Dimestore Explorer: Adventures of an Impetuous Geographer

From the Great Smoky Mountains, to the Philippines, to the Caribbean Sea, to the North Pole, author Branan Ward weaves an inspiring and compelling narrative that spans the entire globe. His is a life of hitchhiking, flying (and crashing) airplanes, hoboing on trains, canoeing rivers, sailing ships, and manning war submarines. A geography teacher by day, Ward's life is reminiscent of the iconic characters in action-adventure movies.

Join him on his exotic travels to Greenland and hard labor jobs, like gold mining, oil drilling, and road building across the Yukon. He has spent nine decades running-not from anything but toward a rich and full life. This memoir is a true account of how big dreams can lead to unforgettable experiences, as he finally, at age seventy-seven, fulfills his lifetime goal of visiting the Potala monastery in Lhasa, Tibet-this on a solo trip around the world.

Treat yourself to a rare experience from one unstoppable geographer's journeys around the world, experiences in the classroom, and ultimately his spiritual awakening that is both entertaining and contagious. At ninety-one Ward keeps active by painting portraits and the occasional mural, and by inspiring everyone around him to stay young at heart.