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A Lap Around America
Have you ever wanted to quit your job, jump in the car with the person you love the most, and see what’s around the next bend in the road? I did. My wife and I were crazy enough to quit good jobs, pack our suitcases and head for the open road. We took two months and drove through thirty states, visited more than a dozen national parks, and put thirteen thousand miles of twisting country roads under our wheels. We found once again that the journey is greater than the destination. There’s room in the backseat. We’d love for you to come along with us on our lap around America.
- GenresTravelNonfictionMemoir
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2017
235 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 22, 2019
I’ll try to be kind. The older I get, the stronger grows my wanderlust, so I was excited to find this book for just a few bucks on BookBub. I’m happy now that’s all I invested.
I won’t criticize the choices of attractions that Mr. Inmon and his wife made in their lap around the USA... they wouldn’t have been mine...to each his/her own. But I quickly tired of the cracker-barrel writing style, the hackneyed phrasing, and endless references to the Silver Bullet. But more than anything, these kinds of trite phrases (and the inference that women are shrews) left me super cold: “‘Yes, Dear,’ I said, resorting to the two words every husband memorizes early on,” and “Like any married man, I knew that he wouldn’t be paying for that choice just today, but in hundreds of future conflicts.” Ugh. You poor, maltreated man.
I thought the book might have benefited from more pictures of the national parks or the characters they met along the way (many of the photos featured Inmon and his wife next to tourist attractions or signs - yawn), maps of the sometimes circuitous routes they took, and fewer references to the motels they stayed in, the laundry they did, and the magnets and mugs they bought.
It took them fifty-seven days to make the trip. I followed it in three, and I’m glad to be back home and on to better armchair traveling.
I won’t criticize the choices of attractions that Mr. Inmon and his wife made in their lap around the USA... they wouldn’t have been mine...to each his/her own. But I quickly tired of the cracker-barrel writing style, the hackneyed phrasing, and endless references to the Silver Bullet. But more than anything, these kinds of trite phrases (and the inference that women are shrews) left me super cold: “‘Yes, Dear,’ I said, resorting to the two words every husband memorizes early on,” and “Like any married man, I knew that he wouldn’t be paying for that choice just today, but in hundreds of future conflicts.” Ugh. You poor, maltreated man.
I thought the book might have benefited from more pictures of the national parks or the characters they met along the way (many of the photos featured Inmon and his wife next to tourist attractions or signs - yawn), maps of the sometimes circuitous routes they took, and fewer references to the motels they stayed in, the laundry they did, and the magnets and mugs they bought.
It took them fifty-seven days to make the trip. I followed it in three, and I’m glad to be back home and on to better armchair traveling.
January 7, 2019
A Sleeper Around America
I generally give 3 to 5 stars for the free books. This account was so mind numblingly boring that it only gets two. If I had actually paid for it , well...
The prose is fine. There are few if any syntax, word usage, or mechanical errors. It's just not very interesting even for a road trip. What great learning or realization did the author have? How did his relationship with is wife evoke after two months of close company? We will never know because he didn't tell us. It's just an itinerary of milage, cheap hotels, and lists of small towns.
Save yourself some time and skip this one.
I generally give 3 to 5 stars for the free books. This account was so mind numblingly boring that it only gets two. If I had actually paid for it , well...
The prose is fine. There are few if any syntax, word usage, or mechanical errors. It's just not very interesting even for a road trip. What great learning or realization did the author have? How did his relationship with is wife evoke after two months of close company? We will never know because he didn't tell us. It's just an itinerary of milage, cheap hotels, and lists of small towns.
Save yourself some time and skip this one.
March 31, 2017
Come along with the writer for the trip of a lifetime while making a loop around the U.S. The author did a wonderful job recording the stops and experiences that he and his wife had along the way. I really enjoyed the detail and his sense of humor. Mr. Inmon and his wife loosely planned the trip to take around eight weeks and allowed for some must-sees and some places that caught their interest along the way. Having taken several driving vacations myself, I enjoyed seeing the country through his eyes and it inspired me to see some of the sites he mentioned if I get the chance. Included in this book are some beautiful pictures that add depth to the descriptions. I hated for this author's trip to end because that meant the book was over. I highly recommend this book. It is very well written and so interesting.
