The Land of Journeys' Ending

One of the joys of going on a trip is coming home to share with others your adventures and experiences. Mary Austin felt that way, so when she took an extended trip through an area of the American Southwest, she recorded her impressions in The Land of Journeys' Ending. This is no ordinary travel book and she was no ordinary tourist. Her book goes beyond the descriptions of flora and fauna of the land between the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. It also covers the history, culture and customs of the area. Austin includes not only figures from the past but people she met on the trip. While the book is now decades old, it is timeless and still valid. Humorously, in the author's preface to "The Land of Journeys' Ending" Austin said, "If you find holes in my book that you could drive a car through, do not be too sure they were not left there for that express purpose." Her statement rings true today as much as it did back in 1924.