Having recently retired, the author set out on a cross-country adventure following the Lewis and Clark Trail, playing 16 rounds of golf at some of the highest-rated public courses along the way, and talking with folks he met about their perspectives on America: what they most appreciated, what worried them, and what they would change if they had a magic wand.
This engaging narrative includes reviews of historic and less well-known golf courses, reflections on the state of our country that are rooted in pivotal moments of the Lewis and Clark expedition, as well as the history and development of various communities along the way. Topics include the American immigrant experience, our genocidal treatment of the indigenous people, the rise of the "rural cemetery" movement in the mid-19th century, the meaning of Mount Rushmore, the ghost of sex trafficking in Williston, Montana, as well as deep dives into St. Louis, the two Kansas Cities, and Astoria, Oregon.
In addition to realizing a long-held dream, his journey reveals that despite all the troubling features of American life, past and present, we can continue to be a beacon of hope for the hopeless across the globe. He was on the road for 40 days and logged more than 9700 miles before returning to his home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.