A ThousandMile Walk to the Gulf Illustrated with Map eBook John Muir
Download As PDF : A ThousandMile Walk to the Gulf Illustrated with Map eBook John Muir 
A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf is a classic travelogue by John Muir, charting his journeys through Kentucky, Tennessee, the Deep South, the Florida Keys and Cuba.
Taking place in the late nineteenth century, we hear exquisite detail of the countryside in each of the locales. The hanging mosses of Georgia, towering pines and vast marshes of Florida's Everglades region; the rugged foothills of the Cumberland Mountains; and the leisurely scene of Havana harbour are but a few of the destinations Muir tours and vividly describes.
This book contains the original early photographs of the locales described, with specimens of tree and the landscapes depicted together with rivers and settlements. All chapters are presented complete with Muir's original notes, and it is through the author's concise observations that this travelogue retains a unique identity of its own.
A superb historical record, A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf acts as a valuable reference for those who wish to learn about the countryside and topography of the southeastern United States and Cuba. Much of this information remains useful and relevant, while Muir's accounts of human society shines a light on society as it stood at the time. This edition further enhances the historical value, by including Muir's original photographs, illustrations, and a map his publisher appended in the first edition.
A ThousandMile Walk to the Gulf Illustrated with Map eBook John Muir
Almost three decades ago I first walked in the redwood forest north of San Francisco named after the author of this work. It was only within the last year that I read one of his classic works: My First Summer in the Sierra: with Illustrations, based on his experiences the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1869. At the time I noted an earlier work, a substantial saunter that he took commencing a couple years prior to becoming fascinating with Yosemite.John Muir starts his walk on September 01, 1867, at Louisville, KY. He is 29 years old. He has a wonderful obsession with the flora of this earth, is knowledgeable of same, and knows many of the scientific names for the various species. He intends to go due south, wanting to see tropical flora, and eventually hopes to float down the Amazon River. It is an ambitious undertaking; he has only limited financial resources, so he lives “rough,” often sleeping in the open fields, only in his clothes.
In a month he managed to walk not to the Gulf, but to the Atlantic Ocean, at Savannah, GA, by October 08. Thus he is managing about 20 miles a day. He notes the microclimate around the non-commercialized entrance to Mammoth Cave, KY that permits ferns to flourish. His route takes him over the Appalachian Mountains, through Murphy, NC, and on to Blairsville, Gainesville, Athens and Augusta, GA. The towns, however, are of little interest. It is the topography of the land, and its flora that compel his attention. Crossing the last, most eastern chain of mountains, the Blue Ridge, he contemplates the vast pine forest that stretches eastward to the sea.
Different eyes might have focused on the devastating impact of the Civil War on the lands that he passed through. He does mention it from time to time. There is concern about lawlessness, and roving bands that might rob him (his principle protection is that he has virtually nothing to steal.) There is the dire poverty of the mountain people who nonetheless offer him their hospitality. In Georgia he talks to a plantation owner de-rusting his cotton gin, after he had hidden it in a pond, so Sherman’s troops would not destroy it. But overall, the Civil War is deep-background, and although he spends almost a week sleeping in a grave yard just outside Savannah, waiting for additional supplies and money to arrive by post, he never mentions what Sherman’s troops did to that city.
Tillandsia usneoides is the scientific name for Spanish moss. He considers two rows of 100-year old oak trees, touching at the top, over a road, draped in Tillandsia, with the low light of morning to be the most spectacular sight he had ever seen (of course, this is prior to Yosemite.) Walking is much more difficult in the coastal lowlands, with the swamps, snakes and alligators, so he elects to take a steamer to Florida. Lush tropical flora, the vines and the palm trees, enchant him. Despite the swamps, he does walk across the peninsula, and finally reaches the Gulf of Mexico, culminating a walk of that titled 1000 miles. Shortly thereafter, while working in a sawmill he contracts malaria, and almost dies.
It takes him a couple of months to recover. He catches another boat, not for South America, per the original plan, but to Cuba. He says he’d love to walk the 700-800 mile mountain spine (as would I!), but was still too weak from the malaria. Therefore, he confines his enjoyment of tropical flora to Havana, and immediate environs. Next he catches a sloop loaded with oranges for NYC, where he catches another boat that reverses the journey, takes him to the isthmus of Panama, which he crosses, and catches another boat for California. The last chapter concerns his time in “Twenty Hill Hollow”, which is before Yosemite, describing the much different ecology of California, based on much less rain.
I could use a good 1000-mile walk myself to shake off the weighted cares of our civilization. For Muir’s inspiration, 5-stars.
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A ThousandMile Walk to the Gulf Illustrated with Map eBook John Muir Reviews
This diary account of John Muir's thousand mile walk to the Gulf deserves to be within the canon of transcendentalism. Not only does Muir travel through strange landscapes collecting plants and ruminating about the different species between biomes, he eloquently captures the ineffability of nature through his prose. This book in particular reveals how he experiences nature and how this experience allows him to comprehend the harmony within the vastly different landscapes.
