A big adventure used to mean a trip to Paris or Rome. Now it's backpacking through the Himalayas or trekking through the Peruvian jungle. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the art of modern travel. Also, best-selling writer Bill Bryson on the joys, and the misery, of hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Hilary Bradt writes and publishes travel guides. She tells Jim Fleming some of her adventures traveling off the beaten path, and stresses the importance of keeping promises made to people met on the journey. Also, writer Barry Lopez tells Steve Paulson why he enjoys traveling to remote places and how the unfamiliar causes him to pay closer attention to the natural world. Lopez is the author of several books of non-fiction including "Arctic Dreams" and "Of Wolves and Men." His latest is "About This Life: Journeys of the Threshold of Memory."

Journalist Ann Auerbach is the author of "Ransom: The Untold Story of International Kidnapping." She explains to Judith Strasser why kidnapping has become a major threat for tourists in remote places, and what you can do to protect yourself if you're planning such a trip. Also, Geoff Dyer chose to make a nice, safe, literary trip. He tells Steve Paulson what it was like to follow in the footsteps of D.H. Lawrence. Dyer's book is "Out of Sheer Rage: Wrestling with D.H. Lawrence."

Bill Bryson has written several travel books and books on language. His new one is "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail. Bryson tells Jim Fleming that hiking the AT is a lot harder than he thought it would be, and that he and his out-of-shape, but dogged traveling companion are satisfied with the stretch they completed.

Distribution dates:

• week of 09/26/99 - hour 3
• week of 09/13/98 - hour 3