It’s time once again to highlight a fellow author! Today, I have a hiking/Camino friend on board for the Proust(ish) Questionnaire. Reg Spittle is a fellow Camino walker who has now authored three books. His latest, HOOFIN’ IT On The John Muir Trail: A Sierra Nevada Wilderness Adventure, was released in January. I’m about halfway through it and already dreaming of walking the John Muir Trail. I absolutely loved his Camino Sunrise: Walking With My Shadows. He brings the same honesty and silent reflection into Hoofin’ It that he introduced in Camino Sunrise. You can see transformation on the page.
Reginald Spittle is a retired political science professor and longtime newspaper journalist who once considered walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route across Spain on the Camino Frances. When his self-doubts and insecurities had him thinking, “I can’t do that,” his wife’s response was, “What if you can?” So they did. I think it’s safe to say they have not looked back.
Reg, standing atop Mount Whitney, highest peak in the continental USA at 14,505 feet (the sign is off by 3 feet).
Reg’s latest book is the culmination of his wondering if they’d be able to walk the John Muir Trail. Spoiler alert: They did it! Today, I ask Reginald Spittle to partake in my Proust(ish) Questionnaire. So glad that he agreed to do this. Twenty questions may not seem like a lot to ask someone, but I’m sure it’s quite time consuming to answer them…so a thousand thank yous to Reg for being a great sport and taking part! Let’s face it, twenty questions is a downright lie. Some of these questions have two, three or more parts.
Before we get into the questions, here’s Reg Spittle’s BIO:
Reg Spittle and his wife Sue raised three sons in the shadow of Yosemite National Park, exploring its many trails. As an educator, Reg won a yearlong teaching exchange in Scotland, taught all seven elementary school grades during 20 years in California, and instructed political science for 11 years at a California community college. He was a journalist at five newspapers.
He could not have anticipated the new experiences that awaited him in retirement. Sue and Reg have walked eight distance trails in seven countries, covering more than 2,000 miles. In 2023, they walked 500 miles on the Le Puy Camino route in France. They have also crossed the USA five times in their truck and travel trailer, visiting 46 states and four Canadian provinces.
Now. Let’s get into it, shall we…
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Perfect happiness doesn’t exist. I try to focus on incremental accomplishments, like writing a chapter in a book that will lead readers to eagerly anticipate the next page. Or spending a day on a trail that satisfies me because of its challenges, scenery, and physical exercise. Even if these things are not fun in the moment, time usually offers fresh perspective. The most difficult pursuits in my life have been the ones that have brought me the most positive feelings.
2. Do you know what your next great adventure will be? And…do you now go into your adventures with a plan to write about them?
During spring 2025, Sue and I are walking an Italian section of the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage to Vatican City that begins in Canterbury, England, and has been walked for hundreds of years. Then we plan to walk the Cotswold Way in England after rests in Rome and York. I will probably keep a journal, like I did on the John Muir Trail. I did not go into the JMT with the intention of writing a book, but I knew there was a book there long before the trek was even finished.
3. What is your greatest fear?
Health problems that keep me off the trails, or losing mental sharpness.
4. What is your most preferred genre as a reader?
Young adult fiction and non-fiction, particularly books that portray young people who have overcome difficult childhood challenges. And, if I may, there is a second genre I am drawn to just as much: adventure stories about people who have traveled long distances by foot, bike, or boat. There are so many great books about incredible human travel accomplishments. I just finished Dove, about a California teenager who became the youngest (at 16) person to circumnavigate the globe in a sailboat—solo!
5. Which writer do you most admire and why?
The late Gary Paulsen, the author of a sky-high pile of fiction and non-fiction books. He wrote several survival stories that took place in wilderness settings. Many of his characters, who discovered courage that they never imagined possible, remain in my heart. His best books? Two—Hatchet and Canyons—are my favorites. I read these to my sons and to several hundred children in my classes. I encouraged my students to doodle or sketch while I read aloud, but often, while I read Paulsen’s books, their pencils remained still while they hung on every word. I owe you big time, Gary.
