Rating: 
Summary: "An Outstanding Travel"
Review: John Steinbeck's book:"Travels With Charley" is one of the most interesting book that I've read. It's about about an exciting travel across America made by Steinbeck and his french poodle, Charley. Although the book has been written since more than forty years ago, there are still some aspects that are found in the current society. The paint of America made by Steinbeck is so authentic, so real that it makes the reader dazzled, stimulates his curiosity and takes him to places that he might have never been. Steinbeck is a great observer. He describes everything so perfectly, from people to the american society; from the american society to the environment. By using a numerous figures of speeches, he gives to all his descriptions an attractive color which bring them alive. As an example, the way Steinbeck talks about the nature is just extraordinary. Steinbeck points his finger at the problems of America, and precisely the pollution caused the industrialization of the big cities. Also, he mentions one of the greatest problems that is ravaging the american society since ever, which is the problem of discrimination and racial conflict between Black and White. Personally, I was proud to read his perception about the problem, and the fact of considering himself as a cosmopolitan. In short, Steinbeck discusses with vigour a lot of delicate facts that are still found in today's society.Therefore,"Travels With Charley" still has its place in the in this new generation.
Although I reproach Steinbeck for his tendency to include too many details for things or events which are not important( discussions with charley...), I still think it's a good book to read because you can discover the genius of an author that can make you discover the beauty of a country.
Rating:
Summary: Journey with Trusted Life
Review: Travel with Charley in Search of America Travel with the Charley is my first book for reading. I never ever read John Steienbick's book before. I like this book vary much. He wrote this book forty years ago but it still look like he wrote it today. I believe Steinbeck's has a skill and experience of yesterday and make it seems like today. It was very exited to read about packing of his trip, custom made car that he called Rocinate. He was the man; his dog, his truck and three months travel across America. It was very funny and exciting about going out and discovers America with dog. He traveled across the state in large circle from New York to Main to Illinois to Washington, California, Texas and further south. As he traveled, he meets with the people along the way and describe them in vary short paragraph. His observation and opinion about every thing from antiques, small towns, American language, interstate system, hunters, trash and many others items and also he made clear statement about how different New England peoples from others. John Steinbeck's also noted subtle regional difference of American people and realize that American south is different than the rest of America. Overall Travel with Charley is an interesting book that present John Steinbeck's idea in a unique and effective way. To see the Travel with Charley as just an interesting side of American is to miss the point. Mr. John Steinbeck's was present a number of important historical events in American life, while he was travelling toward the southern state during their trouble time of integration. He witnesses people and event during the time of integration school. He also recorded the rise of motor hotel beside of road and towns. He also appreciated with the modern interstate system and small roadside towns throughout the nation.
Rating: 
Summary: You dog you!
Review: BACKGROUND
In December 1959 Steinbeck's work on The Acts of King Arthur was interrupted when he suffered a small stroke. The effects were not permanent. Steinbeck, now in his late 50's, put aside the Arthur manuscript and started a new novel, The Winter of Our Discontent, set in the 1960's and published in 1961.
Adlai Stevenson, among others, had encouraged Steinbeck to travel through the U.S. as he had in the 1930's gathering impressions and canvassing attitudes that Steinbeck could cast in the form of a book. The idea appealed to Steinbeck, and as he completed The Winter of Our Discontent, he began making plans for a drive through America. He commissioned the construction of a special vehicle a sturdy truck on the back of which was mounted a cabin in which Steinbeck could sleep, cook, and work. He was delighted when the truck arrived, and spent much of the summer provisioning it for the expedition ahead.
His wife Elaine, concerned about her husband's health, was at first opposed to the trek. She could not change her husband's mind, however, and he christened his vehicle "Rocinante" in honor of Don Quixote's horse. Elaine provided the title Travels With Charley because both Steinbeck and Elaine admired Robert Louis Stevenson's Travels With a Donkey (1879).
