A Walk Across America
Encyclopedia
A Walk Across America is the first book written by travel author Peter Jenkins
.
Written in 1979, it depicts his journey from Alfred, New York
to New Orleans, Louisiana
. His second book, A Walk Across America: The Walk West tells of the second half of his trip.
Peter Jenkins begins his trip because he has a jaded view of America after the time of the Vietnam War; its realities and the viewpoint that the American dream is not really real any more. He wants to learn the truth about his country and its people. Along his journey, he and his dog Cooper meet the common American of the towns and regions he travels through and stops to visit and work in. They range from the likes of Homer, a mountain man living a life of self-sufficiency on Chatam Hill, Virginia to a simple black family in Murphy, North Carolina
and on to George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama
. Peter's journey leads him from the fields of the back country in the Northeast to the forested hills and mountains of the Appalachians and to the dirt yards and hard scrabble homes of the Deep South and onwards to the Antebellum homes of Dixie. He meets men he thinks will kill him because of their perception of him as a drug dealing hippie and motherly ladies who recognize the goodness in him and of his intentions (dogs don't lie). He quickly learns that the perception of men and conditions they create as offered by others often clashes with the reality of the experiences he encounters. He learns the American dream does reside in the men and women of America as he works beside them and accepts hospitality given to him.
Peter Jenkins (travel author)
Peter Jenkins describes his experiences over nearly six years that he spent walking from New York to Oregon.Peter was born on July 8 of 1951He is a graduate of Alfred University, with a BFA in Sculpture/Ceramics , as well as an honorary doctorate ....
.
Written in 1979, it depicts his journey from Alfred, New York
Alfred (village), New York
Alfred is a village located in the Town of Alfred in Allegany County, New York, USA. The population was 3,954 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Alfred the Great....
to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. His second book, A Walk Across America: The Walk West tells of the second half of his trip.
Peter Jenkins begins his trip because he has a jaded view of America after the time of the Vietnam War; its realities and the viewpoint that the American dream is not really real any more. He wants to learn the truth about his country and its people. Along his journey, he and his dog Cooper meet the common American of the towns and regions he travels through and stops to visit and work in. They range from the likes of Homer, a mountain man living a life of self-sufficiency on Chatam Hill, Virginia to a simple black family in Murphy, North Carolina
Murphy, North Carolina
-Household Income:The median income for a household in the town was $24,952, and the median income for a family was $35,234. Males had a median income of $30,395 versus $16,908 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,926...
and on to George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Peter's journey leads him from the fields of the back country in the Northeast to the forested hills and mountains of the Appalachians and to the dirt yards and hard scrabble homes of the Deep South and onwards to the Antebellum homes of Dixie. He meets men he thinks will kill him because of their perception of him as a drug dealing hippie and motherly ladies who recognize the goodness in him and of his intentions (dogs don't lie). He quickly learns that the perception of men and conditions they create as offered by others often clashes with the reality of the experiences he encounters. He learns the American dream does reside in the men and women of America as he works beside them and accepts hospitality given to him.