What makes a good trail story?

[KnightErrant]

Definitely! I think that's the appeal of Bill Bryson's books in general. He has a self-deprecating sense of humor about his travels that makes it feel realistic while also being entertaining. You get the feel that if he can bumble through all these adventures and make it out the other side, then anyone can. I remember his description of the sport of cricket in his book about Australia, and I connected with that so deeply when I thought back to moving to the Dominican Republic to work for a baseball team with no prior knowledge of baseball beyond what I could pick up from The Sand Lot. But yeah, he goes out of his way to exaggerate the misunderstandings and mistakes in a really enjoyable way.

Self-deprecating is what I was going for in my most recent post about getting my bear bag stuck in a tree (illustrated in the diagram in OP), as well as my unwarranted fear of being alone at the shelter.

Come to think of it, my being a chicken is a recurring theme in my travel blog. (For someone who does "brave" things like outdoor adventure sports and extended solo travel, I am an utter pansy.)

[KnightErrant]

^ That was supposed to be quoting Traffic Jam's post (#34) and I'm not sure how to go back and edit on this forum, whoops.



But in general, thanks everyone for the all the replies! Lots of helpful tips, ideas, and reading material.

@rickb, I like Paul Theroux! I haven't read any of his fiction but I read The Tao of Travel, which is part collection of travel quotes/stories from other writers and partly his commentary. I'll have to check out some of his other books. Where did you teach English?

[rickb]

Paul Theroux’s non-fiction is where it’s at. His trips generally span long distances — many by train — and some qualify as true adventures, like traveling around Oceana with his folding kayak.

Most of all, he knows how to observe his surroundings and the people he meets and turn even mundane interactions into great stories on every page.

The first book of his I read was called the Old Patagonia Express where he recounts his trip by rail from Medford, MA to The tip of South America. It made a great impression on me when I discovered it while teaching ESL in Bogota in the early 80s. I reread it last year and it still holds up.