Steinbeck decided to take their pet poodle, Charley, on the 10,000 mile journey. Travels With Charley can best be appreciated as an act of courage.
The journey began on September 23, 1960. Steinbeck joined Elaine and her relatives in Amarillo, Texas, in time for Thanksgiving 1960. They returned to New York in January 1961.
The manuscript of Charley was in progress by early February 1961, and was written in part in the West Indies on Barbados and completed in New York. It was published mid-summer 1961 and became one of the largest commercial successes of Steinbeck's career. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature on October 25, 1962.
I've always enjoyed Steinbeck, and his voice is still loud in this book, I digress a bit because I've traveled with Charlie before however some argue that my Charlie is not a dog but my brother. If you have ever shared a tent with him while he shook rocks off mountains with his world class ability to snore then you might think of him as a dog, try this trick next time your with him, drop a piece of food on the floor while your eating, guess what , its instinctive...that scrap stands little chance of hitting the floor. Steinbeck had his Charlie and I have mine, I'm guessing Steinbecks Charlie had his shots. Read the book its classic Steinbeck. Continue to read if your interested in my brother Charlie and his travels. Thank you for your support. JW
Hello, I promised more information about my upcoming trip through Mexico and here it is! I will be making postings under this heading about the trip so check back every few days to find out what's going on.
I will be riding a 640 KTM Adventure, four of us plan on riding the length of Baja. That alone is a long time dream. We plan on camping and moteling our way along. Surfing, snorkeling, whale and girl watching. Once we get to Cabo at the Southern most tip, we will start back North. This is where the trip gets big, I'll go to Lapaz and catch a ferry to the main land. The other riders have to head back North so I will continue on my own. "No" to the most obvious question, "No" I don't speak Spanish, except what I call "Restaurant Spanish" which is enough to get me lunch. So it's Jethro out of the country again!
First off nothing is competed, lots of projects are started. I've started gathering gear and equipment. First off I received my new Aerostich riding gear yesterday. I selected the Falstaff jacket made of waxed cotton. It is Bad Arse! The Falstaff is a very stout garment with padded shoulders and elbows. It is made of a heavy waxed cotton material but has all the modern conveniences of pockets and vents. I begged Moose to build this jacket, but my pleas went to deaf ears. Aerostich came to my rescue and this will be my favorite coat for the next 15 years.
I selected the Aerostich Darien Light pants, they look like regular pants with out a bunch of logos running down the leg so I don't look like a racer but still have the safety of rugged cordura material and they are cut to be comfortable while on the bike. www .aerostich .com
As far as bike preparation, the 640 is a pretty good place to start for a trip like this. Sure every one wants the new 950 KTM but it's sooooo fast I'd be in jail with no hope of ever seeing a drivers license again.
The 640 is just fine. Drew Smith at Works Enduro Rider has my suspension right now, he's installing heavier springs front and rear, stock was too cushy for any thing but paved roads. Then once you add some luggage and extra gear, the suspension needed some work for this trip. www .werproducts .net
Next I installed a Pro Moto Billet tail rack with panniers. These guy's make some beautiful equipment, CNC machined aluminum, very top quality stuff. Plus they are in the same town in Idaho where I live so it was easy to chose their products. www. promotobillet .com
Sidewinder sprockets were a no brainer, the new stainless steel jobbies, we don't want problems on a 6,000 mile trip, check them out at: www. sidewindersprockets .com
Tour Tech also known as CycoActive is where I'm getting my GPS unit. I did find one on line just a little cheaper but dealing with some one who knows bikes and trips sure makes it easier to ask questions and solve problems. Now I don't have very much experience using a GPS but I can see where it will be invaluable once I hit the back roads of central Mexico. http://www . cycoactive .com/
I'm still undecided about tires, if any one has advice on what kind of tires would offer good traction and maximum mileage please drop me a note. I was not unhappy with the stock Metzler Sahara tires, they got good mileage but other people said I need full knobbies in Mexico. I get spoiled with the traction here in Idaho. Did you know a lot of guys are running trials tires on the back of their dirt bikes? Knobbies up front but the old blocky trials tires in the rear, they claim traction is fine, only under heavy braking does it want to slide, plus they get 1,500 miles out of one and they don't tear up the trail as much as a spinning knobbie. Another friend of mine runs street bike tires on his 640 KTM and can go any where he wants, but this is not the real world, and I don't know what to expect in the heart of Mexico. I do know I don't want street tires if I get in to mud like Southern Ohio!
