Finalist for the Eric Hoffer AwardIPPYAward Gold Medalist for TravelEssayNext Generation Indie Book Award Winner for General Non-FictionNext Generation Indie Book Award Finalist for Travel/Travel GuideBoth a memoir and a memorial, these collected letters and diary entries recount one family s adventurous journey in 1967 attempting to drive around the world in a VW bus. Not intended as a book at the time of the writing, the intimate and poignant story details the family s travels through Europe, the Middle East, and into Asia, challenging preconceptions about different cultures and illuminating how one-year-old Zerky had a magical effect on everyone they met along the way. The book features maps and pictures of the trek yet is more than just a travelogue; Zerky and his mother died shortly after the trip and this narrative serves as tribute to their lives."

Introduction. Mark Twain's own letters from the Earth -- Part I. The Mississippi. The lure of the river -- More river thoughts -- Steam boat magic and a small town boy -- The face of the water -- Goin' to the theater in the big city (a letter from "Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass," 1856) -- Mardi-Gras in New Orleans (A letter to Pamela A. Moffett, 1859) -- A tour of New Orleans -- The scene of battle: Vicksburg -- Part II. The West. "Roughing it" lecture -- Among the miners -- The killing of Julius Caesar "localized" -- A trip to Tahoe -- Off for San Francisco -- A San Francisco day trip -- San Francisco weather and other natural events -- Part III. Back East. Philadelphia: the first visit -- New York: the overgrown metropolis -- New York: the dreadful Russian bath -- New York: changes in the city -- New York: street people -- New York: personal ads -- Plymouth Rock and the Pilgriims -- First visit to Boston -- Boston: a modern Cretan labyrinth -- Boston antiquities --

Ancestors and descendants of Wiley Ivins Baldridge (1858-1918), born in Pearson, Arkansas to William Albert Baldridge and Alpha Elizabeth Clayton. He married Clarissa Tennessee "Tennie" Ward (1860-1932) in 1879 in Van Buren County, Arkansas. She was born in Gibson Co., Tennessee to William G. Ward and Tillitha Emmaline Burrow. They had ten children. Descendants live in Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri and elsewhere.

American Sailor Kurt Reid is a hothead and a hard case--a man who hits first and asks questions later. Scrappy and rough around the edges, it's no wonder that when the ship's captain turns up dead, it's Reid who takes the rap. Falsely accused and under the gun, Reid jumps ship and vanishes into Shanghai--only to get caught in a web of intrigue, betrayal, and murder. In a world where nothing is what it seems and everything is for sale, he's soon out of his depth, drawn into a spy game in which the winner takes all ... and the loser takes a knife to the back. Will Reid live up to his reputation as the Spy Killer? He'll have to learn the rules fast, because with players like sexy Russian agent Varinka Savischna in the hunt, the game is about to turn as seductive as it is sinister. Give in to temptation and experience the intrigue, as the Spy Killer invites you to take part in a most provocative conspiracy. "A roller coaster ride of intrigue, suspense, action and adventure ... very highly recommended." --Midwest Book Review