Once The Skooter was bitten by the travel bug, she was incurable. From Bhutan to the Zambezi River, The Skooter was fearless in her search for adventure and just plain fun. Written by her husband as a love story as much as a travel book, The Skooter Travels the World in Search of Adventure is filled with stories and photos of wild animals, diplomatic soirees, cultural fairs, religious and historic places and even business practices around the globe. Author Dave Dressler recalls the adventures he shared with his wife of sixty years, known affectionately as The Skooter due to her tireless ability to skoot through life. Their excursions began a little later in life after their children were raised and The Skooter became accustomed to accompanying Dave, a businessman based out of Washington, DC, on work-related trips to foreign countries. Occasionally joined by friends and family and always making time with the locals, the couple traveled from the rivers of Africa to the Sinai desert, throughout the Far East, and to Latin America.The author often touching on noteworthy historical events in the regions they visit: A trip to Mongolia is rich with the history of Genghis Khan; the couple re-trace the Vikings path from Scandinavia to North America; an interest in evolution gets them tracing the DNA origins of man from Africa to the Middle East and Europe. A passion for wildlife photography enables the pair to encounter exotic animals including a group of Rwandan mountain gorillas lunching on bamboo, Alaskan black bears feasting on fresh wild salmon, polar bears, elephants, hippos and more. South America proves to be home to some of the best beef and dancing in the world, and Tasmania, Australia and New Zealand are host to many of their favorite spots for observing wildlife, exploring, and relaxing. Translational mishaps are not uncommon on their many expeditions, causing obstacles when trying to obtain transportation or in purchasing goods. An emergency surgery in Botswana and a brush with Margaret Thatcher are just a few of the detours to their sightseeing. The Skooter often proves her reputation for fearlessness when navigating countries that are in the midst of various turmoil. After a few successive visits to particularly tumultuous areas, the pair make their way to the more peaceful valleys of the Bhutan, a region difficult to reach and discouraging of tourists. Though the author does not hide the realities one faces when traveling to developing nations -- poverty, violence, hostility towards outsiders -- his writing is never bogged down with the ugliness of it.Optimists through-and-through, Dave and The Skooter seek out the kindness in humanity throughout their explorations. Written in dedication to The Skooter, who persevered in her passion for travel even in the face of a dire cancer diagnosis, Dressler captures her in her enthusiasm and zest for life as deftly as he does the heart and soul of the cities and villages catalogued throughout the book. Both informative and sentimental, The Skooter Travels the World in Search of Adventure is a journey of love above all else.
Trustpilot
1 week ago
1 month ago
