Editorial Review Product Description Lost Angel Walkabout—One Traveler’s Tales is a spirited collection of travel narratives recounting the haps, mishaps, and serendipitous adventures that give, travel-writer Linda Ballou, a sense of wonder and delight. Some of the stories like “Falling in the Footsteps of John Muir” and “Look Both Ways on Small Islands” are reflections that might make you glad you stayed home, while “River Wise” could inspire you to toss the TV clicker out the window and to explore our beautiful planet.All of the stories take you to special places where you share the sensual experience of being there without straining one muscle, getting altitude sickness, or tipping your canoe. ... Read more Customer Reviews (6)
Great Read: Lost Angel Walkabout
This is a spirited collection of travel narratives, a beautifully written collection of personal experiences of Linda's many travels in different continents and environs.
It is easy to see why Ballou is a well-known adventure travel writer, each of the stories takes you to a special place and allows you to share the sensual experience of being there without straining a muscle, getting altitude sickness or losing control of your horse.
Her use of words is commanding and her descriptions so vivid you will feel you have traveled alongside her and seen all the beauty of the surroundings which she so deeply appreciates. Here's an example, from the chapter titled, "Stepping Outside of the Big Box," which describes a February trip to Arizona's Sonoran Desert:
"...A warming lunch and a snooze later, the sun was shining. I headed up the canyon to walk along a path tracing a chatty creek full of itself from the recent rains. Fast-moving clouds morphed from threatening gray to billowing white in a cobalt sky. The granite spires of the Baboquivari Range were now cloaked in a dazzling cape of fresh snow. I rock-hopped the bulging creek lined with gray willow, sycamore and cottonwood trees bereft of leaves... What is often described as a "vast wasteland" by those hurtling through the desert at 75-miles per hour in hermetically sealed automobiles, is, upon closer inspection, an on-going act of cooperation between plants, animals, and sometimes humans to survive."
Ballou's tales of her intrepid soul's search for beauty in the wilds and her ability to physically handle the demands of her settings will thrill you. (Not to mention that they may possibly incite you to become fit enough to actually see yourself doing some of the things she is daring and athletic enough to do.)
Some of her tales, like "Falling in the Footsteps of John Muir," about an accident she experienced four days into a horse-pack trip into the High Sierras, and "Look Both Ways on Small Islands," which details her interrogation by French gendarmes while visiting a Club Med in Tahiti, will make you glad you're just reading of her painful experiences - not actually living them.
But don't despair. She not only lived to tell these tales, she actually manages to make them somewhat funny. Besides, MOST of the stories are upbeat and inspiring, while those that contain her "Eco-Alerts" are also informative.
You'll enjoy this book and come away wanting to read it again!
Soul in Search of Beauty
Lost Angel Walkabout by Linda Ballou is one of the most beautifully written travel books I have ever read. Linda tells her personal experiences of her many travels in different continents and environs. She is well-known as a top adventure travel writer, and her tales of her intrepid soul's search for beauty in the wilds and her ability to rouse physically to any demands of the setting will thrill the reader.She increased my desire to become more physically fit so that I could do some of the things she is daring and fit enough to do. She grew up in Alaska and has always loved horses. Her travel tales about returning to that wonderful environ and her experiences in many different places which involved riding horses are so beautifully inspiring.Linda also leads walkabouts in Los Angeles. I highly recommend her book as a treasure you will want to read, and then to re-read aloud to anyone who might want to listen. Her use of words is very commanding and her descriptions so vivid you will feel you have traveled alongside her and seen all the beauty of the surroundings which she so deeply appreciates. This is a MUST READ!
Bonnie Neely-Editor [...]
Ecology, Traveling, and Writing
With each story I read in Linda Ballou's book, Lost Angel Walkabout, I thought, "This is the best story in the book." Then, I would turn the page and find that the next adventure was even more interesting.
I love the way the author weaves accurate and little known native history into each story. This information isn't what your typical tour guide might spout from a memorized script. This book and its information comes from roughing it in the wilderness in some very remote sites where most of us would not go with a group much less alone, which is Linda's favorite way to travel. The aloneness is rejuvenating for her as she listens to nature and the spirits that dwell in each mesmerizing place speak to her. As for aloneness, Linda says, "Much is said of the virtues of connecting with local cultures, but in aloneness you can connect with the forces that shaped them." I agree with her profound wisdom!
