Documentary filmmaker and paranormal explorer Dakota Laden took an unforgettable road trip earlier this year when he hopped into an RV with his sister Chelsea and best friend Taylor to spend a night in 10 allegedly haunted abandoned locations to put each to the test. The result is “Destination Fear” – Travel Channel’s newest paranormal series, airing Saturdays at 10 p.m.

Laden says he’s been fascinated with the paranormal since he was a kid, when he and his sister experienced terrifying activity firsthand in their home. Beginning in 2008, he shot a series of experimental YouTube videos with friends, including a “Ghost Adventures” parody that actually landed him a stint on the show for two years.

On “Destination Fear,” we see the trio, accompanied only by a two-person camera crew, as they explore abandoned asylums, hospitals and penitentiaries – locations selected by Laden but not revealed to the rest of the group until shortly before their arrival. After an initial walkthrough, the trio splits up to spend the rest of the night alone and record what happens. I spoke with Laden, a native of Lakeville, Minnesota, for this interview from his current home in Las Vegas.

As the old adage goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. That may be true, but what about this: you can lead a donkey to the road, but you can’t make him run.

That’s the question asked by author Christopher McDougall in his new book “Running with Sherman: The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero” (Knopf, $27,95). In this nonfiction account, McDougall tells the story of Sherman, the donkey that he and his family rescued. From sad, almost tragic beginnings, we watch as Sherman – thanks to the boundless love and patience of Chris and his family and friends – goes from a shy, sickly, socially maladjusted donkey to a lean mean racing machine … eventually.

It’s a story about a donkey, yes. But it’s also a story about the lives that are touched by the indomitable spirit of that donkey. Through the successes and the bumps in the road alike, Sherman’s refusal to give up serves to rally the people around him. It’s the story of a man who has moved his family into the middle of Amish country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The story of a man touched by the generosity and gentleness of the Amish people.

The story of a man and his donkey.