6. How do you decide what to do next? There are so many options out there for wanderers to choose from. What criteria do you use to decide? Is it random, or do you listen for a calling? (I threw that last part in there because I truly believe the Camino is a calling. You hear about it one day and it doesn’t let go until you decide, “Okay, I’ll do it…”)
You are so right; the world has many lifetimes worth of distance trails. When we read and/or watch YouTube videos about a trail, if we are drawn to it, we look for blogs and reviews of the trek. If it catches our fancy, we order a guidebook to look at the trail in more detail. (We have quite a library of guidebooks, I tell you!) We read the guidebook and debate it for a while. Sometimes, like with the Via Francigena in Italy (which we are walking in April 2025), we return to consider a trail we had previously put on the back burner. In the case of the John Muir Trail, our son Chris, a big Sierra Nevada backpacker, had lobbied me for years to do the JMT. “You can do it, Dad. And you’d love it!”
7. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Being positive all the time. It is unnatural, and I sometimes find it toxic.
8. What did you take with you on this journey that you wished you hadn’t packed and what did you not have that you wished you had packed?
We took a solar shower and never used it because it was too much trouble to set up and there was (freezing) water everywhere to rinse off in. Oh, how we longed for more snack food. We got so tired of Clif bars and wished we had provided for more variety. I envied people who carried squeeze peanut butter and tortillas. At high altitudes, your body needs far more calories as it works in high gear to cope with the lower oxygen levels, as well as the challenging ascents.
9. For those considering the John Muir Trail, what advice do you have for them as far as preparation training goes?
Acclimate to the altitude. We spent three days just before the JMT in Mammoth Lakes, a resort community in the eastern Sierra at about 8,000 feet. Each day, we walked at 10,000 feet or more. You need to be in reasonable condition, able to walk 10-12 miles a day carrying a backpack. Be sure to include some days with challenging ascents and descents and walk on a variety of surfaces to make sure your shoes/boots will work. Train with trekking poles, which are musts on the JMT. There are several Facebook groups that offer loads of advice.
10. When and where were you most afraid?
I was most fearful before the trek, at home. I worried that I had gotten myself into an adventure beyond my capabilities. My failures as a kid whenever I faced physical tests came back to haunt me in the middle of several nights. Then, on the first day of the JMT, I felt like a rookie among pros when we met our fellow trekkers, most
of whom had been on the JMT before. I had never done a wilderness trail, which is so different than the European trails we had walked. During the trek, I was on edge several times, but I don’t recall ever being afraid, even on Mount Whitney.
11. Which talent would you most like to have?
Confidence in myself, especially in challenges that test my physical abilities. It has held me back from many experiences, but the John Muir Trail was a huge boost in making me feel better about my skills on the trail.
12. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would want to come back as a kid who was athletic, living in a family that loved the outdoors. I would grow up with an incredible friend who was filled with an adventurous spirit. After high school, my friend and I would set out on wilderness treks like the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail, spending many months, or even years, on the trails. We would also backpack in Europe and maybe other continents, getting jobs now and then to see us through. We would make new friends along every trail. Would we ever grow up? In a way, I hope not.
13. After walking/hiking both the Camino de Santiago and the John Muir Trail, which do you prefer? Also which would you recommend to someone who has done neither? I ask this question knowing that the two must be as different as night and day (Albergues vs. Camping, etc.).
It is a bit like asking which of my three sons I love most. Because I am truly in love with each distance trail I have walked, for reasons unique to each one. (Much like how I feel about my kids) But, if I were to choose the most memorable trail that fills my heart the most, it would be the John Muir Trail. Or perhaps the Camino de Santiago, our “first born.” Or…
For me, the Camino de Santiago was an ideal introduction to long-distance walking. It has a great infrastructure, a welcoming culture, and allows flexibility in daily distances. It is the granddaddy of European trails and we met people who became lifelong friends. But it is not for everyone. If you are a strong hiker with backpacking experience and prefer a quieter, less traveled experience in a more remote location, then the John Muir Trail may be for you.
