disappointed, but let me tell you, I was skeptical about his recent book on the history of science. But I got it read it savored it loved it. It is now one of the books I recommend to friends and family alike. So I can hardly imagine anything Bryson writes, especially about his own life, being bad.

The conceit here is that he tells us about his middle America upbringing with the help of a superhero persona. According to Tom Brocaw, his eminence of the anchor chair, the book is “a laugh-out-loud pilgrimage through his Fifties childhood.” You can take a look at an excerpt here. And if you want to catch Bryson in person, he is doing a book tour and will be in New York, Washington DC, Des Moines, Pittsburg, San Francisco, and Seattle throughout October.

Podcast Reminder

by Erik Olsen on

One of the things with being a blog is that the need to constantly post new information is unrelenting. I think we now do between 10-15 posts a day here. That’s a lot of work and a lot of useful (and sometimes not so useful) information for gadling readers. But the problem is that sometimes things disappear really quickly and get lost in the digital annals. So I just wanted to remind folks with this post about the podcast we did last week with guidebook writer Joshua Berman. But also, if you look back in the gadling podcast category, you’ll see we’ve done a whole host of cool podcasts that you can listen to now on your ipod or computer or via that chip the government implanted in your skull.

Who else have we done podcasts with, you ask?

Well what about one of the hosts of Deep Sea Detectives, a very cool fellow named John Chatterton (whose exploits will also be featured soon in a movie directed by Ridley Scott). Then there is the talk we had with undersea explorer Fabien Cousteau. Of what about Josh Davis, author of The Underdog. There are more, and, in fact, here is a quick list for you. So click away and listen up:

– James O’Reilly, Executive Editor of Traveler’s Tales
– Lonely Planet’s Don George
– Eric Stiller, kayaker and the author of Keep Australia on Your Left
– Jim Benning, co-editor of the online travel site Worldhum
– Dean LaTourrette and Kristine Enea, travel authors
– Cafe Reggio

And we are also on itunes, so feel free to subscribe for your ipod.

Racing Chariots in Jordan

by Erik Olsen on

Here’s one of those rather odd posts that make you do a double-take just before you say, yeah, that’s actually rather cool.

A young Swede named Stellan Lind has gone to Jordan to recreate chariot races for tourists. Lind is a former executive in the pharmaceutical industry who was so entranced by the chariot scenes in the film Ben Hur that he headed to the Middle East and petitioned the government to allow him to establish a company that does recreations of the chariot races amid the ancient ruins of Jaresh, Jordan.

The show is known as “The Roman Army and Chariot Experience” or simply by its acronym RACE and features former Jordanian soldiers who play gladiators and compete in chariot races. Lind (perhaps a bit full of himself) oversees the races wearing a toga and a purple sash. He has yet to bring together lions and Christians, but perhaps it’s only a matter of time. There is also a story about it on NPR.

Across Mexico via Train

by Iva Skoch on

One of the most scenic train rides I have ever taken is the Chihuahua al Pacifico (or ChePe). We boarded the train in the coastal town of Los Mochis in the morning and traveled eastbound toward Chihuahua, stopping in Creel in order to explore the Copper Canyon area. The train ride takes around 10 hours, depending on how many stops (and breakdowns) you’ll encounter along the way.

And the entire time, the one thing you can’t get out of your mind while watching the Sierra Madre pass by is: “Badges? We ain’t got no stinking badges!”

It is best to travel from west to east because you see the best views during daytime. The scenery is stunning. From the low coastal areas, the train makes its way to the elevation of some 8000 feet. Make sure to pack appropriately. We went in December: it was steaming hot on the coast and below freezing in Creel. Needless to say, we were not prepared. Fortunately, as we descended into the Copper Canyon town of Batopilas, inhabited by the Tarahumara Indians, it was nice and warm again.

Death Valley

by Erik Olsen on

For a lot of folks, the name Death Valley hardly suggests a great place to take your next vacation. Most people know it for one thing: that it is the lowest point in the United States, some 282 feet below sea level. It is also know for being one of the hottest places in the US. But put those things aside for a moment and consider that there are many miles of hiking trails there, mountain biking opportunities and a string of superb campsites where you can hang out at night and gaze up at some of the clearest skies this side of the MIssissippi (as if the skies East of the Mississippi are any good either). And believe it or not, but flowers do bloom in Death Valley, and when they do, the effect is said to be explosive, with yellows and oranges and reds rolling on and on over the hills. There is also a bona fide National Park there, with extensive exhibits that talk about the region’s past aas well as where it got its name (several miners during the gold rush thought they’d take the desert as a detour…bad mistake).

So if you’;re interested in taking a weekend off to do something rather unconventional, give Death Valley a look-see. Also, for accomodations, try the Furnace Creek Inn, Furnace Creek Ranch, and/or the Sunset Campground.