swap_horiz Blue Highways Alternatives

1

Desert Solitaire

Edward Abbey’s *Desert Solitaire* recounts his experiences as a seasonal park ranger in Arches National Park during 1968...

Nature Desert 20TH Century Americas

9.5 Brilliant

2

Arabian Sands

Arabian Sands documents Wilfred Thesiger’s remarkable journeys through the vast and unforgiving Rub' al Khali (the Empty...

Exploration Desert 20TH Century Middle East

9.4 Excellent

3

The Snow Leopard

Peter Matthiessen’s *The Snow Leopard* chronicles his arduous 1978 expedition into the remote Nepalese Himalayas alongsi...

Asia 20TH Century Spiritual Himalaya

9.4 Excellent

4

In Patagonia

Bruce Chatwin’s *In Patagonia* details a 1977 expedition across this remote region of southern South America. The book c...

Adventure 20TH Century Literary South America

9.3 Excellent

5

A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush

Eric Newby’s *A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush* recounts his ill-prepared journey through the Afghan mountains in 1958. Th...

Adventure Asia Mountaineering 20TH Century

9.3 Excellent

6

A Time of Gifts

Patrick Leigh Fermor’s *A Time of Gifts* details a remarkable 1933 overland expedition across pre-war Europe. The book c...

Europe 20TH Century Prewar On Foot

9.3 Excellent

7

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Robert M. Pirsig’s *Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance* chronicles a cross-country road trip undertaken with his...

Philosophical Motorcycle 20TH Century Americas

9.2 Excellent

8

Down the River

Edward Abbey’s *Down the River* chronicles his adventurous journeys along rivers of the American West during the 20th ce...

Nature 20TH Century River Americas

8.8 Great

9

The Lawless Roads

Graham Greene’s “The Lawless Roads” documents his 1939 journey through southern Mexico to witness firsthand the escalati...

20TH Century Religious Mexico Americas

8.7 Great

10

Travels in Alaska

"Travels in Alaska" is a travel book by naturalist John Muir, published posthumously in 1915, detailing his extensive ex...

Nature Wilderness 20TH Century Americas

8.7 Great

11

The Lost Continent

The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America is a travel book by Bill Bryson, first published in 1989. Bryson recou...

20TH Century Small Town Road Trip Americas

8.6 Great

12

The American Scene

The American Scene is a travelogue originally published in 1907 by novelist Henry James. The book documents his return j...

Cultural 20TH Century Literary Americas

8.5 Great

13

The Journey Home

The Journey Home is a 1991 anthology of travel and nature essays written by American author and environmentalist Edward...

Nature 20TH Century Southwest Americas

8.5 Great

14

Letters from an American Farmer

"Letters from an American Farmer" is a foundational work of American literature written by J. Hector St. John de Crèvecœ...

18TH Century Rural Colonial Americas

8.5 Great

15

PrairyErth

"PrairyErth: A Deep Map" is a 1991 travelogue and historical non-fiction book by American author William Least Heat-Moon...

Nature 20TH Century Americas William Least Heat Moon

8.3 Great

16

The Old Patagonian Express

"The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas" is a 1979 travelogue by Paul Theroux. The narrative document...

20TH Century Overland Railway Americas

8.3 Great

17

Deep South

Deep South is a 2015 travelogue by Paul Theroux exploring the rural American South through multiple road trips taken acr...

Cultural 21ST Century Road Trip Americas

7.8 Good

18

A Turn in the South

A Turn in the South is a 1989 travel book by the Trinidadian-British author V.S. Naipaul, documenting his journey throug...

Cultural 20TH Century Literary Americas

7.8 Good

19

Roads to Quoz

Roads to Quoz: An American Mosey is a 2008 travel book by William Least Heat-Moon. It records a series of journeys throu...

21ST Century Rural Road Trip Americas

7.6 Good

20

River-Horse

River Horse is a travel narrative by William Least Heat Moon, published in 1999, that recounts a journey across the Unit...

20TH Century Boat River Americas

7.5 Good