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A Traveler’s Guide: America’s Living History-The Early Years ISBN: 978-0-9792598-0-7 by Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker 224 pp with 500 color photos. Red Corral Publishing. $29.95
THE PAST COMES TO LIFE Many people develop a passion for history by traveling to places that evoke the past. Interestingly, some find the draw so great they actually change their lives, becoming history re-enactors or working at historic parks or moving into an RV so they can travel more. Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker were so captivated they formed a publishing company to promote history-oriented travel. Their first book is one of their own - a very different traveler’s guide, America’s Living History-The Early Years. (See www.AmericasLivingHistory.com) Paging through the newly released guidebook, one can see what tantalizes people of all ages. It is a startling reminder of our nation’s highly varied past and how much remains to be enjoyed today. “We have driven over 125,000 miles by car and motorhome in recent years, searching out America’s historic and scenic wonders,” Suzanne remarks. “We discovered far more than we expected - far more, in fact, than we knew about from conventional guidebooks. And we came to understand the vital role these places have in our understanding of America’s heritage. Books, lectures, museums and TV shows are helpful. But there’s nothing quite like touching the past in person and seeing it come to life before your own eyes.” America’s Living History-The Early Years focuses on our nation’s most formative period - the years before the 1840s westward movement. And while it has regional descriptions and travel maps, it groups destinations according to chapters in history, beginning with Native Peoples and concluding with the initial opening of the west. Altogether, the book showcases 300 premier historic sites and living history parks. Easy-to-read text and 500 color photographs provide ample reason to hop in your car or catch a flight and travel back in time. What are your interests? History travelers who are curious about early Native Peoples can discover ancient remains and rock carvings, restored and reconstructed Indian villages, Native resources (free-roaming bison, pronghorn antelope, a tall grass prairie) and monumental earthworks, including one that has a footprint larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Similarly, those who want to know more about the first European settlers can board full-scale replicas of the sailing ships that brought colonists to the New World and visit villages where Colonial America is being re-created through living history. They can also explore a wide range of historic religious settlements, ranging from Amana to Zoar. America’s Living History-The Early Years lists dozens of intriguing religious sites and provides feature stories on more than half of them. “Readers who are passionate about military matters also have lots of choices,” Craig notes. “We include 40 attractions dating back to the French & Indian War, Revolutionary War and War of 1812. These are fully outfitted places, and most are peopled by costumed interpreters re-enacting military life in early America. In addition, we recommend 25 sites that recall the frontier pioneers, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, fur traders and mountain men,” he says. Among the other featured attractions are working farms and plantations, iron furnaces, a gunpowder manufacturer, a textile mill, taverns, pharmacies, commercial villages, government buildings and the homes of our early Presidents. These sites are located all across the land, and many are staffed with costumed re-enactors who provide valuable insight into the uniquely American experience. To help make this all the more meaningful, the Sheumakers have used the histories of the sites to tell the dramatic tale of America’s early years - the sometimes mysterious, often surprising and always memorable time before our nation stretched “from sea to shining sea.” It’s enough to keep you exploring for a lifetime. The high-quality paperback is sold through traditional and online stores. Autographed books are available direct from the publisher via the website www.AmericasLivingHistory.com ### © 2007 Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker and Red Corral Publishing. All rights reserved. Download in: MSWord or .PDF format. These materials are provided solely for editorial and promotional purposes relating to the book | ||
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