14. What are your three deserted island books?
Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse. The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz.
15. Keeping to some of the hiking theme going on in these questions, let’s talk GEAR! Specifically shoes/boots and backpack. Knowing that shoes especially are a very personal thing, what do you suggest for both? Do you have a favourite shoe or backpack?
I just bought my fourth pair of Altra Olympus trail runners and will wear them on both European treks this spring. They are lightweight, wide-toed, and breathe well. (But I don’t advise that you test them by getting your nose anywhere near my socks at the end of a day.) I get a size 12, at least a half-size larger than I normally wear
16. Can you tell us something you’ve read recently that’s really made an impact on you…either good or bad?
The Unteachables, by Gordon Korman. It reminded me to avoid assuming why a person behaves the way they do, because I really have no idea until I give them a chance. Everyone who has ever been a student or teacher, or both, should read this book.
17. What sound grates on you more than any other?
Loud music or a barking dog on a trail or in a campground.
18. How would you like to die?
In my sleep, after some wine and a nice dinner with Sue. I tell friends I would rather die on the trail than in my rocking chair.
19. What sound brings you deep joy?
A favorite playlist on my AirPods, while walking in Lithia Park in my hometown of Ashland, Oregon.
20. What is your motto?
Speak impeccably. Don’t take things personally. Never assume. Always do your best. (From the book The Four Agreements, see Number 14.)
Such fantastic answers! I really loved reading these replies. What struck me the most is how aligned some of his answers are with how I would respond. I almost fell off my chair when he mentioned Gordon Korman. This is an author who visited my school library to talk about his new book WHO IS BUGS POTTER? back in 1980. I don’t even understand mathematically how Gordon Korman was writing books in 1980 when I was in school when today he is 61, not even three years older than me. But I digress. I thoroughly enjoyed Reg’s answers to these questions. If you want more of Reg’s words, I highly recommend you pick up one or two or three of his books!
Congratulations on the Orange Banner! Reg’s latest is a Hot New Release!
Congratulations on your latest book, Reg! I’m really loving it and I can feel myself adding the John Muir Trail to my ever-growing bucketlist as I read. Thanks so much for being sport enough to answer all these questions. Good luck on the Via Francigena in April! I look forward to hearing about the adventures you will have on that famous route!
Despite the traumatic trip back to the marina on our previous day’s excursion, we were headed back to the marina the next morning. Soon, we found ourselves in a boat again. This one seemed a bit more sturdy, and the water was definitely not as choppy as the previous afternoon.
Here we go again…
Thailand’s coast should be called Land of a Thousand Islands. I do believe that thousand island thing is already taken, though. (-;
Today, we were headed to a couple different places. The first was a cave. Tell me how fashionable we looked as we prepared to enter the slippy muddy caves…
Time for helmets. Safety first!
The cave is known as ICE CREAM CAVE. It’s full of stalactites and stalagmites and walking inside of it was quite cool. Mineral rich water dripped from above, causing almost the entire floor of the cave to be as slippery as hell. Mud walking ensued.
This is the beautiful view just outside the cave…
Our guide was quite good. He pointed things out along the way and made sure that everyone was safe. There were some interesting paths to choose from. We avoided the one ankle deep in mud, but others went full steam ahead until they lost their sandals in the depths.
Michael and I made it all the way to the ‘ice cream cone’ which, let’s face it does not look a lot like an ice cream cone.
