Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America’s National Parks<\/a> by Mark Woods<\/h3>\n![\"1183433874\"](\"http:\/\/nextstopadventure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/1183433874.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
(Source<\/a>)<\/p>\nThis book is perfect for the national park lover (like myself). I first read about it online, and put it on a list for books to read in the future. When I saw it again on the Switchback Kids<\/a> blog, I decided to jump in for this quick read. The writer spends a year in the national parks. When I originally glanced at this, I imagined him trying to go to all of them in a year. This was not the case. He chose 12 parks intentionally, for different experiential purposes. He wanted to slowly spend time in each of the parks he chose. He spoke with local rangers and passionate adventurers to get a wide picture that others may not experience or notice in a typical visit. He also discusses how so many of our actions influence the future of each park and space. The quote below stayed with me, even after finishing the book.<\/p>\n\n\u201cIt reminded me of a Native American proverb that appeared in Friends of Saguaro material. Mom had cut it out: \u201cWe do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children\u201d – Mark Woods<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
—————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\nWild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail<\/a> by Cheryl Strayed<\/h3>\n![\"731868346\"](\"http:\/\/nextstopadventure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/731868346.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
(Source<\/a>)<\/p>\nI read this book in late fall\/early winter of 2014. I had been living in Utah for just about a year, learning to adventure far and near to my new home. This novel was fitting for me given my personal journey at the time. In addition to that, the imagery and thoughts that the author discusses are so real to the reader. She pulls in memories from her childhood, memories from her marriage, and weaves them along her journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. Her thru-hike on the PCT is very vivid, and I really felt transported to the trail when she was describing each leg of her trip. For me, the book was relatable as a person who left everything semi-spontaneously to move cross country on a journey<\/a> to the unknown. But her words are powerful to anyone who is in the process of finding themselves. After reading this novel, you might just been (over)packing your backpack for your own adventure!<\/p>\n\n\u201cIt only had to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles for no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets. The experience was powerful and fundamental. It seemed to me that it had always felt like this to be a human in the wild, and as long as the wild existed it would always feel this way.\u201d – Cheryl Strayed<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
—————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\nMiddle of Somewhere<\/a> by Sonja Yoerg<\/h3>\n![\"139668232\"](\"http:\/\/nextstopadventure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/139668232-684x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
(Source<\/a>)<\/p>\nThis is a novel about a thru-hiker on the John Muir Trail trying to find some solitude and herself on the trail. This novel was reminiscent of Wild because while a majority of the book took place in present day, she threw us back in her memories to fill in some information about her past. This author also does a phenomenal job describing the trail so you can feel like you\u2019re actively hiking with the protagonist. Another reason I really liked this book was there was a mystery\/thriller element to it. I won\u2019t ruin the surprise, but there is a side-story that gets your heart thumping in your chest, making you want to yell and scream with the narrator. \ud83d\ude42 You\u2019ll just have to read it to find out what I mean.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHiking\u2019s not for everyone. Notice the wilderness is mostly empty.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>\u2015 Sonja Yoerg<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n—————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\nInto the Wild<\/a> by Jon Krakauer<\/h3>\n![\"1317782521\"](\"http:\/\/nextstopadventure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/1317782521-649x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
(Source<\/a>)<\/p>\nThis is a classic. Based on the true story from the 90s, Christopher Johnson McCandless (also knowns as Alexander Supertramp) really takes the vagabond lifestyle to the extreme by selling all of his belongings and hitchhiking across the country without a form of communication or a steady income. He meets some interesting people through his journey, takes short-term jobs to fuel his wanderlust, and eventually ended up in the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley.\u00a0 <\/span>Four months after his death, hunters found his decomposed body in an abandoned school bus. This tale is one of the classic adventurous books that you should read at least once in your life. This book has a little bit of everything\u2014 from shocking to happy moments to heartfelt moments to sadness. It\u2019s a quick read\u2014 Definitely put it on your list!<\/p>\n\n\u201cSo many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man\u2019s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>\u2015 Jon Krakauer<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n—————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\nPaper Towns<\/a> by John Green<\/h3>\n![\"51hgkNew+XL\"](\"http:\/\/nextstopadventure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/51hgkNewXL.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
(Source<\/a>)<\/p>\nSet in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida, this one hit home for me- literally. While I\u2019m from St. Pete, about 1.5 hours from Orlando, the narrator and their friends\u2019 childhoods and high school experiences reminded me of my own school years. When the girl that the main character loves from afar goes missing, he takes it upon himself to follow the \u201cclues\u201d she\u2019s left of him to find her. It leads him (and his friends) on a long, wild road trip. I loved this book because it was well-written, as most John Green books are, and in many ways it echoes my own high school adventures that I took with my best friends. In high school, I was always a roadtripper, even if it was shorter distances. Another note from this novel is that it takes a look from a teenager perspective that there\u2019s more to life than just the immediate surroundings\u2014 You just have to take the chance to find what else is out there. It\u2019s a powerful message for teenagers and adults alike.