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Dont
let that empty nest syndrome get you down.
That
was the philosophy adopted by Eric and Karen Whitehead.
Fortunately, for this travel loving pre-senior couple,
their eldest son Gavin was a world traveler himself
and was currently living and teaching in Ecuador with
his wife Jordi. Therefore, it did not take any significant
thought to decide to follow the nestling to his home
in South America.
They
all spent a phenomenal week together in Quito and some
nearby towns then Eric and Karen were off on an odyssey
of their own. They spent three weeks journeying to some
of the most remote areas on earth; the Galapagos Islands,
Lake Titicaca in Peru, Patagonia in the near Antarctica
region of Chile and finally, Easter Island.
The
adventure was so astounding that Eric questioned more
than once, Am I still on earth? The amazing
creatures of the Galapagos made them think they were
living in a land that time had forgotten. The people
and culture of Lake Titicaca enriched both their minds
and their souls. Patagonia was so breathtaking that
they often felt that time stood still. Finally the mystery
of Easter Island and the beauty of its sunsets put a
crown of glory on this truly magnificent journey
The
words of American essayist Susan Sontag sum up Erics
feelings, I havent been everywhere but
its on my list.
Read
excerpts from the book "South American Odyssey".
Read
the interview with Eric Whitehead in the Bradford
Times
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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A
holiday experience unlike any they had ever had, Eric
and Karen decide they will actually have to train for
this one.
Their
journey takes them high into the Andes Mountains along
the Inca Trail to the citadel of Machu Picchu. Amidst
fears of altitude sickness and just what chewing those
coca leaves might do to them, the four day mountain
trek seems an impossibility at the beginning and a dream
at the end.
A
stay in the wilderness of the Amazon jungle and the
depths of Colca Canyon leave the couple realizing that
Peru truly is simply remarkable. The incredibly varied
geography and a rich culture marked by tradition makes
Peru a spiritual destination. A visit will surely change
your life in some way.
Read
excerpts from the book "Journey To The Lost City".
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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A
road trip book like no other…Eric and Karen travelled
for 20 years with their two sons Gavin and Adam. When
it stopped the boys were 23 and 21 respectively so their
adventures spanned every age and phase from infancy
to young adulthood. How did they do it? How did they
keep the kids interested enough to want to continue
the family vacation year after year?
This
book contains some hopefully valuable advice and some
family secrets aimed at making your travels a joy not
a trial of all your resources and mental capacities;
it also contains travel adventure as they visit all
48 mainland states – by car! One thing is for
certain, travelling gives children an education that
cannot be equaled in any book, movie or classroom. It
opens a world of history, geography, religion and culture,
a world that can best be experienced by being there.
“We
do not regret the decision to travel widely with our
children; the sacrifice we made in material possessions
was far outweighed by the realization that the children
got an education and satisfaction from life that they
would not have gotten had we not done this. We only
hope they enjoyed it as much as we did – long
live the holiday road.”
Read
excerpts from the book "The Holiday Road".
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Eric
and Karen’s first trip to Asia set the bar high
for any future travels. Vietnam is a dichotomy of everything;
it’s beautiful, it’s dirty, it’s happy,
it’s tragic, it’s historic and cultural
and in part it is lost in time. They saw the cities
and the rural areas and every place was different and
special in its own way.
While
in Saigon they thought the temperature approached unbearable
levels at 40 degrees C – but Cambodia was even
hotter! Fortunately the utter fascination of the temples
soon made them forget about the heat.
Travel
continues to open their eyes as they immerse themselves
in the culture of faraway lands. As with every trip,
a new adventure always leaves them wanting more, all
part of a very satisfying journey along the holiday
road.
Read
excerpts from the book "Emerging From The Shadows".
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Travel
continues to open their eyes as they immerse themselves
in the culture of faraway lands. As with every trip,
a new adventure always leaves them wanting more, all
part of a very satisfying journey along the holiday
road.
Read
excerpts from the book "Exploring The Rock".
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Eric
and Karen travelled with their sons Gavin and Adam for
20 years. Eric always believed, Travel opens our
eyes to how other cultures live by inviting us into
their world and making sure we understand and appreciate
it before letting us go. That was a gift they
gave their children. Now Eric and Karen move on without
them.
At
first they thought it would be difficult but they decided
to focus on what they could gain not what they had lost.
It wasnt long before the same crazy things happened
to them; they still got lost at the drop of a hat, they
still found some really questionable places to stay
and they still enjoyed it all.
Read
excerpts from the book "On Our Own".
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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When
we left on our expedition everyone asked, "Why
do you want to go to the Antarctic?" We couldn't
give them an answer - now we can. In the past the term
pristine wilderness always conjured ideas of forests,
mountains and rivers to me but Antarctica gave a whole
new meaning to the phrase.
There
are no roads, no towns and no people in most locations
in Antarctica. If not for the people in our immediate
group, the hundred passengers and crew of the Ushuaia,
in many places there truly would be no one there.
We
learned to understand and appreciate so many things
about whales, seals, penguins, glaciers and icebergs.
We also learned, without a shadow of a doubt, that global
warming is real - SAVE the ICE!!!
Read
excerpts from the book "ANTARCTICA an expedition
cruise".
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Our
goal was to make our way through northern Quebec, drive
across Labrador anywhere there was a road then return
home through Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
and Quebec. Labrador was the focal point of the journey.
The Trans-Labrador Highway is a little over 1,200 kilometres
in length and is part of a network of remote roads,
about half of them unpaved, cutting through unparalleled
wilderness. There's off the beaten path; then there's
this place.
