Touring Books

Neal Davis' book is indespensable for any motorcycle trip through northern Mexico. It would be the first thing to go into my saddlebag. Mr. Davis details routes and stops in cities and pueblos down to restaurant menus and hotel phone numbers and rates.

The book is full of detailed advice about border crossings, asking for directions, historical anecdotes and Mr. Davis' sociological observations on Mexican customs and habits including bartering and la famosa mordida.

The detailed description of point to point travel and what can be expected in terms of road conditions and destinations is where the book really shines.

I would have liked a little more on the performance of different motorcycles under off-road condtions; a little more of the nuts and bolts of dual sport riding.

If you plan to tour northern Mexico. I highy recommend you do not leave home without Neal Davis' book.

I'm a compulsive reader of ride guides, and I find this one perfectly satisfactory. Route choices are well-chosen. Directions and maps are solid. The rides are ranked by difficulty, and the standards are high--when it says a ride is hard, it is. Drawbacks: no elevation totals or elevation profiles; only 40 rides total; almost all the rides fall in a wide east-west band from SF Bay to Tahoe. One bonus: "Northern California" is defined broadly, so you get a few rides as far south as Morro Bay! One hideous gaff: the ride in my home town, the Chico to Davis Challenge, has you riding the route backwards--if you do, you'll kill first yourself, then the author.

Overall, a well-organized introduction to the high points (and high life) of Southern CA. Excellent "mini-tour" suggestions, complete with stop-by-stop itineraries. Could use a bit of polish on specifics, like festival dates and contact info, but otherwise, a great planning resource. Focus is primarily on upscale establishments, hotels and eateries, definitely not for those who are looking to do "California on $25 a day"....

The map of Scotland was good but it definitely needs more detailed maps of Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh. We ended up having to buy separate maps of the cities as we traveled. If you're touring the countryside it's OK but not if you're going to be in any of the large cities.

As a longtime learner of Irish, I can relate to Pamela Petro's predicament. She wished to better her basic Welsh, picked up in a two-month intensive course at the U of Wales, Lampeter, but also needed to avoid the trap of falling back on English when practicing her Welsh in Wales itself! With her roommate, she decides to travel five months around wherever Welsh expats and learners lurked in other countries, assuming that if she went to Norway or Singapore or Argentina, that the lack of English from her co-respondents would force them both into Welsh. This only worked best in her final destination, (providing the strongest part of her narrative, and by far the most assuredly conveyed) the remnant of the Patagonian Welsh pioneering community. But, in the meantime she, a travel writer anyway by profession, manages to cram in everything that happened to her.

This makes the results here better than the average travelogue, for she relentlessly focuses upon the question of what it is to be Welsh. Is it native speaking of the native language? Or simply learning it? If so, how perfectly? Not knowing it but being proud of one's Welsh birth anyhow? Not being Welsh (Pamela's category) by any heritage but simply enamored with the idea and ideals of Wales? The hierarchy she discovers among the Welsh she encounters reveals persistent unease with always another--elusive and not there present--person's level of Welsh being better than whoever she talks to at that moment. Pamela battles through many drinks at soirees, singing contests, and stilted conversations along with the usual mishaps on the road.

At times, she describes her surroundings well. Often, however, the book reads like transcriptions and elaborations of that past day's chitchat from her copious notebooks, sometimes in prose and detail too earnestly cute and so rather limp on the page although probably lively enough in person (especially with a couple more drinks!). Too many often mundane incidents blur together, but you too feel her jet lag, queasiness, hangovers, or general disembodiment all too well. Whether this is what you want in a travel account is up to you. This book could have done with severe editing and not lost its flavor. It gets too giddy and self-consciously meticulous for long stretches. True, the admirable enthusiasm Pamela generally has is infectious but not always that contagiously rewarding for the loyal reader.

Therefore, I recommend this book to those interested in how languages and cultures merge and clash in a globalized world (the book takes place around 1995) but with the warning that it does take a lot of patience and that after awhile the incidents jumble and blur as one country follows another without respite. An admirable conceit, but rather wearisome. You do feel like you're with Pamela every faltering step of the way, however!

[Those curious about the workings and the impacts of Welsh will enjoy Janet Davies' compact "The Welsh Language: A Pocket Guide" (1999, U of Wales P). For a gloomier perspective on the state of the Celtic languages and cultures today, and a much more pessimistic outlook unfortunately on the Patagonian Welsh, see Marcus Tanner's 2003 "The Last of the Celts" from Yale UP.]

