Book Review: Off the Beaten Path: A Travel Guide to More Than 1,000 Scenic and Interesting Places...

Off the Beaten Path: A Travel Guide to More Than 1,000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting is a gorgeous road-trip/coffee-table book compiled by the editors of Reader’s Digest. Breathtaking photos and updated state maps for the entire U.S. accompany descriptions of the unusual, authentic places in America that are still unspoiled. Some of the entries describe museums and natural wonders deserving of our attention and well worth a turn off the highways.

The book’s handy index with thorough references, clear layout and fabulous photographs makes it a pleasure to browse American history. Two earlier editions of the book started with the Reader’s Digest editors studying the maps and history of every state in the US. They searched for, and found, out-of-the-way and unusual places. This third edition includes information on an additional 200 places, and includes over 400 full-color photographs.

Opening the book at random today, I didn’t stop until evening, when I realized it was getting too dark to see. That’s when I found out Missouri was once a 30-million acre prairie. A 4,000 acre park now protects the largest remaining preserve of tall-grass prairie landscape. Delight in trails that pass through the prairies and streams. The book sweetly refers to the time when pioneers used to call their wagons “prairie schooners” as they rolled through the open prairie paths of grasses and flowers. Bison and elk still roam some areas of the prairie.

I was surprised to learn Fulton, Missouri has a Winston Churchill memorial and library. President Truman invited Churchill to speak at Westminster College in 1946. When the college decided to honor Churchill’s visit, in the 1960s they reconstructed The Church of St. Mary, a 12 century London church that was destroyed in World War 11.

North of Fulton is the Mark Twain birthplace, now a state historical site and state park. Besides the small cabin where he was born, you can view Twain’s manuscripts and visit the adjacent state park. It’s your chance to live the Tom Sawyer life with fishing boating and swimming, as well as a rugged walk to Buzzard’s Roost to observe the sheer cliffs.

Article Author: Helen Gallagher

Helen Gallagher reviews non-fiction books and shares insights when attending author and publishing events on Chicago's North Shore. She is a national speaker on technology, writing and publishing. She's a member of American Society of Journalists & …

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