In this sequel to Notes from the A Diary of Journeys Near and Far, Robinson continues his journeys to places near and far, always peering around the corner for those insights that leave enduring legacies. Traveling on foot or bicycle, this very vulnerability leads him toward the greatest rewards, from chance encounters to hardships overcome to lasting friendships.Through excerpts from his travel diaries, in prose spare, vivid, and starkly honest, Robinson recounts a healing foray onto the Pacific Crest Trail, a reconnection with friends and history in the French Alps, a segue to Greece to fulfill an old goal, an artistic escape to the West Indies, and a day-by-day recollection of a third Appalachian Trail thru-hike.His journeys appeal to adventurer and armchair traveler alike, and, as Robinson discovers, despite encroaching age there are more journeys to come.
Kirk Ward Robinson, a four-time Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas and has since lived in every continental American time zone. He is an inveterate hiker and cyclist, with more than 10,000 miles afoot and 20,000 more on a bicycle. His wide-ranging career has included roles as a chief operating officer, bookstore manager, stagehand, bicycle mechanic, and executive director of an educational non-profit organization in cooperation with the National Park Service. Robinson’s Life in Continuum and The Appalachian were both named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books. He earned five stars from Foreword Clarion Reviews for his novel The Latter Half of Inglorious Years, LitPick’s Top Choice Book Review Award for Priscilla Speaks, Feathered Quill’s Reviewer’s Choice Book Award for Ridley Speaks, and OneTribune Media’s Atlas of Stories Award for Founding Courage.
These days he maintains a small ancestral farm in the hills of Tennessee.