May 5, 2017
I don't read EVERYTHING that Shawn writes but I do like his travel writing. I followed his blog posts while he was doing this trip and I was eager to get a copy of the finished book. He's currently working on his NEXT big adventure and I'm following that one too.
Shawn is a very accessible author and I've said this to him already- I wish there was a map. That's my only complaint. I really, really liked this book but a map of the route would have been really helpful. I'm tempted to go back through the book and pull out all the places and create my own but I don't know if I will.
When Shawn was traveling around America and I was reading his blog I had no idea where my life would end up leading me. About a month ago I found out that I will be doing my own lap around America. So reading this book with my own travel plans in mind became extra special. My trip will go in the opposite direction that Shawn's did but I do see some overlap. As all of my stops have not been mapped out I can see potential for more. Shawn's adventures went to more extremes and covered more time and miles than my trip will be able to do. He's given me a lot of inspiration for future adventures though.
After finishing Shawn's book last night I looked at the map hanging in my hallway and said "Is Wall Drug really THAT far out the way?" The answer hasn't been decided yet.
I'm looking forward to Shawn's next book about Alaska although I know it will take me longer to get there.
Shawn is a very accessible author and I've said this to him already- I wish there was a map. That's my only complaint. I really, really liked this book but a map of the route would have been really helpful. I'm tempted to go back through the book and pull out all the places and create my own but I don't know if I will.
When Shawn was traveling around America and I was reading his blog I had no idea where my life would end up leading me. About a month ago I found out that I will be doing my own lap around America. So reading this book with my own travel plans in mind became extra special. My trip will go in the opposite direction that Shawn's did but I do see some overlap. As all of my stops have not been mapped out I can see potential for more. Shawn's adventures went to more extremes and covered more time and miles than my trip will be able to do. He's given me a lot of inspiration for future adventures though.
After finishing Shawn's book last night I looked at the map hanging in my hallway and said "Is Wall Drug really THAT far out the way?" The answer hasn't been decided yet.
I'm looking forward to Shawn's next book about Alaska although I know it will take me longer to get there.
May 9, 2018
I'm not sure how someone can make road-tripping the country so incredibly boring, but it's been done right here.
I was drawn in at first. The laundromat story was a perfect opening, showing both the tedious and boring aspects of a journey, and the humor you have to have to get through it. I liked the short, almost blog post chapters.
But it just reads as one boring day trip after another, with no scope or overall impact. No real details or stories about the driving, which takes up most of a journey like that. No personality from either person beyond some dad jokes and typical marriage humor. I didn't feel the magnitude of a trip of a lifetime. At all.
A more minor- but so important- complaint is that the author changes tense constantly. "Day such and such. We're stopping here which was good because later this happened" or something like that. Are you live blogging, or writing a memoir? Pick ONE.
I was drawn in at first. The laundromat story was a perfect opening, showing both the tedious and boring aspects of a journey, and the humor you have to have to get through it. I liked the short, almost blog post chapters.
But it just reads as one boring day trip after another, with no scope or overall impact. No real details or stories about the driving, which takes up most of a journey like that. No personality from either person beyond some dad jokes and typical marriage humor. I didn't feel the magnitude of a trip of a lifetime. At all.
A more minor- but so important- complaint is that the author changes tense constantly. "Day such and such. We're stopping here which was good because later this happened" or something like that. Are you live blogging, or writing a memoir? Pick ONE.
August 20, 2018
One of the reasons I enjoyed this book is because the author was born the same year I was, and his rock-n-roll heroes are similar to my own. He and his wife stopped at quite a few sites associated with musical legends along their counterclockwise trip around the mainland. I could relate to many of the references he made along the way that are unique to the 1960s and 70s.
There is a great deal of diversity in the places they chose to visit, either by design or by serendipity. I like how their explorations took them to an interesting mixture of wilderness areas, monuments, historical sites, literary landmarks, and cultural oddities. His descriptions of these places, along with accounts of the pleasures and travails of the journey, kept my attention, even about places that I have visited. Fans of the cult classic movie, A Christmas Story, will be fascinated by the account of the house museum in Cleveland where part of the film was shot, complete with the leg lamp in the window!