The Ice Cream Cone of Ice Cream Cone Cave…
The braver (least modest?) of us accepted the invitation to lick the cone. Note: Nothing was actually licked…
Get your mind out of the gutter. It’s an ice cream cone…
A photo from the mouth of the cave, after we freed ourselves from the helmets…
Once we all piled back into the boat, we headed off into our next adventure. We were going to get into small canoes and be taken around a series of small islands…a little boat ride to break up the monotony of our boat ride. (-;
Our next stop…for a little canoe ride through a series of small islands…
Here we go…
There were probably 30 to 50 little rubber canoes circling the islands together. We even experienced the best kind of traffic jam a few times…
It was almost like a lazy river ride in an amusement park, but the sights were SO MUCH BETTER!Michael’s sister was having a blast. Gary & Jenifer were just ahead of us in the conga line of canoes…
Our driver(?) captain(?) navigator(?) took a couple pictures of us…one while holding a leaf with a heart cut out of it. (-:
One of the aforementioned traffic jams…no tension, no stress, no yelling, no road rage…
Traffic jam…chillin’…
After our little island tour, we all boarded the boat again for our next adventure…
We were going to Khao Ta Poo, also known as JAMES BOND ISLAND. This iconic island was featured in the 1974 James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun.
It was stunningly beautiful to see…but mostly also an empty island. Once you walked around to see the gorgeous landscapes, your trip to this iconic island was pretty much over…
I did manage to find another cave on this island. Or rather, it was cave-ish.
Our next stop was another little island for lunch. We were definitely island hopping!
We had a quick buffet style lunch and walked around the market stalls set up on the island. After we were done there, we went to yet another island for some beach time. This was our last stop before heading back to the marina.
You know everything is going fine when you’re flat on your back looking up and this is what you see…
After our little beach break, we all got back into the boat and sped back to the marina. After the mandatory 2 hour drive back to our resort, we all freshened up and got ready to hit the streets!
We found a couple of side by side restaurants just outside of our resort. There were no walls separating them. This photo is my view from my table…it’s of the bar next door to our restaurant…
Michael got a blue martini thingy and it may have been more than he bargained for…
The food and drinks and company were all great!
Of course, we also went to Bangla Road at Patong Beach…the famous party street that gives Khao San Road in Bangkok a run for its money.
Whenever I go on vacation, my photos seem to get a bit jumbled in Google Photos. I’m guessing this was the night we first visited Bangla Road, but I can’t be sure. I’m noticing my photos have done a bit of a shuffle again.
At the gate to Bangla Road, near Patong Beach in Phuket…let the debauchery begin!
Our vacation was winding down. It was time to spend some quality time poolside. (-: Wait until you see the pool! We knew what we were going to be doing the next day! And it wasn’t much…
If you’re enjoying this series on our Thailand adventures and would like to support this page, you can do so by buying me a coffee!KevinCraig-BuyMeACoffee
There’s a saying in Phuket, apparently. I would find it hard to believe if I didn’t run into its truth the very second we arrived. It takes two hours to get anywhere. HOW COULD THIS BE. It’s such a tiny island.
I don’t know if the following statement is true or not. I found it on the internet, so take it with a grain of salt…but I suspect that it’s pretty accurate: “Phuket is only 48 km north to south and 21 km west to east.”
The traffic in Phuket is among the worst traffic I have ever experienced in my life. It’s not so much chaotic and insane, like, say, Delhi or Varanasi, where anything goes. It’s just…solid packed vehicles crawling everywhere. If you’re going down the road, you’ll get there in two hours. Wherever that place is. You will SIT IN TRAFFIC. Be prepared to wait and it won’t be as annoying.
Landing in Phuket…
It was dark when we arrived at our hotel from the airport. It was so late, we decided to just eat at the hotel restaurant instead of taking to the streets to see what we could see.
I really liked this hotel…after the initial problematic check in. Bring cash money. They make you leave a CASH ONLY deposit. And if you don’t have cash, you’re invited to use their cash machine to take money out…and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a steep fee for doing so. Luckily, we had cash…but the practice made absolutely NO SENSE to anyone in our party. There was no getting out of that deposit. And you could not leave it with a credit card. CASH ONLY.
