Fall is my favorite season in Fayetteville. The weather is usually pleasant as it starts getting cooler and the leaves change to the beautiful yellows and reds. It is a great time to travel, whether by car, plane, train or motorcycle! And if traveling is not in your plans right now, there are many wonderful books about traveling.
There are basically three types of travel books. One type includes the travel guides and pictorial coffee table books of trips taken. Another type includes novels about fictional journeys of discovery or questing, often tied to one or more themes like The Odyssey by Homer or, in more contemporary literature, The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The third type is nonfiction travelogues about real trips undertaken for exploration, adventure, or self-discovery. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck and A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson are two popular examples.
As a local bookstore, we at City Center Gallery & Books love encouraging people to read real books, and we also want to promote promising new authors. One of our staff, Liz, discovered one such author when a young writer and United States Army Captain named Dylan Nigh dropped off his book for us to review. She read a bit of it, was excited about the story, and quickly gave it to me to review. When my husband Hank (the English major in the group) read it, he was equally excited about it, and our “journey” with this new author began.
Dylan’s book is about his trip from Wilmington, North Carolina, to San Diego, California, on a 650 Triumph motorcycle. Feeling the need for a visit with family and old friends after his divorce, Dylan heads out for the West Coast at the beginning of winter—not exactly the best time of year to spend long hours in the saddle.
However, and luckily for readers, it led to Fool’s Gear: A Completely Devastating Thing I’ll Probably Do Again. This is nonfiction adventure writing at its best. Prose that conveys the pains and pleasures of riding astride a V6 engine, the sharp edge of the crisp winter air, and the thrill of the unknown around every bend. With every breathtaking sight and narrowly avoided disaster comes heartbreak and healing, a journey both internal and physical, relatable to anyone who has felt the highs and lows of life.
Dylan’s book is more than just a travel log or a journey of self-discovery. Even though it is nonfiction, it reads like a novel in the best tradition of storytelling. Anyone who enjoys a well-written book, whatever their interest, will enjoy Fool’s Gear. Recently I asked Dylan some questions for this column to give you a little taste of his book and the journey that inspired it.
Diane: What made you decide to drive across the country on your motorcycle?
Dylan: I had the time after six months of military training, needed to shake things up, and was missing home.
Diane: Did you have a set itinerary and schedule?
Dylan: I had a few set days based on hotel reservations but otherwise slept outside or at whatever place had vacancy. This gave me plenty of flexibility.
Diane: Did you plan to write a book when you began your journey?
Dylan: Not originally, but the more people suggested it the more it started to make sense.
Diane: Was there one incident or one person that really stands out in your memory?
Dylan: Rock climbing the inside of grain silos in Oklahoma City was definitely a standout.
Diane: You begin each chapter with a thoroughly intriguing and thought-provoking literary quote. Where did that idea come from?
Dylan: I’ve always been an avid reader and lover of quotes, so they tended to just pop into mind when I thought of the next step in my journey.
Diane: Name two or three of your favorite authors.
Dylan: Definitely Steinbeck, Twain and Tolkien.
Diane: The subtitle of your book suggests that another trip and book might be in the works. Any plans yet?
Dylan: I’ll just say I’d love to see the northeast and Canada on the back of a bike.
Here are some other nonfiction books about journeys that are sure to hold your interest.
1. River-Horse: The Logbook of a Boat Across America by William Least Heat-Moon
Not satisfied with just driving across America, William Least Heat-Moon decided to travel from New York City to the Oregon coast—in a boat! Filled with humor and humanity, Heat-Moon introduces us to parts of America viewed from rivers, a view most of us have never had.
2. Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon
Heat-Moon’s memoir chronicles his journey through the nation’s lesser-known small towns, revealing authentic American experiences through his encounters, adventures and reflections along remote backroads.
3. Passage to Juneau by Jonathan Raban
This is Raban’s story of his solo 1,000-mile adventure sailing a 35-foot boat from Seattle to Juneau. Along the way, he mixes in some thoughts on art, philosophy, history, Indigenous culture and sailing, while sharing insights about personal loss.
4. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
Not only do men set out on adventures of discovery, but so do women! Elizabeth Gilbert journeys around the world after her divorce and finds not only peace and happiness but also a deeper understanding of herself and the world around her.
So, you can travel on foot, by horse or carriage, in a car or on a motorcycle, or by boat or train, or just pick up one of these books and take the journey of a lifetime from your own chair!
“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.”—Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography
Read CityView Magazine’s “Arts & Culture” October 2025 e-edition here.