Roadtrip with a Raindrop
<span>In her 90-day journey along the Mississippi River, author/photographer/traveler Gayle Harper rediscovered what she calls the "basic goodness of people everywhere."</span>
<span>Harper's book, "Roadtrip with a Raindrop: 90 Days Along the Mississippi River," chronicles her travels following one of America's great rivers and her interactions with people along the way.</span>
<span>Harper will be giving a presentation on the book and her journey at the Chester Public Library at 6:30 p.m. on March 5.</span>
<span>"The whole thing was surrendering to serendipity," she said of her journey in a phone interview with the Herald Tribune. "Where I was going to sleep each night was planned, but the rest of it was not. I just let things flow.</span>
<span>"At the end of the day, I turned on the GPS and let it lead me to where I was going to sleep at night."</span>
<span>In preparation for her 2,400-mile journey, Harper divided the river into 90 separate pieces and sent letters to chamber of commerces along the route, describing her project and including a link to her website.</span>
<span>One of things Harper asked was suggestions for lodging accommodations.</span>
<span>"I had no idea what to expect, but there ended up being more invitations than available nights," she said. "In the process of being asked what my preferences are, I said 'Just a clean bed please and internet access' and beyond that, it was up to them."</span>
<span>Among her accommodations were a fisherman's cabin, a downtown loft, a tugboat converted into a bed and breakfast and even a 30-room mansion.</span>
<span>"They would usually put me up in places that were unique to their culture and heritage," Harper said. "That added a whole rich dimension to the journey. I would never have found them on my own."</span>
<span>Harper reached Chester on Day 55 of the journey, overnighting at The Old Stone House, which is owned by Sandra Starr. Starr closed the doors of The Old Stone House as a bed and breakfast on Dec. 31.</span>
<span>"It was a delightful stay and was perfect like every place was," Harper said.</span>
<span>The book contains 240 pages, 55 stories and nearly 200 full-color photos. Harper said one of her favorite photos is of the Chester Bridge.</span>
<span>"The old bridges are graceful and elegant and that one certainly is, too," she said.</span>
<span>Harper said her program at the library will be presented as film with a multimedia slide presentation that includes narration and some music.</span>
<span>"I'll give (attendees) a little bit of backstory because people enjoy hearing how this came to be," she said.</span>
Copies of Harper's book will also be available for sale at the library and can also be ordered at www.gayleharper.com. An online trailer for the book is viewable on YouTube at http://youtu.be/m0zmzxmkj4s.
<span>For more information on the March 5 presentation, people can contact the Chester Public Library at 826-3711.</span>
<span>"It was definitely a non-stop marathon and yet, it was moving at the same pace of the river," Harper said of her journey. "It was very easy and not at all stressful. What that taught me is that's what life is meant to be.</span>
<span>"We make it harder than it needs to be."</span>
<span>Harper also spoke on her upcoming plans.</span>
"For 2015, I will be mostly on the road taking this presentation around and revisiting a lot of the river communities and the friends I met along the way," she said. "I also plan to cruise for a week on the American Queen (riverboat) and do a presentation for them."