After that slight discomforting check-in, we were escorted to our bungalow. It was really nice. I was happy to call this place home for about a week. The only downfall was–I DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING–not a single dresser drawer. This was the first place we were staying at where I was looking forward to unpacking and not living out of my suitcase. And the only place where there was nowhere to unpack to. It was irritating, but overall it was a great place!
The room was super spacious and the bed was comfy.
A tub and a shower…Sliding doors that led to our own private front porch. So lovely…Our porch (this shot from the next morning).
We settled in, met the others in the grand lobby for cocktails and then made our way over to the restaurant. The food was divine! It’s always great when the hotel restaurant is a hit…for those times you either can’t or don’t want to leave the hotel. This was the end of a long day of airports and traffic…so we opted to stay in…
Most of our travelling companions…Phuket was the place where we were all eventually going our own separate ways. Some were staying for a couple of days and leaving for other grand adventures, and some were leaving for home soon. Ourselves? We were going to be in Phuket for the better part of a week.Only one food pic that night. I believe this was Michael’s (I would know those arms anywhere!)? Mushroom soup…
The next day we were OFF AND RUNNING. We had breakfast at the buffet and looked about a little. This is one of the many pools on the property…
A nice pool, but nothing like the monstrous one with the slides and waterfall, etc…
We were soon off to head to the marina. Remember what I said about everything being 2 hours away? We were about to experience that phenomenon again. Looking at Google Maps, the marina looked about 9-10 km away. It was hard to tell, but I think that’s quite accurate. So, you could probably walk there in 2 hours. It took over 2 hours to drive there.
Nevertheless, we were soon in a boat! We were heading to Phi Phi and Bamboo Islands, as well as Pileh Cove, Loh Samah Bay, and Maya Bay. There would be snorkeling, beaches, lunch, and more…
Off we go! Powered by SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!It looks rather pleasant and thrilling here, but trust! It gets worst. On the way home, it was raining and the water was choppy and it was a total disaster! But the way there was nice…we were still smiling.
Along the way, there was so much beauty to take in. Everywhere we looked.
The water was so blue! We were ready…It was time to go in for a snorkel!
Absolutely amazing day! It wasn’t too hot…the water was nice. The rain was holding off…
I mean LOOK at how insanely gorgeous this place was!
One of the crew taking a much deserved break…
We absolutely LOVED our stops. One was for snorkeling, one was for swimming, and one was for Maya Bay…a filming location for the Leonardo DiCaprio movie THE BEACH.
Maya Bay was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
One of the most picturesque places I’ve ever been. No wonder it was scouted as a film shoot…
Usually Michael was the photo bomber. This trip, the wonderful Abby took on the role!Stunning doesn’t even begin to describe it…Just LOOK at that water!!
Abby getting more splash than she bargained for when we went for a little beach walk on the island we stopped on for lunch…
Abby and her mother, Coleen, were absolute treasures to travel with. They had wild senses of humor matched only by their wild senses of adventure!
A walk on the beach after a buffet lunch…
This was truly a trip of a lifetime. We had so much fun every day. We really lucked out with our travel companions on this tour!
When you find a swing in the middle of paradise, you get on it!
Remember how I said the boat ride back to the marina was a choppy disaster? I wasn’t kidding. It was an hour of choppy water and rain. Our seats at the back of the boat were fun in the sun…and traumatic in the rain. UGH!
Trying to keep relatively dry and feeling the motion sickness!The hotel…
I think we just ate at the hotel again once we finally got back to it this time. The next day we were going to James Bond Island…and a few other places. Another trip to the marina and another long boat ride to get to the attractions. We crossed our fingers for nice weather.
Don’t get me wrong, the terrible boat ride back to the marina was well worth the day full of experiences we had. Sometimes you have to pay the ferryman…
If you’re enjoying this series on our Thailand adventures and would like to support this page, you can do so by buying me a coffee!KevinCraig-BuyMeACoffee
KEVIN CRAIG 