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Michelle Lamphere
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The Butterfly Route Paperback – May 2, 2017

by Michelle Lamphere (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 54 ratings
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After having had enough of the empty promises of her long-term employer, Michelle decided to make a new start, but first wanted to take some time to travel. Partly inspired by a handsome Englishman, she deconstructed her life - sold her home, put her belongings in storage and left a twenty-year career as an executive and its six-figure-a-year salary - to live life on the road, packing just the basics on her motorcycle. What started out as an extended vacation and break between careers, turned into a two-year journey from South Dakota to South America including random experiences, new friendships, rugged mountain roads to Andean villages, desert camping, two broken bones, countless accidents (happy and otherwise), and a marriage proposal.
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  1. Print length
    316 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    May 2, 2017
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.72 x 8.5 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0996791116
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0996791113
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Michelle Lamphere; 1st edition (May 2, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 316 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0996791116
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0996791113
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.72 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 54 ratings

About the author

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Michelle Lamphere

Michelle Lamphere

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Michelle Lamphere (1970-) is an adventure motorcyclist and hotel manager in the Midwest. After traveling for two years through the Americas by motorcycle, she wrote a guide for overland travel in North and South America and a memoir about her 2-year journey.

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4.8 out of 5 stars
54 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Jennifer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Motorcycle travel
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I chose this book because of motorcycle travel. It is well written and tells a great story with great detail of there trip. Easy read and she is very good at painting a picture of the lands they traveled though!!
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  • glasshopper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Baja Details Invaluable!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    To add something different to all of the 5-Star reviews, I totally agree with --

    First, let me say that "Mariposa" is my favorite Spanish word; and,
    Michelle idolizes... Butterflies often, much to my delight...

    And... I am planning to ride Baja soon, on my trusty
    Honda Trail CT125; and, Michelle's consistently...
    Detailed Itinerary is a Gift of Gold to me...

    I sure don't know "Allan," of Vancouver, BC --
    Baja Biker-Guide Extraordinaire -- and
    I never would have known about
    Bahia de Los Angeles!!!

