Travel Adventure Book

Some adventurous folks climb mountains, swim the English Channel, run the bulls at Pamplona, walk the Appalachian Trail, or sail around the world. Douglas Jewell found adventure through long-distance hitchhiking. This travel adventure book chronicles three hitchhiking trips. Two coast to coast and back trips, in 1976 and 1994, lasted two months and covered 8,000 miles apiece. The 1989-'90 journey to the U.S. Virgin Islands and back included hitchhiking by yacht and sailboat. Douglas' exploits have had amusing, even comical moments, mixed with heartwarming interactions with down-home people and nature. There were threatening incidents, too, including gun-packing rednecks, sailing through a Perfect Storm, and getting trapped in a mountainous box canyon. Through perseverance, this Baby Boomer wrapped good and bad into life-altering experiences. Standing with thumb out and backpack on his back, the array of interesting characters he encounters in his travels is an intriguing cross section of real life Americana.

Each trip revealed a roller coaster of emotions associated with the rigors of hitchhiking. One minute it's being stuck for hours in the middle of nowhere - or a bustling suburb at rush hour - where it seems no one will ever stop to give a lift. Optimism has deserted, spirits have sunk. Then the next moment a mobile savior rescues the thumbing traveler and the world is back in order again, life is good. Hitchhiking is believing that the right ride will be arriving soon, it's just not here yet.

Hitchhiking does leave you vulnerable without the security of a vehicle, but at the same time it is exhilarating and enlightening. You awake each morning not knowing who you'll meet that day or where you'll end up that night. Your fate is cast to the wind. It's a carefree life, yet it's not. The intrepid thumber must be on the alert at all times. Heightened senses pick up on a driver who may have sinister motives, a hidden agenda, a dark side. Ingenuity and instincts are called for when dealing with these types.

The kindness and generosity of most folks far outweighs the dark side of others. After being offered a ride, it often turned into sharing a meal and even being put up for the night at the driver's home. The trustworthy hitchhiker was transformed into a transient psychologist as people poured out details of their life and relationships that they'd never shared before. There is safety in chance encounters, in that the two people will never see each other again. It's easier to unload pent-up anxiety on a neutral third party.

In our fast-paced world, the average, middle-class person is overlooked, brushed aside. There is a negative perception of people. This travel adventure book is a re-affirmation that most Americans are good, decent folks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Douglas Jewell realized at an early age that he was not one to follow the crowd. The status quo wouldn't do. Despite excelling in school, the thought of a traditional 9 to 5 corporate existence had no appeal. Thus, at age 20, the creation of "The List". The list was 10 things to accomplish in life - live in a North Woods cabin, Florida, California and the Caribbean, work on a dairy farm, experience an extended visit to Australia and India or China, hitchhike across America, start and own a business, and find a women who would be a kindred spirit, best friend, and companion to the end of their days. Eight of those goals have been realized. The basis of his life has been "A man has only two things in life - his word and his work." His unshakable belief in that pledge has led to him to adventures and accomplishments, as well as disappointment and hardships.

This Baby Boomer spent his 20s and 30s searching for adventures, new challenges and new experiences. He made a pact with himself to tackle a job and excel at it, then once he reached the zenith and the tasks failed to be stimulating anymore, he would turn his back and walk away. Time to re-invent himself in another occupation, another lifestyle, another locale. This scenario landed him in Massachusetts, Florida, California, Oregon, Maine, North Carolina, Montana, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and finally New Jersey. Occupations included being a golf caddy, cook, dairy farmer, taxi cab driver, surveyor assistant, carpenter, restaurant waiter, golf course construction worker, tuxedo-wearing maitre'd, TV and radio play-by-play announcer for high school sports, a freelance newspaper writer, and more. It was a time of intellectual and spiritual growth and maturation.

Douglas' entrepreneurial quest drove him to open a goat dairy in Maine, where he sold goat milk and goat cheese. The next enterprise was a weekly, 24-page, all-sports, free newspaper in New Jersey. He was publisher, editor, and main writer of The Sports Tribune, circulation 7,000. By now, his confidence level had soared and business challenges became the focus. Along with his wife, Joyce, he opened Jewell Real Estate Agency in 2000. They opened a second office the next year. The following year they purchased a run-down bar and totally renovated it in creating Jewell's Westside Tavern. That was sold three years later and today they concentrate on their family real estate business and enjoy monthly treks to their log cabin in the mountains of Pocahontas County, West Virginia.

The common thread throughout Douglas' life has been tackling challenges with hard work, determination, integrity and honesty, and believing in one's ability to overcome adversity. He's proof that the American Dream is still within anyone's grasp.