Just like every bike I've had since 1991 I'm running Enduro Engineering hand guards and grip heaters. Alan Randt helped me out and asked for some photos of me for his web site. I sent him one of me sitting on the stool reading a Trail Rider! I laughed but have not seen it on his site yet! www . enduroeng . com
Then there are the shots, the Mexican Insurance, tourist card, ferry fees, film, spare parts, gasoline, it's taking all my money just to get ready! So if any of you are in the financial position to help sponsor me with some cash, send me a note. If you are broke like me, consider giving some blood and sending me the cash.
I'm an excellent painter and work in some of the finest homes across the country, so maybe your house needs some painting, I'll go any where for a good job, send me a note and we can discuss that too.
Of course we all need to thank Paul Clipper here at Trail Rider Magazine for having a place for us to share our tall tales and story's. I want to thank KTM for building a bike that does what I want it to do: "Get me back home." I want to thank Joe and Bob at Motosports KTM here in Boise for a thousand little items. ww w. motosports- boise . com I want to thank Chuck Sun, for no particular reason other than he would like to see his name up on the web. There are a thousand people I would like to say hi to, they know who they are so, hi.
I've gone on long enough, next week I should have my maps from www.overlandmexico.com and can give some details of my planned route, but for now find a map, find Mexico City, go South East about 300 miles to the Mayan ruins of Palenque, that's my goal right now. I'll also visit Cueve Cheve, the worlds deepest cave, Copper Canyon, and a thousand spots in between.
Check back in here and tell your friends, we cross the border Feb. 20th and it's Jethro on the loose.
Thanks and see ya here later.
Charlie
Feb/22/05
Away we go! I've changed my plans again, just like I promised. This time, I'm skipping Baja, well my freind Gerrardo from Indy had to drop out due to work, so instead of contuining on with some guy's I don't know, I'll just take off on my own. This way I can catch a ride down to Arizona with my freinds who are going to the National Enduro there in Pheonix.
This way I can ride a National Enduro before taking off on a tremendously long and rugged trip. Sounds about right.
Joey, Patrick, Darren and I all load up tomorrow afternoon and head south, we are hauling 9 bikes, 2 for me, and 3 for them the rest of them are for freinds who will fly down from Boise to ride the race.
The scary part will be when my buddies load up Sunday after the race and leave me sitting there in the parking lot with my 640 KTM and my gear. I'm scared or nervous, hell it's a 14 hour drive in a truck going 70mph back to Boise, how long would it take on a bike? Days? Weeks? Who knows? I'll find out in a few weeks, I have a long way to go before I cross that trail again.
I'll cross over the border in Nogales and head south, my ultimate goal would be Cueve Cheve, the worlds deepest cave. 10 years ago a freind went to explore it's depths. He did not make it back, we all don't make it back. Some day, we all won't make it back. So in my life, I'm going to go as far and as long as I can. Jerry Garcia? Hunter Thompson? John Bulishi? Ernst Hemenway? They all gave up too early. Life is an Enduro, and there are lots of miles to go.
I am drawn to Cueve Cheve, I would like to write my freinds story, it is a whopper, I get goose bumps thinking about it. Freinds, family and other adventurous souls need the story told.
Other than being drawn to a hole in the ground I have no plans, I don't even have a Mexico map yet, I'll pick one up at the border and just wing it. My first stop will be Copper Canyon, from there I'll make a decison on weather or not I feel confident or if I'm misserable. I might turn tail and head home, or I might head south, I'll do what ever I want, that's the nice thing about going alone, all the decisons are mine.
