I don’t hitchhike too much, I have four kids and a husband, which is a prohibitive number of people for a convenient pick up. I do, however, pick up hitchhikers just about every chance I get. To me, it’s a great trade, a chance to increase my per-capita gas mileage and the entertainment is for...

"I spent a lot of time in cars when I was a kid, and you know, there’s something about cars— you’re going somewhere, you’re occupied, which can make people very unguarded in their conversations. I hitchhiked across the country a couple of times when I was a kid, and I used to have the most...

Jordan Valley, Israel/Palestine It’s not everyday that you stand on the side of a highway, a car pulls over, you get in, and moments later the driver says you’re an answer to prayer. Up until this car stopped, the day had been full of disappointments. I had left Jerusalem that morning and gone to Jericho...

Weyto, Ethiopia The waiting, sings Tom Petty, is the hardest part. It is also part of travel. The picture above was taken on the outskirts of Weyto, Ethiopia. The two travelers and I (they were from Israel and Denmark) had just hitched a ride in a Land Cruiser belonging to a condom distributor (it was...

[Note: Each Saturday this month, Vagablogging is featuring self-published travel books reviewed by self-published travel authors. This week, Bob Reil reviews Roadtrip .] Review by Bob Reil When he was 20 years old, Douglas Jewell made a life list. He had decided to live an unconventional life, unencumbered by the traditions of what he saw...