A travelogue is a personal account of one’s travels, almost a diary but more broadly focused on the sights and sounds of the journey. Many scholars point to travelogues as the starting point for many accomplished travel writers, such as Robert Louis Stevenson and John Lloyd Stephens. Further, there are numerous creative minds who have begun their exploration of their craft by combining travel and writing but moved beyond the very specific vocation of travel writer. Here we will explore the travelogues of those who did not pursue a life in travel writing, but were successful in other areas.
Ivan T. Sanderson was born in 1911 in Scotland, studied as a naturalist and eventually became a naturalized citizen of the US. After attending Eton college, he traveled around the world for a year. At 19 years of age he earned a degree with honors in zoology from Cambridge University, and later in life masters’ degrees in botany and geology. Clearly Sanderson was a man of science. His study of natural living things all over the world was successful, to the point of fame. Yet few are aware of Sanderson’s travelogues.
The first was Caribbean Treasure, in which he describes his travels through various Caribbean countries. The reader is offered a view into the obvious love Sanderson had for nature, as his prose is honest and heartfelt. Sanderson’s other travelogue of note is Living Treasure, published in 1941. It is a detailed account of an expedition into the wilds of Jamaica, Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula. At this point in history, Mayan ruins were still being unearthed and restored. No doubt Sanderson took great pleasure in seeing the ancient sites with his own eyes.
Neil Peart was born in 1952 in Ontario, Canada to a farming family. Along with his three siblings, he worked the farm and attended the local schools. A love for music became evident during the early teen years, but as a young child he excelled at classical piano. Eventually, on his 14th birthday Peart’s parents gave him a drum kit. After taking lessons for a short while, he performed in front of his high school and later formed a band. Years later, this young farm kid with a love for rock music would become the drummer and lead lyricist for the Canadian multi-platinum record-holding rock band, Rush.
Peart also published four travelogues: The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa, Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, Traveling Music: The Soundtrack of my Life and Times, and most recently Far and Away: A Prize Every Time. Anyone who knows Rush knows the talent that is Neil Peart, so it may come as no surprise that his travelogues are on the ‘Must Read’ list. His second and fourth publications in particular, chronicle Peart’s solo travels through North, Central and South America with close attention paid to Belize, Yucatan and Brazil.
Whether it is your first or fifth trip to the Caribbean, the exotic beauty of the people and the landscape will take your breath away. Prepare for your vacation by reading a travelogue, or some travel literature. Try to see with the eyes of Robert Louis Stevenson or Captain James Cook. Use their travelogues as inspiration for exploration, adventure, and fun!
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