    MUCHObliged...
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  • C. Sadler
    5.0 out of 5 stars So much more than a Travelogue!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I so enjoyed this book! As an avid motorcyclist myself, it leaves me longing to hit the road on a long trip - to experience even a fraction of what Michelle and all of her traveling nomads experienced on the roads of Latin America, as they built a roaming "family", running into each other over and over again as they zigzagged back and forth across the continent. I very much enjoyed the details she shared about individuals who welcomed the tired travelers into their homes, or people they met in Hostels along the way. This book is not a short book (fortunately for the reader!), but could have been longer if she had included more information about the people and the relationships in the story. I agree with Sarah's review in that we don't get a true sense of who her boyfriend is. Perhaps it's intentional, but does leave a curious void in the story. This is a 5-star review for sure, despite a slight lack of a build of some of the various characters. I highly recommend the read! I wish it didn't end.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Just close your eyes and ride...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is far more than a coffee table book. I didn't need pictures to be transported to other countries and to experience the beauty and the beasts of the land; but my favorite parts were how the people were brought into my home; how much more we are the same than we are different. I gave up motorcycle riding while in college but, because of the delightful way Michelle writes about the people and lands she encountered, if I were a lot younger...
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  • Jeremy Behrendt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book from start to finish
    Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Michelle takes on you along on her journey, you're not just reading it, you're seeing it and feeling it and smelling it! Great book from start to finish.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sam Leamy
    4.0 out of 5 stars A detailed trip report to inspire others to follow along.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2017
    If given a choice to stay and fight for a job with new management, or take to the road and follow your dream, what would you decide? Lamphere took the risk to chase that dream and with the help of her boyfriend, family and the great forums, she rode her dual sport motorcycle from Canada to the tip of the continent. This book is travelogue of their adventures, with the beginning challenges of an accident in Canada and the time recovering, which only served to make her more determined, and ending in South America.
    Lamphere's descriptions of place is detailed and vibrant. She gives us the food, the trials of language barriers and how they gained a working spanish language. She talks of the routes and this for me is the most informative and inspiring part of the book, is the route they took. The roads, the villages, the restaurants and hostels. With a good map, it would be easy to follow along, either from your armchair or in your own vehicle. Although many of the tracks they ended up on would be only for motorcycles like theirs, ready for rough roads, challenging switchbacks, and gnarly mountain passes.
    What I missed was the sense of who her boyfriend was. The descriptions lacked depth and I couldn't picture how he sounded, moved, or what he looked like. Considering there's a marraige proposal, I wasn't routing for him as he'd come across as one grumpy bugger, only looking to check the boxes saying that he'd been to such and such a place, rather than truly experiencing each conversation or interaction. His agenda was the list of places visited and little else - or that's the impression we readers get. Her characters lack clarity, we get names, citizenship, and vehicles driven, but little sense of who they are. That would be only wish, a deeper connection with the people met so we too can appreciate why she was happy to spend time with each of them along this incredible trip.
    That said, this is a wonderful travelogue full of practical advice and a detailed itinerary, one to inspire all of us to follow our own dreams whatever they may be. Thanks for sharing the adventures with us, I'd read more books by Lamphere of other travels taken. She has a great eye for place. Bring A Chainsaw: (And Other Stories From My Solo Travels)
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Roseann Hanson
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful book! We know Michelle through Overland Expo
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    What a wonderful book! We know Michelle through Overland Expo, where she has been a presenter and volunteer—this is a great read, very entertaining and detailed, like riding along with her. Perfect summer reading-by-the-pool book!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Ted Hessler
    3.0 out of 5 stars More of a traveler than a motorcycle lover
    Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I have read several books of motorcyclists taking this route to Tierra del Fuego. Michelle is more of an interested traveler than a hard core motorcyclist so don’t expect much info on the motorcycles themselves. She was fortunate to have a boyfriend to do all the maintenance. Otherwise I expect she would have bailed before finishing. Worth reading with her descriptions of many of the interesting places visited.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Mr S Clarke
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Great read
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  • Dr. Neil
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you…
    Reviewed in Australia on February 6, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    An inspirational read intertwined with useful locations as I too am about to start the ride of a lifetime @montysmotoadventures
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  • Karen Lyn Bird
    5.0 out of 5 stars Photos not needed - - - So wonderfully told, the pictures painted with words were heart stirring!!
    Reviewed in Canada on April 8, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    What an amazing recount of what must have been a unbelievable life enriching adventure!!

    I felt like I was on this trip with Michelle, Brian and everyone else! So descriptive and well written, I could almost taste the air and the food as I read. Each experience she shared with me left me better than before I read it. I found I couldn't tear myself away from the book, and thoroughly enjoyed it from cover to cover.

    So wonderfully told, I found myself laughing out loud at times... crying at times, and always looking forward to where this adventure took her next.

    Thank you so much for sharing your story!!
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  • Tammy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Valiente y vulnerable
    Reviewed in Canada on July 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    As a motorcyclist myself, this book brought tears to my eyes, repeatedly. Michelle writes in a way that stimulates deep memories and creates a portal to see the world through her eyes. One of the biggest challenges an overland traveler faces is learning to accept and work with extreme vulnerability. Many of us close ourselves to this feeling in order to "get through" tough situations, but Michelle takes us on a ride down a path that embraces vulnerability, giving us a vicarious exposure to truly living and experiencing the great depth of emotions that accompany motorcycle travel in these wondrous places. Thanks, Michelle!
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  • Anthony Roberts
    5.0 out of 5 stars Michelle is an inspiration
    Reviewed in Canada on September 23, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Michelle is a wonderful writer, her moto-journey is inspiring. If you enjoy motorcycle travel you will LOVE this book.
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