This really has very little useful information in it and only a few small maps. You'd be better off getting an ordinance map or the books the government puts out. You may have to wait until you get to the UK to get these however.

Don't bother with this one if you want to read about his experiences cycling. Get it if you want to reinforce your Christian faith, or be converted. Unfortunately, I was interested in the cycling angle. This book is not much more than an advertisement for Focus on the Family, the author's employer.

If you are looking for a technical/tour guide type manual about crossing the country by bicycle, skip this one. If you are looking book written by an evangelical Christian bicyclist about his journey across our great country, this is the one. Mike Trout, co-host of the Focus on the Family radio program, shares his experiences as he meets other Christians while doing something many of us only dream about. The hospitality and graciousness of the people he met along the way, gave me as a reader a renewed faith in the values that made this country such a great place to live. Some readers may be turned off or offended by the continual reference to scripture through out this book. But to the true believers, it is an example of how we should do all things in our lives with reverence to God and scripture. This is a book to be enjoyed be both cyclist and non-cyclist alike. The only criticisms I can find, I wish this book had more technical information, i.e. a route map, etc. and more detail about the eastern half of the trip. But as said before, there are other books written for those purposes. Another excellent book about cross-country bike travel is Over the Hills, by David Lamb. Written by a newspaper journalist, it also chronicles the trip of a man approaching mid life and unbarring on a life-changing journey. Very similar to Trout's book, but with out the religious overtones.

Living life to the fullest is something we all talk about but rarley do. This book is a great testimony of a man who actually did just that. My husband and I are coming up on age 50 and have talked about doing something adventurous for the past several years. Mike's book has definitely encouraged and motivated us to step up our plans. There is so much to experience in life if we just take that first step. We have made arrangements to backpack across the entire Appalachian trail next year. I can't wait. This book is a great tribute to all of us who dare to step out of our box a little, and to the great people of this country. I highly recommend it!

I purchased this book with interest since I, too, have taken cross-country bike trips. And I did find that two of Trout's messages rang clear. Those being that a person does need to pursue challenges of some kind or risk being absorbed by our spectator society, and that at heart people are basically kind and good-willed. I also found that some of Trout's "people he met" stories were interesting to read, and did bring back some personal memories. I was, however, disappointed with the overall flavor of the trip and the book. Trout's concern with getting to the end in as few days as possible was a little disconcerting to me. He needed to "stop and smell the flowers" a little more. Also, his constant mention of who was paying for his nightly motel room and the frequent credit given to the Focus on the Family ministry was a little too self-serving. In addition, I would have to agree with a previous reviewer in that there was too much relianc! e on Scriptural quotes and sharing of the Focus on the Family/Christian party line. This 190-plus page book would have been a much better magazine article than a book since there were not nearly enough fresh insights or stories to fill a book. I wish that Trout would have spent more time writing about his feelings as he looked up at a New Mexico sky, or as he talked to a Kansas farmer. I encourage Trout to keep journeying and writing. Only next time, I hope that he writes a little more for himself and not for the Walmart/Focus on the Family audience.

Even though I am a fan of Focus on the Family, and Mike Trout was the co-host of the broadcast when I read this book, I found it did not hold my attention. His descriptions of the places he stopped could have been enlarged, as well as the people he met and the sights he saw. He was accompanied by his son in law, and planned the coast to coast route which was not necessarily the easiest, but one which passed through Colorado, home of Focus on the Family.

I agree that this could have been a full length magazine article instead of a book and certainly I would encourage readers to borrow it or check it out of the library. It is not a keeper in my opinion. Sorry Mike, I liked you as co-host, but as author, well, you are just so so.

I haven't been to Japan, but oriental culture always has seemed fascinating to me. Like the author, I am from Michigan, so I could relate to his point of view. It seems like he had quite the adventure! And he made so many warm friendships along the way, it is quite touching. I felt like I learned a lot about a completely alien culture. Since it is not within everyone's budget to make an exotic trip like this, reading this book gives us a taste of what it is like. I hope to read of other adventures by this author!

This book offered me a chance to share the author's bicycle journey the lenght of Japan. Meeting people, enduring the weather, culture and touching moments that transist culture and touches on our common humanity.