John Muir is rarely taught in high schools or classes, but he truly is the most genuine writer of his discipline. He went out and experienced nature first hand, allowing him to understand and articulate it in an insurmountable way. Contrast this to Thoreau who merely spend time on one pond. John Muir walked across the country, followed sheep in the Sierra Nevada, trekked Alaska and climbed into trees during rainstorms just to see what the tree felt. He founded the Sierra Club so that he could build a community of people who can protect nature together by instilling awareness. He started a National Park movement to set aside land that cannot be developed, namely Yosemite National Park. He wrote books on many different ecosystems and even made scientific breakthroughs on some of his observations in addition to being eloquent. He protested and fought the San Francisco government to protect land in the Sierra Nevada from being dammed. His life is inseparable from his work because he embodied that same honesty, curiosity, and intensity that he wrote about.
Mr. Muir gave very good descriptions of the places he passed through on his "walk". My special interest was his mention of Murphy, NC where he stayed at my great grandfather's home two or three days. My great grandfather, William Beal, also somewhat a botanist, took him up to Fort Butler and down along side the Hiwassee River, not far from the family home where Mr. Muir found many interesting plants and flowers. Mr. Muir also said he saw for the first time the "holly(Ilex)". My great grandfather is buried in the family cemetery only a short distance from the family home which he built in 1851.
I played along the banks of the Hiwassee when I was a child - it's wonderful to know that my great grandfather and Mr. Muir might have walked along the same area.
One could almost see the Bonaventure Cemetery where he slept many nights while waiting for mail from his brother. I was surprised that he did not have more problems with snakes, alligators and other wild life especially as he traveled through the swamps of Florida or Georgia.
I loved the book - I gave a copy to my son for his birthday who is also enjoying it very much.
Betty Logan
Walk with a young John Muir through the American South just after the Civil War. What a wonderful adventure and different perspective on nature. The South was in shambles but nature was vibrant under Muir's close inspection and connection. This is a pleasant escape from our troubled times into a window of a evolving America. This book takes place just before Muir sails off to the promised land of Northern California which he describes in the last chapter in beautiful detail.
This is one of John Muir's early books. In this book he travels through Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida examining the flora and making sketches and saving samples.This was not an easy walk for there were few roads. He experiences some interesting situations along this route...sleeping in a cemetary, illness, getting lost etc. The book ends with him in California, a part which I merely scanned as it had little to do with the Gulf.
Almost three decades ago I first walked in the redwood forest north of San Francisco named after the author of this work. It was only within the last year that I read one of his classic works My First Summer in the Sierra with Illustrations, based on his experiences the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1869. At the time I noted an earlier work, a substantial saunter that he took commencing a couple years prior to becoming fascinating with Yosemite.
John Muir starts his walk on September 01, 1867, at Louisville, KY. He is 29 years old. He has a wonderful obsession with the flora of this earth, is knowledgeable of same, and knows many of the scientific names for the various species. He intends to go due south, wanting to see tropical flora, and eventually hopes to float down the River. It is an ambitious undertaking; he has only limited financial resources, so he lives “rough,” often sleeping in the open fields, only in his clothes.
In a month he managed to walk not to the Gulf, but to the Atlantic Ocean, at Savannah, GA, by October 08. Thus he is managing about 20 miles a day. He notes the microclimate around the non-commercialized entrance to Mammoth Cave, KY that permits ferns to flourish. His route takes him over the Appalachian Mountains, through Murphy, NC, and on to Blairsville, Gainesville, Athens and Augusta, GA. The towns, however, are of little interest. It is the topography of the land, and its flora that compel his attention. Crossing the last, most eastern chain of mountains, the Blue Ridge, he contemplates the vast pine forest that stretches eastward to the sea.
Different eyes might have focused on the devastating impact of the Civil War on the lands that he passed through. He does mention it from time to time. There is concern about lawlessness, and roving bands that might rob him (his principle protection is that he has virtually nothing to steal.) There is the dire poverty of the mountain people who nonetheless offer him their hospitality. In Georgia he talks to a plantation owner de-rusting his cotton gin, after he had hidden it in a pond, so Sherman’s troops would not destroy it. But overall, the Civil War is deep-background, and although he spends almost a week sleeping in a grave yard just outside Savannah, waiting for additional supplies and money to arrive by post, he never mentions what Sherman’s troops did to that city.
Tillandsia usneoides is the scientific name for Spanish moss. He considers two rows of 100-year old oak trees, touching at the top, over a road, draped in Tillandsia, with the low light of morning to be the most spectacular sight he had ever seen (of course, this is prior to Yosemite.) Walking is much more difficult in the coastal lowlands, with the swamps, snakes and alligators, so he elects to take a steamer to Florida. Lush tropical flora, the vines and the palm trees, enchant him. Despite the swamps, he does walk across the peninsula, and finally reaches the Gulf of Mexico, culminating a walk of that titled 1000 miles. Shortly thereafter, while working in a sawmill he contracts malaria, and almost dies.
It takes him a couple of months to recover. He catches another boat, not for South America, per the original plan, but to Cuba. He says he’d love to walk the 700-800 mile mountain spine (as would I!), but was still too weak from the malaria. Therefore, he confines his enjoyment of tropical flora to Havana, and immediate environs. Next he catches a sloop loaded with oranges for NYC, where he catches another boat that reverses the journey, takes him to the isthmus of Panama, which he crosses, and catches another boat for California. The last chapter concerns his time in “Twenty Hill Hollow”, which is before Yosemite, describing the much different ecology of California, based on much less rain.
I could use a good 1000-mile walk myself to shake off the weighted cares of our civilization. For Muir’s inspiration, 5-stars.
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