‘From Suburban Housewife to Outdoor Guide’
Cari Taylor-Carlson’s passionate memoir of Venture West
Milwaukeean Cari Taylor-Carlson has always been wildly passionate about the outdoors and is no stranger to kayaks, camping tents or canoes. But after a painful divorce in the 1980s, she took her passion to another level when she abruptly left her suburban existence to found Venture West, an outdoor adventure travel company. In her new memoir, Life on the Loose: My Journey from Suburban Housewife to Outdoor Guide, this conversant Wisconsin writer provides a courageous and honest account of her 30-year business venture with Venture West, leading weeks-long group tours across the country to destinations ranging from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to Zion National Park.
Throughout this engaging travelogue, Taylor-Carlson details both her own very personal journey toward recovery as well as the countless practical and difficult lessons she learned on the job. Life on the Loose proves to be an adventurous journey that is both profound and uplifting. Taylor-Carlson is an accomplished local journalist who has written for M Magazineand Urban Milwaukee, among other local publications, and her essays are often featured on radio 89.7, WUWM. In addition to serving as a long-time environmental educator at both the Schlitz Audubon Center and Boerner Botanical Gardens, she is the author of Milwaukee Walks,The Food Lover’s Guide to Milwaukee and Best Cheap Eats in Milwaukee.
-As reviewed by the Shepherd Express, May 19, 2016, Jenni Herrick
Cari Taylor-Carlson’s passionate memoir of Venture West
Milwaukeean Cari Taylor-Carlson has always been wildly passionate about the outdoors and is no stranger to kayaks, camping tents or canoes. But after a painful divorce in the 1980s, she took her passion to another level when she abruptly left her suburban existence to found Venture West, an outdoor adventure travel company. In her new memoir, Life on the Loose: My Journey from Suburban Housewife to Outdoor Guide, this conversant Wisconsin writer provides a courageous and honest account of her 30-year business venture with Venture West, leading weeks-long group tours across the country to destinations ranging from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to Zion National Park.
Throughout this engaging travelogue, Taylor-Carlson details both her own very personal journey toward recovery as well as the countless practical and difficult lessons she learned on the job. Life on the Loose proves to be an adventurous journey that is both profound and uplifting. Taylor-Carlson is an accomplished local journalist who has written for M Magazineand Urban Milwaukee, among other local publications, and her essays are often featured on radio 89.7, WUWM. In addition to serving as a long-time environmental educator at both the Schlitz Audubon Center and Boerner Botanical Gardens, she is the author of Milwaukee Walks,The Food Lover’s Guide to Milwaukee and Best Cheap Eats in Milwaukee.
-As reviewed by the Shepherd Express, May 19, 2016, Jenni Herrick
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Taylor-Carlson’s pen strokes mirror those of her paddle through the water...crisp, unhesitant, and smooth...a gutsy adventure around every bend. Take it from someone who was along for a few miles...this woman is the REAL DEAL.
Denise Goforth, river guide, Venture West Cari Taylor-Carlson writes as she lives—with exuberance and spontaneity. Her colorful accounts are both entertaining and inspiring. If only we could all learn to extract as much joy from life’s experiences as the author. Lynne Bergschultz, Artist In one sentence Cari Taylor-Carlson tells you why you should read Life on the Loose. “Everything changes when you’re on the edge, ready to slide into a river...” Few of us shift from Mom-in-the-kitchen to Outdoor Adventure Guide and fewer still can write about it with such grace and wisdom. Carlson’s book is an inspiration. Judy (Redbird) Bridges, author, Shut Up and Write Nonstop action fills this memoir, beginning with a solo canoe descent of Utah’s Canyonlands’ wild Green River, and a successful ascent of Wyoming’s Cloud Peak. Grab a good chair and settle in for a wild ride. Eric Hansen, author, Hiking Wisconsin |
A pilgrim’s process of awakening the soul to life’s scary and wonderful challenges. It’s never too late to cross the river of no return.
Paul Guerin, Venture West guide, Mexico Life on the Loose is a stunning rendition of one woman’s journey, when a relationship falls apart. In the face of adversity, Taylor-Carlson maintains composure, grit, integrity, all in the throes of arduous adventures in nature that many of us won’t even dare to take. These stories, all vastly different, yet somehow connected, are a true testament to her fighting spirit. And written deftly with elements of grace, wit, and bravery. This is an honest book, as the reader is thrown into the wilds of the great outdoors—a transformative lyrical experience. Robert Vaughan, author, Rifts, and Attics and Basements What happens when a restless suburban mother of four listens to the voice that beckons her to travel and adventure? Why, she starts her own business as a wilderness travel guide, of course. With candor and wit, Cari Taylor-Carlson shares it all—her joys and revelations, challenges and foibles—as she pushes herself out of her comfort zone and into the wild, with her trusting clients following close behind. This is a book about following your dreams, digging deep, and learning what you’re made of. Kim Suhr, Director, Red Oak Writing |