Everyone
asked, "Why Labrador?" For the adventure and
the sheer joy of driving across one of the last frontiers
in North America; it's the ultimate road trip. A journey
through Labrador will put you in touch with the natural
beauty of the landscape. It is one of the few places
left where you can enjoy true wilderness - surrounded
by echoes of the past.
Read
excerpts from the book "LABRADOR A Great Canadian
Road Trip".
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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I love driving, the more isolated the conditions the better. There is nothing more relaxing and satisfying to me than driving for hours upon hours on an empty road and never seeing another vehicle. Somehow the enjoyment derived from that eliminates any concerns of breakdowns or requirements for assistance from my mind.
The freedom of the road, a journey of discovery, isolation and leaving it all behind – traffic, noise, rushing, heat, telephones, your peace of mind depends on it. So it was only natural that the 747 kilometre Dempster Highway from near Dawson City to Inuvik plus a new 148 kilometre extension Tuktoyaktuk Highway to the Arctic Ocean would attract me – unquestionably one of the best road trips in Canada if not the world.
Read
excerpts from the book "Destination Dempster". |
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Read
excerpts from the book
British Columbia: Experience Something Sacred |
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Haida Gwaii is a place of contrasts; made up of ancient, temperate rainforests, quaint villages, secluded inlets and beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see. It is a place where travellers can encounter a world unlike any other. British Columbia encompasses the spirit of Haida Gwaii.
They say when you leave you will have the sense of having touched and experienced something sacred - you have.
Read
excerpts from the book "British Columbia: Experience Something Sacred". |
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Through the years travel has been a constant presence in my life. Writing and photography have supplemented my travel experiences and it all started when I was a child. My parents provided a model and template that I would use in later life. I suppose that is how I became That Road Trip Guy.
Read
excerpts from the book "That Road Trip Guy: How It All Began". |
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Read
excerpts from the book
SASKATCHEWAN
more than just wheat fields |
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As a Canadian I had pre-conceived visions of Saskatchewan. Like most, I expected to see endless vistas of flat, open prairie with wheat blowing gently in the breeze. I could not have been further from the truth. Yes there are flat lands and wheat fields, lots of them, but Saskatchewan has so much more scenery to offer – some of it absolutely unbelievable.
The Qu’Appelle Valley, the Crooked Trees near Alticane and the resort town of Cochin. Their claim to fame is a lighthouse. Excuse me? Talk about out of place. The view is nothing short of bizarre.
The more I looked at the Badlands the more I thought I might just see dinosaurs roaming in the distance. Believe me, Saskatchewan is more than just wheat fields.
Read
excerpts from the book "Saskatchewan more than just wheat fields". |
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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In 1973 United Press International announcer Ed Karrens noted, “Whatever your social status, your political persuasion or economic rank, in some way large or small the year 1973 had to have a profound effect on your life.”
Truer words were never spoken. This book chronicles the major events of the York University Kenya Study Tour, as seen through my eyes.
I did not return to Toronto with the rest of the York contingent. Ed Karrens prophesized, “For some 1973 was a new beginning.” That certainly reigned true for the York Kenya Study Group.
Read
excerpts from the book "Beneath The African Sky". |
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Through the years travel has been a constant presence in my life. Writing and photography have supplemented my travel experiences, however, occasionally I stray from that path in my writing and present a biography. The Whiteheads is such a book.
Understanding our past leads us to our future; sometimes a bumpy road and not always clear but hopefully the journey will help us appreciate ourselves. Viewing the photos throughout the book will add to that appreciation. As you make your way through the pages you will meet our ancestral family. There are a few mysteries along the way and some extraordinary people. Enjoy and be proud of your heritage.
Read
excerpts from the book "The Whiteheads". |
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $35.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Not all trips have to be the epic adventures in which we have been fortunate enough to be involved. This book is a continuation of On Our Own and covers shorter trips not mentioned in previous writings, some barely achieving the status of trips at all. To me a standard adventure is two to three weeks minimum ranging to five or six weeks, so some of these definitely do not qualify in terms of time.
None of that matters; it’s the destination, the experience and the learning process you undergo while travelling that yields the reward.
Read
excerpts from the book "Still On Our Own". |
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Read
excerpts from the book
No Phone, No Internet and Film in My Camera |
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Those of us who are of a certain vintage will have no trouble relating to the logistics nightmares in the chronicles addressed here. However, many younger people will view us as dinosaurs, not even being able to imagine travelling without a phone or internet.
I contend and will leave you with this thought; things are not necessarily better now, they are just different. We had plenty of enjoyment and success without the technology available in today’s world.
Read
excerpts from the book "No Phone, No Internet and Film in My Camera". |
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If
you would like to buy the book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange a payment method, and
delivery of the book. The price is $25.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Read
excerpts from the book
CANADA, Coast To Coast To Coast
Volume 1 - Heading East
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If
you would like to purchase this book at this time, please
contact Eric
Whitehead and we can arrange payment and
delivery of the book. The price is $35.00 (CDN), plus
shipping/handling. |
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Helga
- Escape Into The Arms of Strangers |
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As
a writer, I am unquestionably one who deals in travel,
so this book is a major departure for me.
The
Kindertransport was a rescue mission that took place
during the 9 months prior to the outbreak of World War
II on September 3, 1939.
That
made Helga one of the last to take safe haven in the
United Kingdom. But that was just the beginning. What
followed was a lifetime of heartache and loneliness
endlessly thinking of the loving family she left behind,
never to see them again.
Helga
is my mother-in-law, and, in a word, is a fascinating
lady.
Sadly, we lost Helga in December 2019.
"HELGA escape into the arms of strangers" is now available and contains an additional final chapter, Helga's Legacy.
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If
you would like more information, or to purchase the
book, please contact Eric
Whitehead directly.
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