Jim (James) Burnett

“They headed west, but their trip went south” is the author’s tongue-in-cheek description of these entertaining true tales of vacations gone awry. A veteran of thirty years as a ranger at eight national parks across the country, Jim Burnett shares an entertaining look at some of the humorous—and often bizarre—situations that can occur when a trip to the Great Outdoors just doesn’t turn out quite as expected. Focusing on the light rather than the tragic side of recreational miscues, these fun, family-friendly stories have found an appreciative audience with a wide variety of readers, from experienced outdoors adventurers to armchair travelers. The final chapter in his first "Hey Ranger!" book, "Don't be a Victim of Your Vacation," includes over a dozen succinct tips to help readers avoid the common mistakes on outdoor trips that earned some of their fellow travelers a spot in these books .

In this sequel to the highly successful "Hey Ranger: True Tales of Humor and Misadventure from America's National Parks," former national park ranger Jim Burnett casts his net globally in search of unusual and humorous stories of travelers in their quest to experience the natural world. Burnett tells of campers being belted by mysterious objects falling from the sky, including potatoes and ice cream; wildlife photos that went awry, including a ground squirrel that outwits a photographer; dumb crooks in parks; and drivers who went over the hill and into the woods instead of to Grandma's house. Burnett also assembles contenders for the strangest questions ever asked of a park ranger, tips on how not to pick a campsite, life lessons you can learn from a canoe trip, and some classic bear stories. As always, these stories are meant to inform as well as entertain, and serve as cautionary tales on how not to become "a victim of your vacation."