John R. Olson
Day Tripper

About John R. Olson

Biography:

John R. Olson is a retired journalist who lives near Poulsbo, Wash., on Puget Sound. He served in the U.S. Navy for eight years, which only honed his wanderlust.

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a journalism degree in 1987, he worked for the Voice of America radio network in Munich, West Germany. He came to the Seattle area in 1989 and spent 14 years working as a newspaper editor for Sound Publishing Inc. He started the religious radio program Mission Network News in 1992 still heard on 1,000 stations worldwide.

From Sept. 1, 2009 to Nov. 19, 2009, he circumnavigated the United States mimicking the journey John Steinbeck made in 1960. Olson traveled to 34 states, drove 12,673 miles and burned one quart of oil.

Along the way, he found out what Alice Cooper, Carl Bernstein, Mae West and Willie Nelson have in common. Though he tried desperately, he never made it to Yankee Stadium, but instead enjoyed the uniqueness that is the midnight parking lots of Walmart.

Location:

Poulsbo, Washington

On-the-Road Mileage Count:

5,001 to 10,000 miles