What a treat to listen to a book written by a Pulitzer Prize winning historian about her travels to historical sites, museums, and iconic spots throughout the country. She included places of interest such as Disneyland and the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, as well as Williamsburg, Monticello, and the Alamo in her explorations. In the introduction read by Beverly herself, she said she visited about 300 attractions. She writes as a historian primarily, but with an eye to matters of interest to a traveler.
She began by writing about George Washington’s travel from Virginia to New York for his inauguration; he discovered he could learn things on the road that he could not discover any other way. In his comfortable life in Manhattan he worried that he was too detached from the American people, and wondered if there was “an American people,” as the country barely existed. After six months in office, he traveled to New England to get to know the people. He stayed in taverns rather than houses of rich patrons; he wanted to be seen as one of the people. In 1791 he made a long trip through Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, in his continuing effort to create the “united” states. Perhaps the author was inspired by Washington. The trips she took revealed disparate aspects of our country, but left her believing that we are, in fact, more united than it sometimes seems.
Aside from that question, I want to remember some of the surprising or otherwise noteworthy experiences of the author. In South Carolina, she booked a room near Charleston near Folly Beach, and discovered when she arrived that the bed was crawling with bugs. Downtown hotels had rooms available for $600 a night, too much for her, so she booked another Folly Beach duplex which turned out to have a band of musicians in the other half. Ah, travel.
Charleston attracts eight million visitors each year; it is a wedding destination and nearby plantation houses (built after the originals were destroyed during the Civil War) may be rented for banquets. The downtown historic district was developed about the same time as Colonial Williamsburg, the early 1930s. The models for the two are dramatically different: Colonial Williamsburg presents the 18th century as if it continues while the Charleston historic district is part of the modern city. Tour guides must leave the area by 5:00 or receive fines. One last Charleston note: she observed that the presence of a gigantic flag usually means there is a car dealership nearby! Good to know.
At the Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta she found a section inviting visitors to sample similar products from around the world, including “Inca” from Peru. She was drawn to “Beverly” from Italy, but unfortunately, she found it to be terrible, perhaps the worst drink she has ever had. Others agreed and “Beverly” was discontinued in 2009 and is only available in Coke museums. It has, however, acquired a cult following online and message boards debate about it. She says she tries not to take it personally.
Her descriptions of the many memorable historical sites she visited were chock full of information that I would like to write about, but there were so many I just had to let them flow by.
Beverly Gage, This Land is Your Land, Simon & Schuster, 2026, 324 pages (I listened to the audiobook). Available in the public library.