Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Turkeys are Jerks and Other Observations from an American Road Trip

by Theresa L. Goodrich

Overview

Based on a 6,479.5-mile road trip, Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1, is part memoir, part travelogue, and all love letter to America. Whether you're an armchair explorer or looking for your next adventure, you'll be entertained and inspired.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780960049561
Publisher:	Local Tourist
Publication date:	04/01/2019
Series:	Two Lane Gems , #1
Edition description:	Second
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Theresa L. Goodrich tells people where to go for a living. After graduating with a BA in Journalism she went straight to self-publishing, founding The Local Tourist in 2002. Fourteen years and an Emmy later, she launched Drive By Towns, a companion website focusing on "two lane gems." She's slightly obsessed with road trips, camping, and her husband. When she's not writing or on the road, she's cooking and planning her next adventure.

Table of Contents

Prologue 9Chapter 1And, They're Off! 10Chapter 2History and Hospitality 14Chapter 3Eureka! Springs, That Is 22Chapter 4Big Cats and Bigger Hearts 33Chapter 5Perseverance and Silver Linings 39Chapter 6Remembering to Breathe 42Chapter 7Half a Billion Years in the Making 46Chapter 8Random, Schmandom 56Chapter 9Turkeys are Jerks 59Chapter 10Surviving I-40 67Chapter 11Camping Should Be a Pre-Marriage Requirement 75Chapter 12Meeting the Greatest Generation 78Chapter 13An Anti-Tourist Trap Tour 82Chapter 14The Beauty and Danger of Bed & Breakfasts 89Chapter 15Where the Past is Always Present 93Chapter 16Real Life Happened Here 101

Chapter 17The Singing Road and Stuff Carved Into Rocks 106Chapter 18How to Survive an Epic Road Trip 113Chapter 19Ghost Towns and an Enchanting Excursion 117Chapter 20Schnecks and Switchbacks 125Chapter 21Sunny and Dry My ... 131Chapter 22All in the Family 136Chapter 23How to Grow a Date 143Chapter 24A High School Full of Criminals 149Chapter 25The Center of the World 153Chapter 26Salvation Below Sea Level 161Chapter 27Romancing the Road Trip 169Chapter 28The Kindness of Rangers 174Chapter 29Hopalong, Gunga Din 180Chapter 30Never Forget. Never Again 186Chapter 31 The Mule Capital of the World 189Chapter 32The Town That's So In-Clined 195

Chapter 33So. Many. People. 202Chapter 34Look Jim, I'm a Goat! 207Chapter 35Hoodoo You Think You Are? 215Chapter 36If I Was Any Better I'd Have to be Twins 224Chapter 37In the Groove 232Chapter 38From Silent Sands to Dusty Grasslands 240Chapter 39Getting Bent 246Chapter 40Whoa There, Wichita 253Chapter 41Vittles and Fiddles 260Chapter 42The Final Stretch 266Chapter 43The Journey Begins 273Acknowledgments 274About the Author 276

Editorial Reviews

“If John Steinbeck earned a Nobel Prize in Literature shortly after publishing Travels with Charley, then Theresa should start planning a trip to Oslo, Norway, because Two Lane Gems is every bit the book Travels with Charley was. And then some. While the news is full of stories of divisiveness, Theresa and Jim stories from their travels along America’s two lane highways feature real Americans, educate readers on the nation’s past (warts and all), and inspire all of us to lift each other up. I can’t wait to read the next installment!” ~ Kristin

“Like William Least-Heat Moon, who wrote deeply researched investigations of America through a lens of deep earth maps (Blue Highways, and PrairyErth), Goodrich takes the reader on a quiet and stately drive across America, threading a narrative from small town to small town, always focussed on the hyper-local, on what is truly unique in each. ” ~ Family G

“More than a guidebook, Two Lane Gems is a vivid portrait of the American landscape. Slide behind the wheel to meet the characters who inhabit some of our country’s most interesting destinations. Along the way, you’ll also experience the quirkiness of these quintessential destinations and also meet a few fellow travelers along the way. It’s an adventure that I highly recommend.” ~ Paula Brandon

“Beautiful, thoughtful, wonderful, and exquisitely written! A honest-to-goodness treasure trove of hidden (2 lane!!) gems. Makes you want to immediately get in your car and discover them too. Theresa and Jim are perfect road trip companions. Can’t wait for Volume 2!” ~ Katie M.

From the Publisher