Three Travel Stories, Free on Amazon this Weekend (Feb 16-20, 2017)

Drive, bike or walk – your choice, with three different travel stories free on Kindle this week. Normally, they go for 99 cents each, but you can get them all for free, and start thinking of your next travel adventure.

On the Road with Bronco Billy

What follows is an account of a ten day journey through western North America during a working trip, delivering lumber from Edmonton Alberta to Dallas Texas, and returning with oilfield equipment. The writer had the opportunity to accompany a friend who is a professional truck driver, which he eagerly accepted. He works as a statistician for the University of Alberta, and is therefore is generally confined to desk, chair, and computer. The chance to see the world from the cab of a truck, and be immersed in the truck driving culture was intriguing. In early May 1997 they hit the road.

Some time has passed since this journal was written and many things have changed since the late 1990’s. That renders the journey as not just a geographical one, but also a historical account, which I think only increases its interest.

We were fortunate to have an eventful trip - a mechanical breakdown, a near miss from a tornado, and a large-scale flood were among these events. But even without these turns of fate, the drama of the landscape, the close-up view of the trucking lifestyle, and the opportunity to observe the cultural habits of a wide swath of western North America would have been sufficient to fill up an interesting journal.

The travelogue is about 20,000 words, about 60 to 90 minutes of reading, at typical reading speeds.

Amazon U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00X2IRHSK

A Ride on the Kettle Valley Rail-Trail

The Kettle Valley Rail Trail is one of the longest and most scenic biking and hiking trails in Canada. It covers a good stretch of the south-central interior of British Columbia, about 600 kilometers of scenic countryside. British Columbia is one of the most beautiful areas of Canada, which is itself a beautiful country, ideal for those who appreciate natural splendour and achievable adventure in the great outdoors.

The trail passes through a great variety of geographical and geological regions, from mountains to valleys, along scenic lakes and rivers, to dry near-desert condition grasslands. It often features towering canyons, spanned by a combination of high trestle bridges and long tunnels, as it passes through wild, unpopulated country. At other times, it remains quite low, in populated valleys, alongside spectacular water features such as beautiful Lake Okanagan, an area that is home to hundreds of vineyards, as well as other civilized comforts.

The trail is a nice test of one’s physical fitness, as well as one’s wits and adaptability, as much of it does travel through true wilderness. The views are spectacular, the wildlife is plentiful and the people are friendly. What more could one ask for?

What follows is a journal of two summers of adventure, biking most of the trail in the late 1990s. It is about 33,000 words in length (2 to 3 hours reading), and contains numerous photographs of the trail. There are also sections containing a brief history of the trail, geology, flora and fauna, and associated information.

After reading this account, you should have a good sense of whether the trail is right for you. If you do decide to ride the trail, it will be an experience you will never forget.

Amazon U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GBG8JE0

Amazon U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GBG8JE0

Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01GBG8JE0

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01GBG8JE0

Amazon Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01GBG8JE0

Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B01GBG8JE0

Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01GBG8JE0

A Walk on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail

The Juan De Fuca Marine is considered by many to be one of Canada’s finest hiking trails. It hugs the southwestern shore of Vancouver Island, between Jordan River and Port Renfrew for a distance of about 48 kilometres. Like its (perhaps) more famous neighbouring hiking trail just to the north, The West Coast Trail, it features both beach and forest hiking along a rugged coastline. The hiking is a nice test of one’s fitness, the views are spectacular, the wildlife (marine and forest) is plentiful and the people are friendly. What more could one ask for?

What follows is a journal of a five day trip, taken in early September of 2002. It is about 13,000 words in length (60 to 90 minutes reading), and contains numerous photographs of the trail. There are also sections containing a brief history of the trail, geology, flora and fauna, and associated information.

Amazon U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013VKEXV2

Amazon U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B013VKEXV2

Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B013VKEXV2

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B013VKEXV2

Amazon Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B013VKEXV2

Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B013VKEXV2

Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B013VKEXV2