Grandpa's Journey is a story of discovery. Drive along with Frank, who picks up his grandson, Brian, from the train station in Eugene, Oregon to begin a camping trip. From the lush forests of the Cascades, along the North Umpqua River to Crater Lake National Park, their travels take them through the beautiful Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon to Bend and then to Burns. Eventually, they arrive at Fish Lake in the Steens Mountains where they are to meet the rest of Brian's family.

While on the trip Frank shares with Brian several stories from Frank's first job in the Appetitto Shop, a New York deli. Within these stories Frank explains the lessons, skills and a valuable communication technique he learned there. Along the way the pair have some interesting adventures and stop in Burns for a meal at a restaurant. Here they discover the restaurant's staff is very shorthanded. Frank recalls being shorthanded once at the Appetitto and how having unexpected help saved the day. He convinces Brian to offer their help.

Brian buses tables and learns the 'essentials' from Meg (an excellent waitress) and gains insight into working at a restaurant. This experience changes Brian. He begins to see the time spent with his grandfather as an adventure. With guidance, he learns how to fly fish, row a boat and how to change his perspective. Brian is interested in a 'journal' that his Grandfather has and asks about the self-affirmations that he finds inside.

As Frank begins to explain the power of self-instructions, Brian asks a question that stops Frank cold. The teacher becomes the student. Suddenly, he's faced with an important truth and how he answers that question will determine how he will choose to live the rest of his life!