Author: kansastrailguide

A Walk With Grandma – book review
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A Walk With Grandma – book review

In the rich history of the Appalachian Trail, a more unlikely hero will not be found.  In the spring of 1955, a grandmother from Ohio decided to walk the trail from Georgia to Maine “on a lark” and captured the attention and adoration of a nation.  “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk” by Ben Montgomery recounts the story of the hard but captivating life of Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, a now iconic hiker of the Appalachian Trail, whose walk along the trail characterized her life of determination and grit.  While many hikers today obsess about the latest gear, technology, and trail amenities, Gatewood had little more then a napsack, umbrella, and the kindness of strangers to see her through a 2000+ mile journey.

Gatewood Picture

Grandma Gatewood on the Trail

At a time when only a handful of people had hiked the entirety of the AT, she started walking at the age of 67 and just kept on going.  The challenges that she overcame on the Appalachian Trail alone would make for an exceptionally inspiring read, but the book also artfully recounts Gatewood’s earlier walk through a marriage filled with adversity and abuse leading up to her first epic trail journey.  Gatewood’s long walk is just the start of her remarkable hiking career and the book will certainly inspire people of all ages to dream big and hike on.

Grandma Gatewood Trail

Hikers on the Grandma Gatewood Trail in Ohio

“Grandma Gatewood’s Walk” by Ben Montgomery is published and available through the Chicago Review Press

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Events in Lawrence, Hays, and Newton

We’re set up to do some book signings and presentations on Kansas trails about  this summer. Here’s where we’ll be:

July 18 at 7pm at Lawrence Public Library
July 30 at 1pm at Hays Public Library
August 2 at 6:30pm at Faith & Life Bookstore, Newton

Books will be available for purchase for $24.95.

We’d love to see you at one of these events! If you can’t make it to one, you can always buy the book here.

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“By Hike or By Bike” – Hutchinson News profile

Kathy Hanks with the Hutchinson News interviewed us about the book, and you can read it here: By Hike or By Bike.

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Photo by Sandra J. Milburn/The Hutchinson News from “Take A Hike” published in the Hutchinson News on July 16, 2016

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Lawrence Public Library July 18 at 7pm

We’re on the Lawrence Public Library schedule for July 18 at 7pm. We’ll be doing a talk on what you can see out on the trails of Kansas. We’ll be answering questions and signing books. We hope to see you there!

Screen Shot 2016-06-27 at 2.15.43 PM

If you go:

7pm
Auditorium of the Lawrence Public Library
707 Vermont St, Lawrence, KS 66044

Eat, Play, Stay in Lawrence:

The Burger Stand
Eldridge Hotel

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150th anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers – June 25 in Nicodemus

From the HaysPost.com:

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Photo by Mark Conard

…in Nicodemus Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. [join us] as living historians guide you through a typical buffalo soldiers camp and regale you with tales of the Old West.

It’s a celebration of the all African-American regiments, known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

In 1866, these regiments were given full military status by Congress and the Army designated the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalries.
From thehomeontherange.com:

The Nicodemus Buffalo Soldier Association was established in 1996 in Nicodemus, Kansas, with the purpose of performing historic cavalry maneuvers and sharing the history of America’s forgotten heroes. Most of the Nicodemus Buffalo Soldier Foundation members are from Nicodemus. Nicodemus, a National Park Historic Site about 50 miles northwest of Hays, is best known for its 19th century pioneers of African descent.

Nicodemus is about a 10 to 15 minute drive west from Webster State Park, which has an expanding set of trails.

 

Great Outdoors Month is Here!
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Great Outdoors Month is Here!

State governors across the country have declared June as “Great Outdoors Month”!  While we don’t need a declaration from the governor to celebrate the best of outdoor Kansas, it’s a good excuse to get out and enjoy the best of what the state has to offer.  To celebrate, El Dorado State Park will host the “Governor’s Campout” on June 18th.  There are some awesome events lined out for the day, including kayaking and canoeing, archery, natural history programs, horse rides, and even a fishing clinic!  If that’s not enough, don’t forget the Boulder Bluff Trail, which crosses open expanses of prairie as it winds around the coves and inlets of the reservoir.

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Boulder Bluff Trail

The party will continue into Saturday evening with more events, door prizes, Dutch Oven cooking and of course camping.  If you’re interested in camping out as part of the event, make sure to contact Kati Westerhaus at 620-672-0740 or emailing Kati.westerhaus@ksoutdoors.com to pre-register.  Click here for more information about the event.

 

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Topeka Capital-Journal on the 2016 Kansas Notable Books

Check out this article from the Topeka Capital-Journal online about the 2016 Kansas Notable Books, and they got in touch for a quote – read here: Kansas Notable Books list announced by State Library of Kansas | CJOnline.com.

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We’re a 2016 Kansas Notable Book!

Two days after National Trails Day, it is official. The Kansas Trail Guide is on the 2016 Kansas Notable Book List! See the full list here.

And for more info on the list itself:

The Kansas Notable Books List is the annual recognition of 15 outstanding titles by Kansas authors or about Kansas. It is the only honor for Kansas books by Kansans, highlighting our lively contemporary writing community and encouraging readers to enjoy some of the best writing of the authors among us.

Press Release

NotableBooks