Mountaineer to visit Winslow travel shop
Published 8:30 am Sunday, December 8, 2019
Adventurer and acclaimed travel writer Steve Sieberson will return to the The Traveler in downtown Winslow at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10 to discuss his new book “Low Mountains or High Tea – Misadventures in Britain’s National Parks.”
Sieberson, author of “The Naked Mountaineer,” will share photos from his 90-day road trip through the back roads of the British Isles and read excerpts from this humorous account of the journey.
Admission to the event, part of the Tuesdays at The Traveler series, is free and open to all.
The author hails from Poulsbo, but now lives in Omaha, said store spokeswoman Kathy Irvin.
“While his profession is the law, he’s a law professor [in] Nebraska and used to work as an international lawyer for years, his avocation is mountaineering, or, in the case of the United Kingdom, ‘hill climbing,’” she said. “He just published his second travel book, which I read and enjoyed immensely. He really captures the fun in traveling off the beaten path and uses his droll wit to describe the people and places that he and wife encountered during their summer of adventure/misadventure in the U.K.”
Sieberson first visited The Traveler when he published his debut book.
Later, when he and his wife unexpectedly found themselves in Britain with an entire summer on their hands, they readily agreed to avoid the usual tourist attractions, opting instead for a road trip to the United Kingdom’s 15 far-flung national parks. As they set out, however, he, the avid climber, envisioned bracing days of energetic hill walking, while she assumed they would relax in tearooms and cozy pubs.
“Low Mountains or High Tea” dishes up the charms and eccentricities of rural Great Britain as seen through the eyes of two Americans who never really knew what was coming next. Seldom planning more than a few days in advance, the two traversed the United Kingdom in a rented Vauxhall, subjecting themselves to single-track lanes, diabolical signage and whimsical advice from locals.
They discovered a town called Mirthless, a place where cats’ eyes are removed, and a vibrating cottage, while at mealtimes they dove fearlessly into black pudding, Eton mess, and barely recognizable enchiladas.
After their initial attempt at hiking together ended in near disaster and an appreciation for the National Health Service, Sieberson received dispensation to scramble alone to the highest point in each national park — as long as he was quick about it and left plenty of time for more sedentary pursuits.
Sieberson also weaves in occasional references to the roadways and mountains of the Pacific Northwest, adding another layer of interest for local readers.
“My job may be in Omaha, but my home is Kitsap County,” he said. “I look forward to returning to The Traveler. It’s great to spend time and share stories with people who love to travel.
“I’ve found that the best stories come from the unexpected — the places you stumble into and the things that don’t go according to plan. Put another way, misadventures are the best kind of adventures.”
Celebrating its 25th year of service, The Traveler, located at 256 Winslow Way East on Bainbridge Island, is a travel store dedicated to equipping the modern world traveler, inspiring a love of travel and fostering understanding of other cultures.
For more information, visit www.thetraveler.com or call 206-842-4578.
