Originally this book would have been included with the road trip books, but instead Bunion Derby: the 1928 Footrace Across America, by Charles B. Kastner inspired a whole new trail of books. In 1928 not just automobiles traveled on Route 66, there was a foot race, too. The 25,000 dollar prize for winning inspired dozens of men to sign up. Among other things, they were promised food and lodging as they crossed the country. Things were not what they seemed ... the food was dreadful and there wasn't enough to fuel a body working as hard as these were; the lodging was a large tent which was neither warm enough, nor cool enough, and it leaked. There were no showers or laundry (think about that for a minute). No days of rest were scheduled, in fact, toward the end, the promoter/manager added 20 miles a day to the distance required to stay in the race. The author did an amazing job (check out the bibliography) piecing together bits of information from dozens of sources to follow all the runners across the country. And I've not even mentioned the weather, or the road conditions, or the terrain .... Just an amazing read!

One of the many things I like about looking for new things to read is coming across something that is charming and delightful. When Lucy Goes Out Walking: a Puppy's First Year, by Ashley Wolff is one of these! Follow Lucy on a year of walks, watch her grow, watch the seasons change ... and be sure to notice the corners of the past and coming months in the corners. A rhyme for each month adds to the charm. This could easily become a favorite!

In 1909 Edward Payson Weston left New York City bound for San Francisco. On foot. He was 70 years old. He gave himself 100 days to make the crossing, not counting Sundays, which were always a day of rest. So dedicated to the walk, he would go out of his way to avoid taking a ferry to find a bridge, thinking that riding across a river was cheating. The Last Great Walk: the True Story of a 1909 Walk From New York to San Francisco, and Why It Matters Today by Wayne Curtis is about that walk, and a lot more. Along with the journey made by Mr. Weston, the author includes the evolution of going from walking on fours to two, and why it was advantageous. There's a bit of history on the change cities went through as they adapted to a motorized society. There's a discussion on what becoming more sedentary as done to us, and, finally, a return to making cities more walkable again and encouraging leaving cars behind and walking more places. I found the part about different walking gaits to be most interesting. Oh, and in 1910, Edward Payson Weston made a coast to coast walk again, this time starting from the west coast.

For other books on walking, see June 20, 2015 and August 30, 2014.

Reading Hermit With Dog