I did get some new stuff for my bike, I got a Chase Harper tank bag and tail trunk. I talked to Ron Harper him self and was really glad I listened to his advice. Once I got everything packed up I needed the extra room his bags gave me. Visit their web site at www.chaseharper.com or call 805.965.7977, tell them Trail Rider sent you!
I packed light too, but it just takes lot's of room for tools, tubes, ointments, salvs, powders, pills, asprin, advil, anti diahreha, pro diahreha, clothes, shoes, gloves, hats. I did pack one of my good Grateful Dead shirts and my "Cat in the Hat" hat. Why do you wear such a tall hat? So I can set it in my lap when I sit down!
I finally made a decision on tires, I got the Dunlop 606 and want to thank my freind Rick Dorfmeyer for helping me get them and some other sundry items from the Tucker Rocky catalog. www.tuckerrocky.com
In my first posting I mentioned how expensive this trip was, and to be honest, money is still a problem but SteveO from Tuson wrote me and made a generous donation that is truly making this trip possible. I want to say thank you very much SteveO, your donation is the only way I could keep going, thank you.
I took my bike out for a test ride the other day, boy what a differance, the suspension really handled the whoops, well pretty well for a fully laden dual sport bike. But the single biggest improvement I made to the bike is my Bill Mayer Saddle, it is a wonderful additon and I can see it will be my best freind on this trip. Visit their web site at www.billmayersaddles.com If you have a big dual sport bike, you owe it to your self to get one of these seats.
I'm going to meet up with Chuck Sun at the Enduro this Sunday, we hope to ride on the same minute. He will have his lap top computer and if I get the chance I'll write up a quick race report and let you know how things went. After that it may be south of the border before I get to write to you again. Drop me a note at trailridercharlie@yahoo.com and let me know who is reading this stuff and check back here for news from my end.
Thanks to all and I'll talk to ya'll later.
Charlie
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful longing....
Review: As Steinbeck would tell us, as Americans we all have that sort of longing for the road and to travel our great country. In my opinion, it is becoming a lost love, however, in the age of speed.
And so, this book was like a vacation for me. I read it over the space of about a week and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would compare it to William Least Heat Moon's *Blue Highways* although it is a bit different. Both men are intellects and both lend their insight and thoughts as to their experiences and their spiritual journey's and neither lets us down.
I loved the book because it gave me a light-hearted reprieve from our everyday duties in life....work, laundry, bills, work, dishes, bills, work, carwashing, groceries, work--and it brought me back to the realization that in many ways we are our own worse enemies....nothing really has to be so hard. In a way, everything is relative.
Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: More thought provoking than travelogue
Review: In considering "Travels with Charley", I thought about the time period it was written. Around the Beat Movement, when you had classics from Kerouac and Wolfe and others of similar caliber. Also important to note in "Travels with Charley" is that the book was written late in Steinbeck's career and he was well-established.
Read: wealthy. In a funny way it shows in this book. Steinbeck is not the rough and rugged outdoor character that you might find in a Hemingway novel, nor does he try to be like that. It's great that he, and older man, decided to take a trip away to discover the people of America.
But the roughing it and the life on the road gets to him rather early on, showing his age and time, over say the beat writers who made driving across the country seem like a stroll across the street.
It doesn't seem that Steinbeck did much research and planning for the trip, as there are not many accounts of National Parks, etc. An avid traveller may scratch his head because of that, trying to see as much possible going cross country. This adds to the humanity and "spur of the moment" without a net style the book becomes. In "Travels with Charley", there is a nervous tone at many parts of the trip, almost sad and desolate. The reader can feel Steinbeck's homesickness and thankfulness for trusty ol' Charley.
