Back in January ’15, a mutual friend of the author told me of an upcoming book about a grand ‘source to mouth’ travel Adventure on the Mississippi River. Before I even heard the title (Roadtrip with a Raindrop: 90 Days Along the Missouri River) or the name of the author (Gayle Harper, who I would later meet), the very idea itself intrigued me. I remember thinking “Wouldn’t that be a fun thing to do on the Missouri?”, as if it were a passing thought.
It turns out it wasn’t. The ‘passing thought’ simply wouldn’t go away. One thing led to another, and roughly a year later, I was beginning to seriously plan such a Marvelous Adventure for myself.
Things began to fall into place, and I finally scheduled The Trip to begin on August 1, 2016, with a Branson departure of July 22. I had made a conscious decision to ‘follow the adventure’ for its own sake, regardless of whether this book manifested, but Gayle’s publisher (Acclaim Press) had expressed an interest, so I knew it was a possibility.
Seven weeks later the Adventure was over, and, using my journal notes and over 4000 pictures as my crutch, the book began to take shape during the Fall of 2016. It was eventually finished later that winter and released in mid-July 2017.
The book then is the story (both visual and written) of that 7-week Adventure. Just like the trip was, it is full of beauty, scenery, new information, history (especially Lewis and Clark), stories, fascinating side trips, and wonderful people. I hope you’ll enjoy the journey!
