description and travel

At the height of the California Gold Rush in 1849, a wagon train of men, women, children and their animals stumbled into a one hundred-and-thirty-mile-long valley in the Mojhave Desert. Barren and hostile, with a dry and unearthly surface of white salts, they became hopelessly lost. After killing the oxen for food, they prepared to die until a twenty-nine-year-old hero, William Lewis Manly, volunteered to cross the desert and attempt to get help. Forty-five years later, Manly told his tale in a book first published in 1894. At his death in Los Angeles in 1903, he had been a miner, rancher, merchant, farmer, pioneer and adventurer and had helped to open the American West.

Presents landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted's firsthand observations of the U.S.'s slave states made when he was a correspondent for the "New York Times" in the 1850s, in which he describes the plantation system, slaves' and masters' daily lives, and the effects of slavery on all social classes.

Collects five books that explore the sights and culture of the United States.

Helen Thayer recounts her 1,600-mile journey across Mongolia's Gobi Desert, which she crossed with her seventy-four-year-old husband, Bill, and two camels named Tom and Jerry, describing the inhospitable conditions, personal challenges, and dangers they faced along the way.

"In this ... mosaic of personal journeys and historical inquiry across a continent and time, Savoy explores how the country's still unfolding history, and ideas of 'race,' have marked her and the land. From twisted terrain within the San Andreas Fault zone to a South Carolina plantation, from national parks to burial grounds, from 'Indian Territory' and the U.S.-Mexico Border to the U.S. capital, Trace grapples with ... national history to reveal the often unvoiced presence of the past"--Provided by publisher.

Presents photos and information about historic Route 66, which stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles. Discusses landmarks, the road's discontinuation, and how to plan a road trip tracing the original route. Includes a glossary, index, and resources for further information.

Presents photos and information about the Oregon Trail. Discusses important stops and landmarks, daily life for covered-wagon travelers, and planning a road trip along the trail. Includes a glossary, index, and resources for further information.

Explores the length of the Pan-American Highway, offering facts about its origin and development, animal and plant life, and major attractions. Includes color photographs, a glossary, and further resources.

Provides an introduction to the diversity of people, cities and landscapes in Canada, including where people work, go to school, and what they do for fun.