The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Mast General Store and Cordura are proud to host National Geographic Explorer and best-selling author Helen Thayer for a free presentation on Wednesday, May 14 in the lecture hall at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in Downtown Boone. The presentation, “Polar Dream,” begins at 6:30 p.m. A meet and greet reception with light refreshments will be held immediately following the presentation. 

Helen Thayer is a woman of adventure. Having had her appetite for exploration whetted by none other than Sir Edmund Hilary when she was a young girl, Thayer has made quite a name for herself. At 50, she became the first woman to walk to the magnetic North Pole alone except for her loyal Eskimo dog, Charlie. When she was 63, she became the first woman to walk across the Gobi Desert, all 1,600 miles of it. She, her husband, Bill, and Charlie, the Eskimo dog, spent a year within 100 feet of a wolf den to observe their social behavior and structure.

Thayer’s presentation, “Polar Dream,” is the story of her journey to the magnetic North Pole, one of the world’s most remote and dangerous regions. She will share about a storm that destroyed most of her food and supplies, her encounters with polar bears and unimaginable cold. Thayer will also share some fantastic photographs from the trek and talk about her extraordinary relationship with Charlie.

A question and answer period will follow the slide show and lecture. 

Book Signing at Mast General Store  
A book signing will be held earlier in the day at the Mast General Store in Downtown Boone from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. Copies of her best-selling books – Polar Dream, Three Among the Wolves and Walking the Gobi – will be available.

The Adventure Classroom
The Adventure Classroom is a project of both Helen and Bill. Its goal is to acquaint the children of the world with different cultures, to have them embrace differences, to set goals and to live life without limits. Thayer will be spending time with area school children throughout the week, talking to them about her adventures. 

For more information about Helen Thayer, visit www.helenthayer.com. To learn more about this presentation, visit www.tcva.org.  For information on books, etc., please call the Mast General Store in Downtown Boone at 828-262-0000.