Book It

     I do want you to book a vacation with Voyageur this summer but that isn’t what this blog entry is about.  It’s about a tradition our family has while taking car trips or while on a family canoe camping trip.  On our adventures we love to read aloud a book together.  I guess I should say the family loves to listen to me read as they grumble if they have to take a turn reading.  It’s a great way to pass time in the tent on a rainy day or if your in the middle of the canoe on a long paddle.  Reading is fun to do while sitting around a campfire or just before the lantern goes out at the end of the day.  It’s especially interesting when we’re reading  books about the area.

     There are some great books about the canoe country.  Many people have enjoyed "Canoeing with the Cree" by Eric Sevareid as well as books by Sigurd F. Olson.  I have a few favorites that I always suggest to people when they ask for a good book. 

     There once was a woman who lived, not in a shoe, but on an island.  Her name was Dorothy and she was known as the Root Beer Lady.  Tucked away in Knife Lake she hosted fishermen in her wilderness cabins.  When the area became the Boundary Waters life became more difficult for her by the regulations imposed upon her life in the wild.  "The Root Beer Lady" is a book about Dorothy Molter written by Bob Cary and if you’re ever heading to Knife Lake then you must read it and stop by her Isle of Pines.

     Another book I like about the Boundary Waters is "Lost in the Wild" by Cary J. Griffith.  This book describes three different true stories about people who have been lost in the wild.  It’s a good read and gives insight into what to do and what not to do while paddling or hiking in the BWCA.

     The families favorite book about the area is "A Wonderful Country" by Dave Olesen.  It’s a book of stories from Bill Magie about his experiences in the canoe country back in the early 1900’s.  Some are said to be tall tales or exaggerations but you never know which ones might actually be true.  They are all very entertaining and keep you guessing what he’ll say next.

     I’m sure there are many good books out there about the canoe country wilderness or other wilderness areas.  I’ve read a few but would like to read more.  If you have a favorite then please share it with me and my readers.  You never know when the next adventure will come up and then everyone can start a new family tradition.