American Discoveries: Scouting the First Coast-To-Coast Recreational Trail

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Summary: What reviewers have said about American Discoveries
Review: CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR AMERICAN DISCOVERIES

Winner of the second Barbara Savage "Miles From Nowhere" Award, established to recognize a personal narrative of adventure that "vividly conveys a sense of the risks, joys, hardships, disappointments, triumphs, moments of humor, and accidents of fate that make outdoor adventure so popular."

REVIEWERS HAVE SAID:

"A compelling journal...surprisingly harrowing adventure...told in an unusual way...lively writers who find highlights in the people who helped and hindered them along the way."

-Los Angeles Times

"A sometimes humorous tale...not some self-congratulatory travel journal. Rather, it takes on the tone of a novel, with characters popping up along the way. Well-placed historic and literary references...enlighten this American portrait."

-Snow Country

"Reflects Eric and Ellen's warmth, humor, and compassion...a true American saga."

-John Viehman, Executive Editor, Backpacker Magazine

"Worthy reading...alternates between passages by each, with Dudley the poet and Seaborg the historian."

-Angus Phillips, The Washington Post

"Will lighten the spirits of all who read it...a book worth scouting out...at once the story of their adventure and a slow-motion portrait of an America most of us never see."

-Charlie Meyers, The Denver Post

"Fine adventure, superb Americana."

--Publishers Weekly

"A colorful picture of America's backroads...recommended."

-Library Journal

"Colorful and complex as the nation itself--Jack Kerouac in a backpack."

-David Lillard, Publisher, American Hiker

"A lyrical, perceptive journal of a fascinating journey. It should be required reading for those of us who travel this majestic nation behind padded dashboards or fold-down meal trays."

-David Everett

"A Charles Kuralt piece for the fresh-air set."

-Joe Garofoli, Contra Costa Times

"A well-received book [by] historical cousins to Lewis and Clark."

-Dan White, San Jose Mercury News

Rating:
Summary: A great start
Review: Finding routes for hikers to cross against the grain of this country's physical geography is this book's ambition. Seaborg and Dudley succeed admirably. This is no Sierra Club/Appalachian Traiil Club guide (trail 26: Old Rag to Shiflett Hollow...). This is the chronicle of an ambitious attempt to chart a way to walk across America.

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Summary: Coast-to-coast with one relationship, two perspectives
Review: Reading this book is like floating down a river with a little whitewater, glorious scenery and intelligent company--it's a joy! The two perspectives add depth to the forward movement.

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Summary: Modern day Lewis and Clark
Review: Seaborg and Dudley have made an incredible journey, and done a great service to the hiking community. They had an audacious mission, to link the nation's great long-distance trails with the cities in between and lay out a way to get from coast to coast under one's own power.

To many of us, this sounds like a dream assignment. But Eric and Ellen faced many challenges-finding a route through a maze of mountain ranges, urban parks, farm roads, rail trails and river crossings; securing the cooperation of local hiking clubs and wary landowners, enduring a cold winter, networking with the media, writing a guidebook, and taking their case to Washington to gain designation as a National Scenic Trail. It was hard, often frustrating work, yet their good humor, physical strength, and boundless enthusiasm saw them through and got the job done.

We're all the richer for it. The book is a real page-turner. Eric and Ellen take turns telling their story, and they make you feel you're right there with them. Especially compelling are the times they get separated. You'll experience first-hand the fear of a woman alone in the wilderness, and the grim determination of her partner to find her. In the end, they'll have you cheering as they accomplish their task.

An adventure for the ages. Don't miss this book!

Rating:
Summary: A pleasure
Review: This is one of those books whose real storytelling power sneaks up on you. It's a case study in Americana, in the guise of a travelogue. Dudley and Seaborg met a remarkable group of characters on their journey -- a cast few novelists could dream up -- and they share their new friends with us in a delightfully readable way. The writing is so crisp and the imagery so vivid that you can practically hear the crickets chirping as you read!

Rating:
Summary: A pleasure
Review: This is one of those books whose real storytelling power sneaks up on you. It's a case study in Americana, in the guise of a travelogue. Dudley and Seaborg met a remarkable group of characters on their journey -- a cast few novelists could dream up -- and they share their new friends with us in a delightfully readable way. The writing is so crisp and the imagery so vivid that you can practically hear the crickets chirping as you read!