A Place I Want to Visit in the U.S.

If I could choose to visit any place in the U.S, I would choose Hawaii. Hawaii is the 50th state and also in my opinion, the most beautiful state. It has beautiful tropical beaches, great volcanoes, majestic blue waters, and is teeming with fascinating wildlife. When I was younger, I traveled to Bermuda with my dad, step-mom, and step-brother. Bermuda was the most beautiful place I ever physically went to. It had clear oceans, pink sand mixed in with regular sand, and fascinating wildlife. I imagine Hawaii is like Bermuda, but more beautiful. If I went to Hawaii, I would try my hand at surfing, go scuba diving, and hike around its breath-taking landscape.

My step-brother (right) and I (left) sitting on a rock in the middle of the water in Bermuda - 2009

Jon Krakauer

Jon Krakauer, the author of "Into the Wild", was born on April 12, 1954 in Brookline Massachusetts to parents Lewis Joseph Krakauer and Carol Ann Krakauer. After his birth, Jon, his four siblings, and his parents, moved to Corvallis, Oregon and remained there for the remainder of Jon's adolescent life. At the age of eight, Jon's father, Lewis, introduced him to mountaineering, and Jon became very fond of it. After graduating Corvallis High School in 1972, Jon went on to study at Hampshire College in Massachusetts. Here, Jon earned his degree in Environmental studies, and shortly afterwards, set out on a solo, three week expedition into the wilderness of the Stikine Icecap region of Alaska. Krakauer, a fan of the outdoors, has also written numerous books, mainly dealing with stories of the outdoors. Some of these books include "Into Thin Air", "Into the Wild", and "Under the Banner of Heaven", all non-fiction books.

Into the Wild

Into the Wild is a book by Jon Krakauer. The book follows Christopher Johnson McCandless. Chris is a well-educated, college graduate who loved the outdoors. After Chris' graduation from Emory University, he took his yellow Datsun B210 with 128,000 miles on it, and left life as he knew it to go on an "odyssey". He drove all around North America, exploring the continent, meeting some interesting people along the way. His ultimate goal was to survive in "The Last Frontier" off of the land, and he attempted just that. This story is the ultimate tale of raw adventure and makes you feel as though you were beside McCandless throughout his whole journey.

Chapter Six

1. Why was "Ron Franz" so infatuated with Chris "Alex" McCandless? On page 48 he inquires about the article which was posted about Chris McCandless' death and requests "Please do not make these facts available to anybody."
2. Why do you think Chris McCandless decided to camp out at the Oh-My-God Hot Springs for as long as he did?
3. What was Chris' reason for avoiding Franz' question to adopt him? Page 55 "So I asked Alex if I could adopt him, if he would be my grandson."
4. Do you think Chris tried to distance Franz because he was afraid he was becoming attached to him? Explain why.
5. Do you think the hitchhikers that Franz picked up helped him find closure to where Chris was or do you think it hurt Franz more than if he hadn't known?