Review: Go See America by Matt Tory

 

Genre: Travel/Humor

Description:

“Want to explore America’s most wonderful, wild, and delightfully weird places — without nodding off halfway through a guidebook?

This is not your average travel book.

In Go See America, Matt Tory takes you on a humorous, heartfelt tour of 118 unforgettable places across the USA — according to a guy who went to them all. It’s part guidebook, part road trip diary, and entirely a celebration of what makes America… well, America.

Whether you love adventure, history, scenic views, or just a good laugh, Go See America isn’t just another bucket list: it’s an invitation to rediscover and fall in love with the country you thought you already knew – one memorable stop at a time.

Inside, you’ll find:

National parks, quirky attractions, scenic drives, and small-town surprises

A mix of must-see wonders and overlooked gems across all 50 states

A not-too-serious guide that feels more like exploring alongside a good friend

Photos of every location

Insider tips and personal stories that both celebrate and lovingly roast America’s greatest hits

It’s the perfect blend of inspiration and levity – whether you’re planning your next trip or just dreaming from the couch. Go See America isn’t about checking off boxes; it’s about embracing the wonder, charm, and occasional absurdity of this big, bizarre, beautiful country.

Get inspired. Get going. Go See America.”

Author:

“Matt Tory is a writer and filmmaker from Sacramento, California. He has written and directed a wide range of films, podcasts, and streaming series — including the comedy series The Beech Boys and the mockumentary We Make Movies, which was called ‘one of the best films of the year’ by Cinescape Magazine. He spends most of his time creating things that aim to make people laugh, feel encouraged, or – on a good day – both.

His latest book, Go See America was inspired by a lifetime of road-tripping across the country in search of its most beautiful, quirky, and unforgettable places.”

Appraisal:

I’ll start by saying that I’m an avid traveler and love to read travel books, so I was definitely solidly in the middle of the target audience for this. But I don’t think a person would need to be as big of a travel nut as I am to enjoy it.

As a general rule travel books fall in two categories. The first, I’ll call it a guidebook, is a list of potential places to visit. These might be specific kinds of things (scenic places or museums) or a mix of things to see and possibly focused on a specific geographical area or a broad area, but the key is that what they do is tell you about places for you to consider visiting yourself. The second category is the travel memoir. While these might inspire a fellow traveler to follow in the author’s footsteps, I see them more as a way to experience the trip vicariously. I’m never going to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, but I’ve enjoyed experiencing that through the eyes of a couple people who have done it in the past, for one example.

Well, if a guidebook and a travel memoir had a baby … you might end up with something like this book. (And yes, you’ll find a few jokes like that one or probably better scattered through the book as well.) You’ll get the author’s take on what I like to call “The Shoshone Falls of the East,” or as you probably know it, Niagara Falls. He’ll also mention the taller and less known Shoshone Falls (which has been called “The Niagara of the West” by people more important than me). He’ll discuss places you might go along Route 66, although he doesn’t follow the instructions of the song of the same name since he forgets to even mention Winona. (To be fair, there isn’t much to do there.) You’ll get lots of travel ideas close to you (if you’re in the US) as well as some on the other side of the country, and get one man’s thoughts on how those places he chose to feature were for him. If you’re into hiking and the beauty mother nature often provides, you’ll find even more to like than the average reader as he often mentions optional hikes to consider, not to mention opportunities for a good meal or snack. (I won’t mention his obvious pie addiction, but if you’re into pie, you’ll find this inspirational.) An interesting and fun read with lots to recommend it.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words