Revisiting America

When Lou Schell and her husband Fletcher first read Charles Kuralt's America back in the late 1990s, the two were captivated by the stories of his travels, the variety of small towns he visited, and the fascinating people he met along the way. The Schells began planning their own dream trip: a year-long odyssey tracing Kuralt's route around the country, visiting his favorite U.S. locations during their most scenic seasons. They would spend time in each town he'd chronicled, perhaps even meeting some of the characters he'd described so vividly. Fletcher's sudden death put an end to that dream for awhile, yet Lou couldn't shake the feeling that this was a trip she was supposed to take. At the age of seventy-nine, Lou Schell gathered her children together one Sunday afternoon to announce she would be spending the next year traveling America and she would be spending their inheritance to do it. Her children's response? Go for it. While Lou began the trip with her sister Janie, Janie was unable to complete the trip. Undaunted, Lou continued on alone. For the next year, she drove from city to city, staying a full month in each location so she could fully experience its culture, people, food, and ambiance. She took exacting notes and lots of photographs. In the pages of Revisiting America you'll join Lou as she shares snacks with Iggy the Iguana in Key West, dines at the Fat Hen restaurant in Charleston, and takes an intrepid stroll across a mile-high swinging bridge in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. You will also get to eavesdrop as she makes friends from New Orleans to Taos, and Boothbay Harbor, Maine, to Ketchikan, Alaska, ultimately proving to everyone who hears her story that it's never too late to follow your dream.

Inda Lou Schell was born and raised in Chatom, Alabama. She has 4 children, 8 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. A university of Alabama attendee and graduate of the University of Mobile, Mrs. Schell was an elementary educator for many years. She continues to be involved in her community and church and enjoys traveling. Janie Gass was born and raised in Chatom, Alabama. She has one son and two grandchildren. An avid reader, Janie is retired and lives in Austin, Texas.