Online Presentation This Sunday

 

Hi, everyone! Just wanted to let everyone know that I will be doing an online presentation on my latest Falcon hiking guide, Best Easy Day Hikes Birmingham, THIS SUNDAY, April 2nd at 6pm and you are all invited!

The presentation will be a Google Meet meeting of the Women's Outdoors Club based in Alabama. I'll be discussing the book, take you to a few of my favorite easy hiking destinations in the Birmingham area, and will be giving away 2 autographed copies of the book and Hiking Alabama 5th Edition.

I hope you can join us. Here are the links you will need:

Meeting Place: Online, Google meet link: 1st hour: meet.google.com/jjk-frye-qex

2nd hour: meet.google.com/djx-reri-xkp

This Was a Tough One

 

My latest article on TravelAwaits was a tough one to write. It wasn't the topic that was difficult to write about. It was having to open up about myself a little. 

The piece presents tips on how to travel and still have fun when you are on a restricted diet. I wrote it as a nice, generic piece where I sympathized with those who are on restrictive diets and how traveling anywhere, in the country or abroad, can ruin a vacation if not prevent a person from travelling at all.

All was well until the editor asked for me to make it more personal, bring the story home by relating my own personal situation. Unless you are a close friend or family, I don't like talking about my health only tossing out a casual mention when someone asks me to go with them somewhere like on a hike (something I dearly love, as you know) and I can't due to having a bad day health wise. 

But, the editor was right. Opening up a bit personalized the article letting the readers know that I'm there with them and can sympathize. And while my situation isn't as bad as it could be or as severe as many of my readers are facing, it did help me realize that dietary restrictions can be handled properly and traveling is not out of the question. Oh, I still have a lot of pain that restricts my traveling, but food isn't going to stop me.

Here is a link to my latest article, "There's Nothing Here To Eat" on TravelAwaits.

New Online Shop

I know, it took long enough, but I finally have an online book shop where you can purchase a few of my books and I will personally autograph them for you. Simply place your order and I will be in touch with you to find out who I should personalize the book for. But hurry! Supplies are limited. They make great gifts for the outdoor recreationist and history lover in your life.

Available titles include:

• Space Oddities
• Hidden History of Mobile
• A History Lover's Guide to Mobile & the Alabama Gulf Coast
• Hiking Through History Alabama
• Hiking Alabama 5th Edition
• Best Dog Hikes Alabama
• Hiking Waterfalls Alabama
• Paddling Alabama 2nd Edition

Best Easy Day Hikes Birmingham

 

Reviews are starting to come in for my latest Falcon hiking guide, Best Easy Day Hikes Birmingham (AL) and they have been very positive.

Best Easy Day Hikes Birmingham (BEDHB) covers about 20 of the best hikes within 60 miles of downtown Birmingham ranging in difficulty from short, 30 minute to one hour jaunts to ADA accessible trails to longer half-day hikes that may be a little more challenging.

This was a fun guide to write with easy travel to all of the trails, several that I have never been on before, and a return to some old favorites including many of the waterfalls in the Birmingham area. Who doesn't love a waterfall?

As always, the book is loaded with all of the information you need to have an enjoyable hike - difficulty ratings, mileages, trail contacts, mile-by-mile description, maps, photos, you name it. The best part about BEDHB is that it is pocket size, small enough to carry with you in your back pocket, jacket pocket, or day pack.

The book is available now at most local brick and mortar book stores in the state as well as online at B&N, Books-a-Million, Amazon, and other online retailers. 

A Friendly Reminder...

I'll be signing copies of my latest book, A History Lover's Guide to Mobile and the Alabama Gulf Coast at the Haunted Book Shop, 9 Joachim Street, Mobile, AL from 6pm to 8pm during the LoDa Art Walk. The book is a general overview of the 320+ year history of Alabama's Port City and Gulf Coast with a twist - each chapter takes you to areas where you can see and experience some of that history first hand, and it's much more than just stops at museums. Consider it your historical travel guide to Mobile. Hope to see you there! 

 

Book Signing / Pre-Order Everyone's Gone to the Moon

 

  

A History Lover's Guide to Mobile and the Alabama Gulf Coast is available NOW! You can order copies from the Haunted Book Shop in Mobile and I'll be doing an author signing there during the LoDa Art Walk Friday, March 10th from 6 to 8pm.

The Haunted Book Shop is also accepting pre-orders of my latest book, Everyone's Gone to the Moon: Life on Earth and the Epic Voyage of Apollo 11. The official release date is October 2023.