I was saddened to see the author miss several opportunities to correct historical fallacies often perpetuated by the Japanese. Referring to the East Sea as the "Sea of Japan" is one such example. This name is the result of Japanese imperial aggression and should be dropped in favor of more neutral language. Throughout the book, one only reads of the politeness of the Japanese. I doubt the countless women of Korea, China and the Philippines raped and kept as "comfort women" during Japanese occupation would agree with that assessment. No mention is given to the various cultural treasures Japan looted from her Asian neighbors.
In Chapter 3, the author uses the word "cripple". As a differently-abled senior, still bearing wounds from the Japanese aggression, I find the term a little more than offensive.
Thankfully, Japan is moving towards rapproachment with her neighbors. I hope that books like this one will not reverse the positive steps already taken in that direction.

If you want to know what you are in for when you read this book, look at the cover. You've got A)the author on a bike; B)the author sitting by a lake pondering; C)The author meeting quaint locals and posing for photos at various festivals. Mostly, you get A)the author on a bike. And after getting through the book, you feel like you have been sitting on a bike for hours too. Items B and C are too superficial to be of much interest to anyone not immediately connected to the author.
His descriptions of the Japanese reminded me more of Dorothy in Munchkinland than anything I have experienced in Japan. Oh, and instead of Kansas, you'll hear a lot about Michigan.

I have lived in Japan for years, and also had the experience of biking around the country- a most interesting way to see the country, to be sure. Reading Don's book, I wonder if he was in the same Japan at all. He reveals little of the Japanese soul- just that he experienced friendly smiles from the locals. He caught a few colorful festivals. He ate local foods.
I think the problem is, not really understanding Japanese, it is hard to really get deep into the culture. To learn what lies beneath the polite smiles- that is the essence of travel writing!
Being a Gaijin (and in my case, an African Gaijin) will always draw attention from the locals, especially in the less touristed spots. It is easy to feel like a "movie star". But when you get home, you have to wonder if the experience is really a book-worthy one. I'd have to say in this case, it wasn't.

After following this book from Malaga to Florence, it seems almost impossible that the author actually rode this route. He says that the trip can be taken by a person of any experience level, but realistically only an experienced rider would enjoy his route. He is consistantly incorrect with respect to elevations, distances, and major road names. After about a month of cycling we began to plan our own routes. We found that we could use a map and guess better routes than he could suggest in his book. Do not waste your time and money. Buy a good set of Michelin maps and pay attention to the topographical marks on the maps and you will be fine. Nothing is more annoying than to rely on incorrect information.

We purchased this book for our tour from Rome to Barcelona and found it absolutely useless. The route follows major highways while missing quiet backcountry roads. The author completely misses the true beauty of France and Italy in bypassing the Amalfi coast, Umbria, Tuscany and Provence. My advice... save your money for maps and a Lonely Planet guide. When every ounce counts, this is not a book you need to lug up a 1000 meter pass.

Used the book as a guide for a cycle trip from Barcelona to Rome. Maps from local tourist offices were required for more detailed road and campground information.

My wife and I used this book to plan our 8 week tour from Barcalona to Athens. We found the book's recomendations on route to be invaluable. The roads recomended provided some of the best riding I have done anywhere in the world. However this book is not a compleat trip guide, it is light on deatail (how to get from one road to the next in a town) and does not have logging or food recomendations. We used other books for campgrounds and tourist information and good maps are a must.

i am a biker and i took bike rides around europe. i didnt find his writing boring as opposed to the other reviewer. i think he gives a nice account of the places he visited, how much he wanted this dream to come true, and very optimistic view of life.
overall, i will send this book as a gift to friends who are avid bikers.

I don't want to be mean to Mr. Galen. I admire him for taking this 2-year adventure and for going through the effort of writing down his memories. But he really is not a writer, and his prose is not very interesting. It's quite dull, in fact. The book is just his journal, recounting every day. Perhaps the most telling experience he writes about is his meeting with a man named Boris who tells him "Natural talent for writing, if absent, cannot be developed at the age of 68." If only he had heeded Boris' words. If you just want to find out what a cyclist saw in two years, perhaps you will get something out of this, but if you want to be pulled in, to live the journey with him and lose yourself in his experiences, you will be disappointed.

Horrible. I've read lots of bicycle travelogues and this is THE WORST to date. Author writes like a little kid...choppy and without any flow. I read about 200 pages out of this 400+ page book and threw it away. Bottomline: Don't buy it - it isn't worth it.. Read Barbara Savages' MILES FROM NOWHERE if you want to read a GREAT BICYCLE TRAVELOGUE...