This is a story about Critchlow's solo two- month journey into Middle America to celebrate his retirement and reflect on life, culture, and the past. It is a real journey -- through the West, the Bible Belt, and Missouri River country -- in Vamper, Critchlow's affectionate name for his 1999 Ford Coachmen camper van. But it is also about Critchlow's life journey, about race, religion, the environment, and a divided America in the age of Donald Trump. Critchlow weaves together people, places, historical anecdotes, political observations, legal tales, and personal history in a way that helps explain the competing narratives in American society today. His journey also tells us something about how a baby boomer might look back and look forward as he moves into his senior years and faces the challenge of retirement.
Author_Bio: George Critchlow is a lawyer and emeritus law professor who lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife and daughter. He taught law for many years at Gonzaga University School of Law and has taught and consulted in Europe, the Middle East, and South America.
Keywords: Road Trip, Trump, Culture, Race, Religion, Law, Retirement, Baby Boomer, Environment