Walking Books

Ahhh, walking ... the best way to travel. The way to really see the areas you pass through, the way to meet the people -- the way to join the countryside.
There are as many stories of vacations-by-foot as there are adventurous souls who take them. Many have shared their trips with all of us through books. A sampling is given below:

WORLDWALK

LETTERS FROM STEVEN

by Steven M. Newman

Recognized by Guinness Book of World Records as the first person to walk by himself around the world, his books have inspired travelers for years (including the author of the book below). For four years he trekked across five continents, seeing exotic lands, fighting culture shock (and narrowly escaping death), and discovering the innate goodness of people around the globe.
The first book was written after his return to Ripley, OH. It chronicles the adventures of his extended adventure in an easy-to-read style. The second book is a compilation of articles he wrote while on the road, providing an immediacy to the journey he was on.

Click here for information about the author today.

Arrange to have Steven Newman talk to YOUR group.

UNDERWEAR BY THE ROADSIDE: Coast-to-Coast LitterWalk

by Glen Hanket, with Foreword by Steven M. Newman

On April 1, 1993 -- exactly 10 years after Steven Newman started his WorldWalk -- newlyweds Glen and Susan Hanket began their 'honeymoon' trip: a LitterWalk, an ocean-to-ocean "Adopt-A-Highway" adventure. Avid hikers and National Park enthusiasts, the couple would bag roadside litter as they discovered the real America -- a land filled with beauty, adventure, and generous people.
The book details their adventures: discovering how to make maple syrup, milk cows, and round up sheep; hearing stories of fishing dogs and faith healers; touring a haunted health resort; limping into the 'Friendliest Town in the Nation'; and uncovering America's debris -- trash ranging from table saws to TV sets, butterfly collections to Bahamian coins, and an unending stream of underwear!

Read an excerpt from 'Underwear by the Roadside'! Need to know more about the book?

A WALK ACROSS AMERICA

THE WALK WEST

THE ROAD UNSEEN

by Peter Jenkins & Barbara Jenkins

America's classic story of the footloose traveler! For 5 1/4 years in the 70's, Peter Jenkins plied the roads of the U.S. Disaffected by the Vietnam War and the country's cultural malaise, he took off to search for the beauty in the country and it's people. His story has warmed millions of hearts.
The first book details his journey with his dog Cooper, heading south from New York to New Orleans. The second book picks up after his marriage, when he and his bride take off for the Pacific Coast. The third book details the inner struggles they faced on the road, newlyweds growing together.

Other recommended walking books:

ONE STEP AT A TIME: My Walk Across America by Elena J. Hanuse c 1988 Read how a grandmother left her comfortable California home and, with her husband nearby in a motor home, walked with her dog to the Statue of Liberty.
THE LONGEST WALK by George Meegan c 1988
FOOT BY FOOT THROUGH THE U.S.A. by Francis Line c 1986 In the early days of the automobile, Francis Line and his brother took off on foot and hitchhiking to explore the western US they had heard so much about.
WALKING DOWN THE WILD: A Journey Through the Yellowstone Rockies by Gary Ferguson c 1993 This naturalist took a 500-mile trek through the wilderness of America's first national park, weaving stories of the past with tales of the present.

and some (not walking) must-reads for adventure travelers:

BLUE HIGHWAYS: A Journey Into America by William Least Heat Moon c 1982 The Classic! A story of a newly divorced English professor who drove around the perimeter of the United States, discovering the land -- and discovering himself.
TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY: In Search of America by John Steinbeck c 1962 America's premier storyteller, having lost touch with the country, sets off at age 58 with a French poodle named Charley to find again the spirit of the U.S.
MILES FROM NOWHERE by Barbara Savage c 198? How does a couple survive, bicycling around the world? This book illustrates the journeys both external and internal, and sets the standard for the annual Barbara Savage Award for the best adventure travel book.
KINDNESS OF STRANGERS: Penniless Across America by Mike McIntyre c 1996 A newspaper reporter tackles his mid-life crisis head-on: by taking a coast-to-coast trip with no money, relying on strangers for rides and meals.
PADDLE TO THE AMAZON by Don Starkell c 1989 A divorced father and his two teenage sons undertake 'the longest journey ever made by canoe': from Winnipeg, Canada to the mouth of the Amazon River.
MAGNETIC NORTH: A Trek Across Canada by David Halsey c 1990 The author sets off alone to cross Canada ocean-to-ocean by foot, dogsled, and canoe when his team quits. He is later joined by a photographer and a half-wild coyote-dog in his crossing.
SEEING MYSELF SEEING THE WORLD: A Woman's Journey Around the World on a Bicycle by Sally Vantress c 1990 A woman's "search for answers in my life" led her around the world by bike, train, and plane, into adventures and dangers, in this introspective narrative.

This page created with Netscape Navigator Gold