Stumbling Around William Faulkner's Oxford, Mississippi

Brenna, Max, Samwise, and Emily on the trail on William Faulkner’s historic Rowan Oak property.

It is never lost on me just how privileged the three of us are to travel. It’s a gift to look at a map of the United States of America and say, “Let’s go there! I want to see that.”

Like all who take to the open road, our coddiwomples are shaped by what works for us. Samwise, Emily, and their off-leash ways are always taken into consideration, of course. They are a priority. However, my desires have become more pronounced lately.

During our last two marathon treks, I’ve felt compelled to seek out the homes and graves of our country’s most notable authors and poets. It surprises even me how much I’ve learned from these pilgrimages, which often feel like seeking out buried treasure, or as if I’m on a scavenger hunt.

We’ve journeyed to the final resting places of Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, Oliver, Frost, Poe, Whitman, Twain, Muir, Hemingway, Hawthorne, Melville, Carson, Lee, Cather, White, London…