Not all of the trips were taken alone, however. I was especially touched by the story titled "Water Dogs" because of the tender way Linda showed grace and understanding to her 75-year-old mother who was along on a snorkeling trip. Linda was so creative in bringing the fish to her mom since Mom couldn't dive under and hold her breath long enough to see them near the cave entrance below the water. But this story is also a favorite because of the humorous way Ballou depicts the cast of characters. In fact, her sense of humor in telling the story not only made me feel like I was on location with her, it gave me a sense of her lively personality.
What I didn't expect, but found pleasantly refreshing was the spiritual aspect Linda brought into each tale. Her trips are inspired by her spirit guides, of whom she says, "Guides are simply that--guides. They try to direct you on an ever-changing path to soul-stirring moments, but the responsibility for the journey is ultimately yours."
So, I guess that's why Linda doesn't blame her guides for forgetting to take her silk underwear with her on the trip to Dorothy Lake. She nearly froze to death when the zipper of her sleeping bag broke and exposed her backside to the elements. What's an adventure without risk, right? And a little aroma from being wrapped in damp horse blankets to survive that night.
Tim Cahill's interview was a very special treat and served as an interlude to gear up the reader for more action and adventure in the second half of the book. Having taken the time to chat with one of her favorite travel writers shows that this author has credibility in both the writing and traveling world.
Another thing that makes this book intriguing and sets it apart from other travel/adventure books is the ecology alert at the end of many chapters. It's sad to know that many of the places Linda recounts in her stories are no longer the quaint, rural, peaceful spiritual nests they were at the time of her visit. They have been ruined by greedy deforestation, over-fishing, and toxic waste. This was an unexpected call to action in our effort to care for the beauty of our Mother Earth.
Throughout the book, the author's storytelling style is a great blend of travel journalism and real life experiences and spiritual insight that entertain and inform. Highly recommended reading.
Yvonne Perry, author of More Than Meets The Eye, True Stories About Death, Dying, and Afterlife and The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children
Loose Ribs, Fart Taxes, And Horse Jumping In Ireland... Oh My!
First, I must applaud the author for being able to write BOTH non fiction and fiction and write both well.That's not an easy task.Having read and enjoyed her novel Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai'i - Her Epic Journey, I was interested but a bit weary of reading her travel memoirs.From my personal experience, it's rare that an author can pull off both fiction and non fiction.
I won't say it's a perfect book.At times it grew more educational that entertaining and my mind started drifting.However, some of the stories made me laugh so hard, my dog jumped off of my lap and gave me a dirty look.I must give credit where it is due... Every story, be it about the author driving on the wrong side of the road, having loose ribs and being transported by helicopter, being accused of being a drug mule, horse jumping in Ireland, or getting stuck on a sailboat in a nasty Hawaiian storm, taught me some tidbit of information I didn't know before.Heh, I wish I had read this BEFORE my trip to Alaska.. If I had known there was a million dollars undiscovered in Skagway.... (sigh).
My peronal favorite story:Water Dogs.I'm not going to say why.I will just say it has nothing whatsover to do with dogs, not the four legged kind, but the story really touched me.
My laugh out loud moment:The New Zealand fart tax!!! Priceless piece of information I will never forget.
You MUST get this beautiful book
Lost Angel Walkabout by Linda Ballou is one of the most beautifully written travel books I have ever read. Linda tells her personal experiences of her many travels in different continents and environs. She is well-known as a top adventure travel writer, and her tales of her intrepid soul's search for beauty in the wilds and her ability to rouse physically to any demands of the setting will thrill the reader.She increased my desire to become more physically fit so that I could do some of the things she is daring and fit enough to do. She grew up in Alaska and has always loved horses. Her travel tales about returning to that wonderful environ and her experiences in many different places which involved riding horses are so beautifully inspiring.Linda also leads walkabouts in Los Angeles. I highly recommend her book as a treasure you will want to read, and then to re-read aloud to anyone who might want to listen. Her use of words is very commanding and her descriptions so vivid you will feel you have traveled alongside her and seen all the beauty of the surroundings which she so deeply appreciates. This is a MUST READ!
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