By his own admission, he has a slightly annoying sense of humor, which comes out on occasion in his writing. His wife is a patient soul. He also felt the need to inform readers no less than four times that he is a skeptical person and doesn't typically believe something unless he sees it with his own eyes. This is a trait that is obviously a badge of honor for him, but I got it the second time and didn't need further reinforcement.
As travel writing goes, this book is lighthearted, humorous at times, and engaging. Not too many of us would leave secure jobs to take off for a two-month trek around the country, mainly using back roads, eating in local diners, and staying in some really substandard accommodations. But living vicariously through this couple who did it is a fun ride.
There is a great deal of diversity in the places they chose to visit, either by design or by serendipity. I like how their explorations took them to an interesting mixture of wilderness areas, monuments, historical sites, literary landmarks, and cultural oddities. His descriptions of these places, along with accounts of the pleasures and travails of the journey, kept my attention, even about places that I have visited. Fans of the cult classic movie, A Christmas Story, will be fascinated by the account of the house museum in Cleveland where part of the film was shot, complete with the leg lamp in the window!
By his own admission, he has a slightly annoying sense of humor, which comes out on occasion in his writing. His wife is a patient soul. He also felt the need to inform readers no less than four times that he is a skeptical person and doesn't typically believe something unless he sees it with his own eyes. This is a trait that is obviously a badge of honor for him, but I got it the second time and didn't need further reinforcement.
As travel writing goes, this book is lighthearted, humorous at times, and engaging. Not too many of us would leave secure jobs to take off for a two-month trek around the country, mainly using back roads, eating in local diners, and staying in some really substandard accommodations. But living vicariously through this couple who did it is a fun ride.
August 7, 2021
A lap around Shawn Inmon
I like travel memoirs, but I haven’t enjoyed one as much as this since I read Jim Stanson’s “Sunburnt Penguins Tour the USA”.
As soon as this COVID nightmare is over, we are planning on doing a long trip around the US, so it was nice to get a fairly in
depth feel for each state as Shawn and his wife, Dawn, toured America’s lower 48 over a period of 8 weeks or so.
I even took to sitting with google maps in one hand, whilst reading my kindle in the other, so I could follow their progress and get a feel for the route and some of the distances involved. Something helped by Shawn’s descriptions of the scenery and journey which also added colour and feel to my reading / musings.
Some parts of the book are a little slower than others, but don’t let that put you off, inevitably road trips have some parts where it’s all action and others where you’re barrelling through hundreds of miles of desolate highway.
The author has a nice style and you can almost imagine him chatting away to you, as you sit side saddle on the trip with him and his wife. And he has also given me lots of ideas for our trip.
It says a lot as I have now decided to mine this author (something I rarely do, hence my title) and now read his other works. As I said above, best travel memoir I have read since Stanson’s sunburnt penguins.
Enjoyed it.
I like travel memoirs, but I haven’t enjoyed one as much as this since I read Jim Stanson’s “Sunburnt Penguins Tour the USA”.
As soon as this COVID nightmare is over, we are planning on doing a long trip around the US, so it was nice to get a fairly in
depth feel for each state as Shawn and his wife, Dawn, toured America’s lower 48 over a period of 8 weeks or so.
I even took to sitting with google maps in one hand, whilst reading my kindle in the other, so I could follow their progress and get a feel for the route and some of the distances involved. Something helped by Shawn’s descriptions of the scenery and journey which also added colour and feel to my reading / musings.
Some parts of the book are a little slower than others, but don’t let that put you off, inevitably road trips have some parts where it’s all action and others where you’re barrelling through hundreds of miles of desolate highway.
The author has a nice style and you can almost imagine him chatting away to you, as you sit side saddle on the trip with him and his wife. And he has also given me lots of ideas for our trip.
It says a lot as I have now decided to mine this author (something I rarely do, hence my title) and now read his other works. As I said above, best travel memoir I have read since Stanson’s sunburnt penguins.
Enjoyed it.
