Trails to Utah and the Pacific: Diaries and Letters, 1846-1869
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Travel Writing: A Discussion
In his diary entry for September 8, 1849, Gordon Cone laments the monotony of the landscape on his journey from Waukesha, Wisconsin, to California. In doing so, he puts forth a maxim about travel writing:
"Saturday September 8th There is so little vari--ety along this valley that one finds to record, that if he is governed by truth, and records only facts, (and facts are the only things that the traveller should reco- -rd) to one that is has no particuler interest in the formations of the country, the nature of the soil, or any of the peculiarities that go to make up any given region; a description founded on these prem--ises will be monotonous, and uninteresting- A false impression is frequently left on the mind by reading a high colored description given by travellers, who have explored {begin inserted text}a {end inserted text} given regions of country- hence hundreds have been disappo--inted when they have explored the same country-
And perhaps many are induced to visit a foreign coun--try from reading these descriptions- This is found to be the case with regard to most of the section of our country, that the traveler acrost the plains, and mountains, in his journey from the eastern, to the western portion of our continent, daily meets with- Hence the necessity of recording only facts, even at the expense of rendering the narative uninteresting-"
Cone, Gordon C. Diary, 1849-1850. September 1849, pages 104 - 105
Analyze Cone's statement and use it as a starting point for a discussion about travel writing. Use the following questions to begin:
- According to Cone, what is the danger of a travel writer recording anything but facts? Upon what does Cone base his opinion?
- How has travel changed since the time of Cone's journey?
- Is there any present-day equivalent for the cross-country journeys by wagon represented in this collection? What were the challenges involved in these journeys?
- How has travel writing changed over time? What are the differences between pioneers' diaries and articles written for publications such as National Geographic Adventure, Travel & Leisure, or Outside? What are the similarities?
- What are the similarities and differences between emigrants' guides of the 19th century and today's Lonely Planet or Let's Go guides?
- Does Cone's opinion about the need to record only facts have any relevance today? If so, how does it apply? What are a contemporary travel writer's responsibilities to her audience?
- What do you think that a good piece of travel writing should do?
- What place do you think facts and "high colored descriptions" have in good travel writing?