Communication between Charley and narrator is excellent, oftentimes narrated with an envious tone toward Charley's simplistic personality. Perhaps the strongest part of the book is the plight in New Orleans during the 1960s, very chilling account of school desegregation that Steinbeck witnessed. Some very important characters are introduced in this part of the book.
If you like "Travels with Charley", I recommend "Into the Wild", by John Krakaur. I prefer "Into the Wild" over this book, because while Steinbeck hadn't planned his trip all the way through, bogging him down at many points, I feel that he really had nothing to lose by taking the trip. There's much emotion in "Travels with Charley", regardless.
Conversely, young college grad Chris McCandless had everything to lose by packing up and travelling America to try and ditch society and live off the land.
Rating:
Summary: You get to know John Steinbeck
Review: More than any autobiography a book like this tells you what kind of person the author is. I found him to be a very interesting person who reflects on himself and what he sees around him. Naturally the book displays his amazing writing skills; it is wonderful to see how he expresses himself. I really enjoyed what he said about Love: "Once, when I raptured in a violet glow given off by the Queen of the World, my father asked me why, and I thought he was crazy not to see. Of course I know now she was a mouse-haired, freckle-nosed, scabby-kneed little girl with a voice like a bat and the loving kindness of a gila monster, but then she lighted up the landscape and me". John Steinbeck, the person people who were close to him knew, lives on in this book for as long as the English language remains unchanged. He was not too different from many of my friends other than his phenomenal command of the language.
Rating: 
Summary: Steinbeck's ego on display.
Review: Steinbeck seems to have a rather elitist attitude in this book. His ego is on full display. Example: he doesn't like the transformation of the American infrastructure from highways to interstates because you lose touch with the real America because of all the billboards, efficient truck stops,lack of scenery, etc, etc. John would't be happy unless we were all farmers living in old mother Russia telling stories around a fire. Sitting around a fire because we didn't invent electricity because it might elevate us socially above our neighbor or possibly rob us of the joys of sitting around a fire telling stories; all while eating raw potatoes and drinking water out of a hole in the ground. While I have always thought Steinbeck could write beautifully, his books seem to be little more than propaganda to further his socialist desires for society. But who am I? I guess I'm just more of a Hemingway kind of guy; I didn't get a college degree in something that only offers a job teaching the same subject as my diploma.
Rating:
Summary: On The Road
Review: Our media culture is obsessed with superficial appearances. All information is processed at high speeds in small parcels. It is in the interest of the media/corporations to tell Americans what America is all about and how it is defined by their products.
Hey, everybody's got to make a buck; I've got nothing against that. And you can't deny that some of this stuff is fun and lighthearted.
But that's just it, there is no substance, it's all superficial. Undeniably pleasant, but essentially unsatisfying. That's not America.
I've travelled this country far and wide, and - while some of the specifics have changed - the America John Steinbeck went in search of still exists.
"Travles with Charley" invites us to look beyond the surface of the media bombardment. It introduces - or re-introduces - us to the people and places that truely form the backbone of this country. At the same time it takes us beyond place and reminds us of the humanity of those around us; something that can be easily lost in the sound-byte/video-clip culture that we live in.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless wisdom along with a time-capsule from 1960
Review: After reading "The Grapes of Wrath", "Travels With Charley" was irresistable to me. It is a treat to read Steinbeck's observations as he travels America some 20+ years after the terrible times he chronicled in "Grapes". The voice is still there but a bit softened with the wisdom that passing years bequeath. Make no mistake, he still is angry with injustice. But Steinbeck writes with a wonderfully appealing gentleness and depth of compassion as he converses with his fellow citizens. Plus he writes with remarkable skill and grace. An artist has time to "ponder" and consider currents, circumstances and feelings in ways most simply find near-impossible in the busy world of "bringing home the bacon."
Steinbeck is an artist of the highest order. It is a gift to be able to listen to what this artist discovers - in himself and the country he loves. The time and circumstances of 1960 come alive as vibrant history, while the observations and writing of John Steinbeck will register as relevant for all times. Enjoy.
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