February 18, 2018
Very enjoyable book. Felt like I was reading modern Mark Twain. Little stories with some subtle (and not corny) humor added in. Learned a lot about places in America I haven't yet visited. there was anything I have to complain about: I wish it was longer. However, a longer book is more of a wish. It was fun to follow along on Google Maps and see the places he and his wife visited. What a big country. The book makes up for the actual travel to some degree. (Yes, reading about travel doesn't replace the real thing, but often it can come close and it can be a lot more fun to read about the unfortunate things that may happen to others while they trail, such as waiting forever in line for a ride at an amusement park or reading about the crazy humidity without having to deal with it!)
February 10, 2025
Our country U.S.A.
This book didn’t hold my interest so that I couldn’t put it down but had enough stories in it to finish reading it. I was born in1951 so know some of the horrible things that our country did but not all of them and Shawn really let us know about them and pull at our heart strings. I have been several places he went also —lived on the UP (USAF) and was there when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank—like him we loved the UP—beautiful and so much to do summer and winter. I can’t imagine just spending 2 months traveling as I would like to take a slower pace and maybe spend more than a few hours someplace and then driving more. All in all a book worth reading.
This book didn’t hold my interest so that I couldn’t put it down but had enough stories in it to finish reading it. I was born in1951 so know some of the horrible things that our country did but not all of them and Shawn really let us know about them and pull at our heart strings. I have been several places he went also —lived on the UP (USAF) and was there when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank—like him we loved the UP—beautiful and so much to do summer and winter. I can’t imagine just spending 2 months traveling as I would like to take a slower pace and maybe spend more than a few hours someplace and then driving more. All in all a book worth reading.
January 5, 2018
Loved this book
My first read of 2018 and I loved it! This years goal is to read 100 books. This will be noted as one of my top favorites. I can only dream of taking a trip like this. Life is so short, it should be enjoyed and they lived out my dream (in a lot of ways.) I plan on reading more of his books, his name is on my list. Read this book, you won't be disappointed, especially if you have a hankering to just drop everything and take off for parts unknown. - Adella Cortes
My first read of 2018 and I loved it! This years goal is to read 100 books. This will be noted as one of my top favorites. I can only dream of taking a trip like this. Life is so short, it should be enjoyed and they lived out my dream (in a lot of ways.) I plan on reading more of his books, his name is on my list. Read this book, you won't be disappointed, especially if you have a hankering to just drop everything and take off for parts unknown. - Adella Cortes
February 10, 2018
Pros:
- nice to read, specific sense of humor, fluency,
- a couple of great stories about the US history, not only such commonly known examples like 9/11.
Minuses:
- too many fragments about cemeteries,
- too many fragments about houses of author's favorite musicians. If you're bigger music fun than me probably those parts will be interesting for you.
In that book, I found an interesting way of thinking about history - from points of views of particular cities. I feel in Poland there is too many "good guys vs. bad guys" thinking, we could better understand the history of each city.
- nice to read, specific sense of humor, fluency,
- a couple of great stories about the US history, not only such commonly known examples like 9/11.
Minuses:
- too many fragments about cemeteries,
- too many fragments about houses of author's favorite musicians. If you're bigger music fun than me probably those parts will be interesting for you.
In that book, I found an interesting way of thinking about history - from points of views of particular cities. I feel in Poland there is too many "good guys vs. bad guys" thinking, we could better understand the history of each city.
May 5, 2017
Counterclockwise around the U.S.
The very best book about a couple's travels around the U.S. I have ever read! Shawn Inmon has a great way with words! His descriptions of the places they visited and the people they met made me feel like I was travelling with them! I plan to look for more Shawn Inmon books!
The very best book about a couple's travels around the U.S. I have ever read! Shawn Inmon has a great way with words! His descriptions of the places they visited and the people they met made me feel like I was travelling with them! I plan to look for more Shawn Inmon books!
May 11, 2017
Boring
I was really looking forward to reading this book but only made it through the first 3 chapters and then skimming through looking for something interesting and exciting to read. Think if your most boring history or geopgraphu class. There is no excitement or adventure in this book. Reads like a dry travel log. Very disappointed.