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIf you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>\u2015 John Green<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n—————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\nA Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail<\/a> by Bill Bryson<\/h3>\n![\"51x-bFjBBeL\"](\"http:\/\/nextstopadventure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/51x-bFjBBeL.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nThis book is perfect for the national park lover (like myself). I first read about it online, and put it on a list for books to read in the future. When I saw it again on the Switchback Kids<\/a> blog, I decided to jump in for this quick read. The writer spends a year in the national parks. When I originally glanced at this, I imagined him trying to go to all of them in a year. This was not the case. He chose 12 parks intentionally, for different experiential purposes. He wanted to slowly spend time in each of the parks he chose. He spoke with local rangers and passionate adventurers to get a wide picture that others may not experience or notice in a typical visit. He also discusses how so many of our actions influence the future of each park and space. The quote below stayed with me, even after finishing the book.<\/p>\n \u201cIt reminded me of a Native American proverb that appeared in Friends of Saguaro material. Mom had cut it out: \u201cWe do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children\u201d – Mark Woods<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n —————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\n (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n I read this book in late fall\/early winter of 2014. I had been living in Utah for just about a year, learning to adventure far and near to my new home. This novel was fitting for me given my personal journey at the time. In addition to that, the imagery and thoughts that the author discusses are so real to the reader. She pulls in memories from her childhood, memories from her marriage, and weaves them along her journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. Her thru-hike on the PCT is very vivid, and I really felt transported to the trail when she was describing each leg of her trip. For me, the book was relatable as a person who left everything semi-spontaneously to move cross country on a journey<\/a> to the unknown. But her words are powerful to anyone who is in the process of finding themselves. After reading this novel, you might just been (over)packing your backpack for your own adventure!<\/p>\n \u201cIt only had to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles for no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets. The experience was powerful and fundamental. It seemed to me that it had always felt like this to be a human in the wild, and as long as the wild existed it would always feel this way.\u201d – Cheryl Strayed<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n —————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\n (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n This is a novel about a thru-hiker on the John Muir Trail trying to find some solitude and herself on the trail. This novel was reminiscent of Wild because while a majority of the book took place in present day, she threw us back in her memories to fill in some information about her past. This author also does a phenomenal job describing the trail so you can feel like you\u2019re actively hiking with the protagonist. Another reason I really liked this book was there was a mystery\/thriller element to it. I won\u2019t ruin the surprise, but there is a side-story that gets your heart thumping in your chest, making you want to yell and scream with the narrator. \ud83d\ude42 You\u2019ll just have to read it to find out what I mean.<\/p>\n \u201cHiking\u2019s not for everyone. Notice the wilderness is mostly empty.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>\u2015 Sonja Yoerg<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n —————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\n (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n This is a classic. Based on the true story from the 90s, Christopher Johnson McCandless (also knowns as Alexander Supertramp) really takes the vagabond lifestyle to the extreme by selling all of his belongings and hitchhiking across the country without a form of communication or a steady income. He meets some interesting people through his journey, takes short-term jobs to fuel his wanderlust, and eventually ended up in the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley.\u00a0 <\/span>Four months after his death, hunters found his decomposed body in an abandoned school bus. This tale is one of the classic adventurous books that you should read at least once in your life. This book has a little bit of everything\u2014 from shocking to happy moments to heartfelt moments to sadness. It\u2019s a quick read\u2014 Definitely put it on your list!<\/p>\n \u201cSo many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man\u2019s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>\u2015 Jon Krakauer<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n —————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\n (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Set in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida, this one hit home for me- literally. While I\u2019m from St. Pete, about 1.5 hours from Orlando, the narrator and their friends\u2019 childhoods and high school experiences reminded me of my own school years. When the girl that the main character loves from afar goes missing, he takes it upon himself to follow the \u201cclues\u201d she\u2019s left of him to find her. It leads him (and his friends) on a long, wild road trip. I loved this book because it was well-written, as most John Green books are, and in many ways it echoes my own high school adventures that I took with my best friends. In high school, I was always a roadtripper, even if it was shorter distances. Another note from this novel is that it takes a look from a teenager perspective that there\u2019s more to life than just the immediate surroundings\u2014 You just have to take the chance to find what else is out there. It\u2019s a powerful message for teenagers and adults alike.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>\u2015 John Green<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n —————————————<\/b>?\u008f —————————————<\/b><\/p>\n\n
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail<\/a> by Cheryl Strayed<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n\n
Middle of Somewhere<\/a> by Sonja Yoerg<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n\n
Into the Wild<\/a> by Jon Krakauer<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n\n
Paper Towns<\/a> by John Green<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n\n
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail<\/a> by Bill Bryson<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"Adventure](\"http:\/\/nextstopadventure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Adventure-Books-680x1024.png\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"