A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
This book about hiking the Appalachian Trail by the amazing storyteller, Bill Bryson, is made even more hilarious by the addition of his portly and foul-mouthed sidekick, Katz. A Walk in the Woods not only shows you how NOT to go hiking in the woods, but gives you an incredible view of the history and ecology of one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.
The Anna Pigeon Mystery Series by Nevada Barr
There are nearly 20 books in the Anna Pigeon series by Nevada Barr. A good place to start is with the prequel, The Rope, a super exciting murder mystery that takes place in the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area. In fact, each of the books about park ranger Pigeon takes place in a different U.S. national or state park and actually becomes a character in the story. Some of her books are pretty scary and edgy, but many feature nature as a main theme.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
I guess you can tell that I like to hike. This is a newer book about hiking another long trail: the Pacific Crest Trail that runs from Mexico to the Canadian border. This very popular book was fun to read, but I was a bit disappointed that the author never hiked the Washington state portion of the trail. A sequel might be necessary. If you want another book about hiking the PCT, try Zero Days, about 10-year-old Mary's hike along the Crest with her parents.
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
Most teardroppers go out of their way to take the back roads, and Steinbeck's classic tale of traveling 1960's America with his standard poodle, Charley will have you wanting to pack up the trailer and hit the road.
Teardrops and Tiny Trailers by Douglas Keister
Of course, no teardrop library would be complete without the bible of teardrop trailers by Douglas Keister. I was lucky to meet the talented photographer when the book was just coming out and he really captures the beauty and simplicity of teardrops and smaller trailers like the Canadian Boler. This is also a good book to show your many teardrop admirers.
"Travels with Charley" is one of my favorite books. Someone recommended it to me because I have a black standard poodle who happens to fit Charley's description. Little did I know I will wind up with a poodle AND a trailer to travel with - that will be a riot. Actually my poodle was a big reason we decided to get a trailer to begin with - he doesn't care for tent camping, especially when it rains.
ReplyDeleteI'll look into your other book recommendations - I love to read.
How funny! What's your dog's name? I'm sure there are quite a few standard poodles out there named after Steinbeck's dog.
DeleteBauer - after Jack Bauer from "24." I'm sure he'd be "Charlie" had I known that book when I got him :).
DeleteWild and A Walk In The Woods are both excellent reads!! Can't wait to try out a book by Nevada Barr. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jerry and Kim! Yes, I really love Anna Pigeon as a character. She has her flaws, but a big heart. The very first book is Track of the Cat and the book A Superior Death is also really good. There's a chase scene that takes place over several chapters in High Country that is really frightening.
DeleteLove that Wild is on your list. A friend just sent it to me as a gift. She said the premise reminds her of me traveling across the country in my tiny trailer (though what I'm doing is downright cushy compared to Strayed's adventure). Going to go start the first chapter right now!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's a good, fun read that I'm sure has inspired other women to hit the trail on their own. I have always wanted to hike the John Muir and will probably bring this book along with me (as long as it doesn't take up too much room). The movie is currently being filmed with Reese Witherspoon and should be fun to watch.
DeleteThanks for the book ideas. I've added "The Rope" to my wish list hoping one of my little elves will get it for me.
ReplyDeleteThis past summer my 23 yr old son hiked 1424 of the 2669 miles of the PCT. As a mom it was pretty hard to see him go off on this long term hike but he had me help him with the planning & resupply which educated me on the hike & his skills so less scary. He had a fun time with fellow hikers & the wonderful people along the trail who helped him keep moving north. He didn't finish because of time & money but does plan to finish it in the next few years.
Hi Marie. Good for him! I do know some people who will section hike the larger trails over the course of several years. It is hard to get 5-6 months off just to go hiking. The logistics for long trail hiking are a lengthy process too.
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