A Walk in the Woods

I know, I know. This isn't a horse book. But if you trail ride, you will enjoy this humorous adventure on the Appalachian Trail.

A Walk in the Woods, by travel author, Bill Bryson, had me laughing till I cried! He and a friend spent six weeks on the AT starting in Georgia. His description of their escapades - the people they meet and the places they visit - are too funny!

My husband picked up the book at a Borders while there for another purchase. Our son, who lives in Philly, has walked several sections of the AT, mostly in the Pennsylvania area. Over the past few years, he has hiked anywhere from a long weekend to a couple of weeks. We received a few photos and a short journal from the first trip, but not much else. We're always glad to hear from him when he's back in civilization.

We thought the book would give us insight to the trail that our son enjoys so much. There are thousands that walk it like our son, and there are the So-Bo and No-Bo hikers (South Bound and North Bound) who take months to do the whole AT. My son also met the HoBos - the ones who live on the trail!

When we finished Bryson's book, we both wanted to read more by him and bought three others. I was not impressed with The Lost Continent, a description of the author driving through America. Too negative; he puts down southerners, RVers, religious people etc. I liked it better when he made fun of himself and his reactions to the situations he had on the AT, rather than his dour (and mean spirited) outlook on this country in general.

Maybe it's because he was born in the Midwest, lived in Great Britain for decades, returned to America and now lives in Britain again. I didn't bother finishing that book, but began one he wrote about his travels in Australia. It's better, but not as funny as A Walk in the Woods.

Find Bryson's books in a bookstore or Amazon.com.