When John Huston was eight years old he wanted to be Indiana Jones, and minus the snakes and booby traps, he’s living that boyhood dream. In 2009 – after years as an Outward Bound wilderness instructor and major expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica – the Evanston adventurer reached the pinnacle of polar exploration with a historic Arctic journey he chronicles in his new book Forward: The First American Unsupported Expedition to the North Pole. Illustrated with breathtaking photos and interwoven with the rich history of polar travel, Forward puts you right alongside Huston and his expedition teammate Tyler Fish as they guide their 300-pound loads over the unforgiving surface of the frozen Arctic ocean on a 55-day adventure that pushed them to the limits of human endurance. On Thursday, May 31st, you can meet Mr. Huston when he visits EPL’s 1st Floor Community Meeting Room at 7 p.m. for a multimedia presentation that includes readings from Forward, a display of expedition gear, and a discussion of the lessons he learned in leadership, teamwork, and perseverance while conquering the North Pole. In anticipation of his visit, we recently spoke with him via email about his love for the wintery North, his 7000 calorie daily diet, the differences between Chicago and Arctic cold, and his upcoming expedition to Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic.
There is something about maps that inspires wonder, excitement, and possibility. But with today’s heavy reliance on GPS units, satellites, radar, and other technological advances to the world of travel, much of the mystery and allure of stepping out into the unknown has been lost. It has become so easy to just hop into a car, fire up the GPS on the dash, and let it take us on the quickest route to where we are going, that to imagine a trip around the country or across the world using little else besides a map, skill, courage, daring, and intuition seems nearly impossible. The thrill of the journey has largely been sacrificed in favor of the fastest possible arrival at the destination. But for those of you still feeling the lure of the open road and craving a time where danger and the unknown went hand in hand with travel, we’ve got just the thing for you. Good Magazine has created an interactive infographic which lets you trace 23 of the most famous journeys of all time, both real and fictional. You can trace the footsteps, road trips, flight paths and ocean routes of such famous travelers as Kerouac, Kesey, Earhart, Lindbergh, Hudson, Ahab and Ishmael, Magellan and many more. Follow the maps, learn about the travelers, and see images of the trips and let