On the Back Roads: Discovering Small Towns of America

Graves, a retired navy captain, journeys the back roads and quirky small towns of the West that few have heard of, intentionally straying from the big cities and tourist meccas visited by ""average Americans."" Experiencing a newfound freedom after the end of his 24-year marriage and bored with retirement, Graves set out from Southern California in his motor home on an eight-month, eight-state sojourn. Crisscrossing the West's diverse landscape (from California's coastline to Utah's rugged wilderness), he descriptively captures the essence of towns that boast bizarre claims to fame (the largest producer of soda ash; the film site of more than 50 westerns; the town farthest from a railroad). In towns distinguished for their pea soup or for laws requiring all citizens to be armed, Graves discovers a pioneering spirit among townsfolk that's missing in big cities--as well as a willingness to give up luxuries most of us take for granted. He attends fairs and rodeos, eats in small-town diners and walks through the ruts left by wagons on the Oregon Trail. While Graves's narrative might have flowed more nicely by focusing on fewer towns, readers should warm to his easygoing nature. (Apr.)