Magazine Feature / People

Alumnus explores the West for travel guides

Eric Peterson (MA ’98) has published the first book of what he hopes will be a travel series covering numerous states: Ramble Colorado: A Wanderer’s Guide to the Offbeat, Overlooked, and Outrageous(Speck Press, 2008).

Peterson has traveled extensively throughout the Western region and written several books, includingFrommer’s Montana & WyomingFrommer’s Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks andRamble: A Field Guide to the U.S.A.

Compared to his Frommer’s guides, Peterson says the Ramble series appeals to a younger demographic.

For Ramble Colorado Peterson explored Colorado’s roadways looking for interesting yet inexpensive destinations.

The book includes six first-person accounts of Peterson’s road trips including a summertime inner peace odyssey in the mountains, a journey by foot along the entire length of Colfax Avenue, and the native Coloradan’s first time skiing.

Aside from skiing, Peterson tried to find angles on Colorado vacations that hadn’t been done before.

“The state is very diverse,” says Peterson, who lives in Denver. “It changes a lot as you move from east to west and north to south.”

Even a lifetime of experience is insufficient to discover and explore all that the Centennial state has to offer, Peterson says.

“The thing about travel books is you always feel like you missed something. You never really have enough time to explore.”

Peterson’s next Ramble book, about California, is due out in February 2009. He is currently working on Ramble Texas.

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