Travels With Turtle

About the Book

Whether she’s tracking down moose in Maine, ancestors in Indiana or birds in Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, Denison lets whim guide her and her van, Turtle, on their eclectic two-month road trip from Oregon to Nova Scotia and back. She deftly weaves together historical background, personal recollections and family stories with lively rural scenes that capture the regional flavor of each experience. Her rich prose and dry wit create a delightful tale of quiet adventure.

Every road trip is as individual as the driver, especially for this 58 year old woman drawn to natural spaces, and curious about people in small doses. Denison’s keen ability to observe and reflect on events at hand makes the book more than a travel narrative.

Several themes tie the story together. The trip itself is of interest to anyone considering a road trip or curious about what it could be like. This is not a “how to” book on the RV life style, but does it include activities inherent to living in her van, Turtle, her only companion. The liveliest scenes occur in the cafes of small towns where her eavesdropping acumen leaves the reader with slices of rural wit, neighborly concern and conservative perspectives on life. She sees a bit of rural Canada with a friend, doctor to a small community, who delights in the foibles of her patients and loves her corner of Nova Scotia.

In the Midwest, Denison seeks out places of importance to her ancestors. An old homestead, a namesake park and an abandoned mill bring to life forebears known only through their names and dates and a few old letters to loved ones that drop intriguing hints that call for investigation.

As someone new to birding, she thrills at each new bird and begins to understand the nuances of the sport beyond finding a matching picture in a book. Wildlife refuges focus her visits to the last of our fifty states she has yet to see. In New England, she adds the quest for a wild moose, surprisingly difficult to find in that legendary moose habitat. For birds or moose, the tale of the hunt is as rewarding as the result.

And, of course, there is a bit of whining, but what honest road trip would not have its low points? However, Denison works through each frustration emerging refreshed for the next leg of the trip.

The book will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys reading about a whimsical American coast-to-coast-to-coast road trip.

About the Author

Harriet Denison writes travel narratives, memoir and essays and has been published in the Palo Alto Review, Foundation News and elsewhere. A college summer in Malawi followed by two years as a volunteer in Tanzania in the sixties initiated a life of travel by ancient bus, bicycle, sailboat and her own two feet on all continents and 27 countries to date. She started RVing in 1992 and now she travels Oregon in her van, Turtle, combining her work with birding. Another long trip is imminent.