Ally
Part memoir, part travelogue, part love letter to the Commonwealth of Virginia, I loved this book!
Tim Kaine, Virginia's junior senator (and most well-known on the national stage as Hillary Clinton's 2016 running mate), is apparently a fairly avid outdoorsman. Wanting to do something to celebrate his 60th birthday and 25th year in public office, and realizing the Virginia lacked an outdoors 'challenge' that other states have, he created his own. He dubbed it the "Virginia Nature Triathlon," and spent weekends and Senate recesses over the course of three years completing it: 1) hiking the entire Virginia portion of the Appalachian Trail (559 miles), 2) biking the Blue Ridge Pkwy & Skyline Drive (321 miles), and 3) paddling the entire length of the James River (348 miles).
The book details the journey, day by day, and intersperses Kaine's reflections on his life, family & friends, politics, and Virginia history. I learned quite a few new facts about Virginia and briefly wondered if I could complete the challenge... before remembering that I really like running water and that the last time I canoed was in approximately 1999.
While written by a politician, most of the book isn't politics - I'd say it's roughly 75% travel diary, with the remaining 25% a mix of personal reflections, tidbits of wisdom, politics, and Virginia history.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which is fun because Kaine narrates it himself!
Part memoir, part travelogue, part love letter to the Commonwealth of Virginia, I loved this book!
Tim Kaine, Virginia's junior senator (and most well-known on the national stage as Hillary Clinton's 2016 running mate), is apparently a fairly avid outdoorsman. Wanting to do something to celebrate his 60th birthday and 25th year in public office, and realizing the Virginia lacked an outdoors 'challenge' that other states have, he created his own. He dubbed it the "Virginia Nature Triathlon," and spent weekends and Senate recesses over the course of three years completing it: 1) hiking the entire Virginia portion of the Appalachian Trail (559 miles), 2) biking the Blue Ridge Pkwy & Skyline Drive (321 miles), and 3) paddling the entire length of the James River (348 miles).
The book details the journey, day by day, and intersperses Kaine's reflections on his life, family & friends, politics, and Virginia history. I learned quite a few new facts about Virginia and briefly wondered if I could complete the challenge... before remembering that I really like running water and that the last time I canoed was in approximately 1999.
While written by a politician, most of the book isn't politics - I'd say it's roughly 75% travel diary, with the remaining 25% a mix of personal reflections, tidbits of wisdom, politics, and Virginia history.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which is fun because Kaine narrates it himself!