I was really looking forward to reading this book but only made it through the first 3 chapters and then skimming through looking for something interesting and exciting to read. Think if your most boring history or geopgraphu class. There is no excitement or adventure in this book. Reads like a dry travel log. Very disappointed.
November 27, 2017
As a fellow traveler who is also on a “around America” trip, I found this book very enjoyable and a quick read. While he took a counter-clockwise route, I did the opposite and by doing so, enjoyed foliage from NH/VT to Florida and then again in the Hill Country in Texas (where I am currently sitting in my RV). It is a good read.
April 17, 2020
Shawn & his wife quite their jobs, moved and went on a two-month tour of America. From Washington State to Texas, Florida, Maine, Minnesota and states in between. I really enjoyed this travelogue since I love state and national parks as well as quirky tourist attractions. I have been to several of the places the author visited. Fast read and very interesting to me. I rate this a 4.0.
April 27, 2020
Wonderful trip
As I read this book, I wished I could have taken a trip like Dawn and Shawn did. Shawn did a great job of describing places they went and the beautiful scenery they saw. My only complaint is that Shaun seemed to rush thru the book after they left Florida. I would recommend this book as a fun easy read.
As I read this book, I wished I could have taken a trip like Dawn and Shawn did. Shawn did a great job of describing places they went and the beautiful scenery they saw. My only complaint is that Shaun seemed to rush thru the book after they left Florida. I would recommend this book as a fun easy read.
May 10, 2017
Another honest book by Shawn. I hope to take a road trip like this dome day. My husband and I have spent 3 weeks together on the road. It's easy to do when you're married to your best friend. Thanks, Shawn!
August 26, 2017
A colorful real estate agent/writer and his wife hit the road; here's your chance to take a trip around the USA with them. Often entertaining, but as in real life, visiting with eccentrics is best done in small doses.
November 4, 2017
Enjoyable look at the backroads of America through the eyes of the author and his wife. They take a loop around the country and see some interesting sights as well as some that disappoint. Makes one want to hit the road!!
August 16, 2018
Absolutely Wonderful!
What a delightful description of the wonders our nation has to offer anyone who wants to venture forth on an unconventional tour.
Also, this was a love story told with gentle humor. I truly enjoyed reading every single word!
What a delightful description of the wonders our nation has to offer anyone who wants to venture forth on an unconventional tour.
Also, this was a love story told with gentle humor. I truly enjoyed reading every single word!
April 2, 2023
Fan from PA
I enjoyed the pics you shared since I may not visit some of those places. You took me back to my own trip along the California coast and inspired my desire to explore new places. I loved the subtle humor and am reminded of the great country we live in!
I enjoyed the pics you shared since I may not visit some of those places. You took me back to my own trip along the California coast and inspired my desire to explore new places. I loved the subtle humor and am reminded of the great country we live in!
December 4, 2017
Not to bad, Not that interesting
December 16, 2017
Fun vacation read!Something I'd like to do...someday 😑
March 5, 2018
It boggles my mind that quite a few people gave this book five stars. They must have a low bar for everything. At best, this is an average book. Sometimes interesting. Oftentimes extremely boring.
July 17, 2018
A entertaining read
A decent travelogue. No better or worse than any other. That’s neither good or bad. It was an enjoyable read.
A decent travelogue. No better or worse than any other. That’s neither good or bad. It was an enjoyable read.
July 24, 2018
Do it yourself.
To me, the book seemed a little disjointed. Overall, a decent read and makes me want to pack my suitcase and go.
To me, the book seemed a little disjointed. Overall, a decent read and makes me want to pack my suitcase and go.
August 27, 2018
A Lap Around America
Great read! A lot of humor at times I felt I was driving with them
Many of the places they stopped at in the places I have visited !
Fun to read their views
Great read! A lot of humor at times I felt I was driving with them
Many of the places they stopped at in the places I have visited !
Fun to read their views
October 3, 2018
The most boring book I have ever read and a book all about an author who thinks he knows the world. The truth is it is bad writing and terribly disjointed.
February 15, 2022
An interesting and pleasurable read. I like the author's take on the trip and the way they did the road trip
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews