NEWS

 

Tom Cotter’s New Book:  America’s Greatest Road Trip!  Key West to Deadhorse, 9000 Miles Across Backroad USA

Main Street Books presents an author talk and signing with
TOM COTTER

Tuesday, December 5^th, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
at Summit Coffee (on the second floor)
128 S Main Street, Davidson, NC

Attendance is free, but registration is required
REGISTER HERE

 

A crowd gathered at Summit Coffee in May 2022 as Davidson resident Tom Cotter, and his photographer Michael Alan Ross, headed out on the road trip that resulted in Tom’s newest book. This is Tom’s seventeenth book, fourth road trip book, and sixth collaboration with Michael. Their epic road trip has resulted in a beautiful book that will appeal to both car and travel enthusiasts.

Tom is also the host of Barn Find Hunter, the original series that features video versions of his cross-county exploits to find vintage vehicles. He has filmed 137 episodes and plans to keep filming as long as people keep watching. We are just glad he took a break from the show to take this latest road trip.

When asked about the genesis of the trip, he quipped that it is a trip that he has been thinking about all his life. Key West is home to “Mile 0,” and Deadhorse is known as “the end of the road.” Key West has the Southernmost point in the continental U.S., and Deadhorse is in the Arctic Circle. It is the last town – with a permanent population of 25 to 50 – located just south of Prudhoe Bay.

Driving a 2021 Ford Outer Banks Bronco and pulling a Basecamp 16X Airstream, the pair drove from Davidson to Key West to begin their 9000-mile journey. Tom and Michael didn’t originally have an agenda or route, but early on they made the decision to drive only on two-lane roads. Their goal was to avoid generic highway exits and to meet people in small towns who “live off the grid.” Tom and Michael wanted to see people in their environment, all of whom (according to Tom) have a story to tell. While Tom talked to the locals, Michael photographed the people and places.

He broke the trip into three legs. Leg one is from Key West to Seattle which took him through 14 states.  He took a slight detour to travel to North Dakota – the only state he hadn’t visited. Cotter budgeted 30 days for that leg of the trip. He took a break between legs one and two, making a trip back East to spend time with his wife and family.

Cotter returned to the West Coast to start leg two which took him from Seattle to Fairbanks. The last leg of the trip was from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. It was “only” 500 miles, but the Dalton Highway (414 miles of the trip) is not exactly the highway that most people envision. As photos in the book attest, the road is a dirt and gravel road that is primarily used to transport supplies and equipment to Prudhoe Bay.

The Alaska Transportation Department site warns that “The Dalton Highway is not your average highway! If you plan on driving this road, please keep in mind that driving conditions are difficult throughout the year and services are extremely limited. Making this trip requires driving a vehicle capable of handling difficult conditions and bringing extra fuel, water, food, first aid supplies, spare tires, appropriate clothing, and other emergency gear.”  Enough to scare most people away! Thankfully, Tom Cotter is not most people.

Tom said that starting conversations was never difficult. Their bronco was “lettered up” to get attention whenever they visited campgrounds, restaurants, and downtowns. Luckily Tom discovered that “if you tell people a little about yourself, they’ll tell you a lot about themselves.”  Tom recalls meeting people who live 100 miles from the nearest Walmart and make a weekly trip there and back to buy what they need.

One memorable experience was taking part in a cattle roundup in Malta, Montana. The cowboy leading the roundup lives 50 miles north of Malta because his Norwegian grandfather took the train to the end of the line and walked for days to reach his land grant. Although the cowboy went to college in Chicago, he returned to Montana. If you look closely at the photos from the cattle roundup, you’ll note that Tom was wearing his Davidson sweatshirt that day.

Tom kept a never-ending journal of the conversations he had each day. Michael, referred to in the book as “MAR,” took pictures – 12,500 in all – of which 250 made it into the book. When asked if there were any bad experiences along the way, Tom said there was only one – a flat tire on the way from Davidson to Key West before the trip officially started.

Water has played an important role in each of Tom’s road trips, and this epic adventure was no exception.  Tom started the journey with a swim in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and ended the trip with a quick dip into Prudhoe Bay.  He has the Artic Polar Bear Club Certificate of Membership to prove it!

The book is filled with stories of people living their lives in what many of us would consider unconventional circumstances. Tom goes to restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, and historic sites to share this intimate view of small-town America with us. Tom’s recollections coupled with Michael’s beautiful photography make this a wonderful book. And while it is also safe to say that Tom’s Barn Find Hunter fans will thoroughly enjoy the stories and photos featured in America’s Greatest Road Trip – Key West to Deadhorse, this book will appeal to anyone who picks it up.

Folks who live in and around Davidson should plan on being at Summit Coffee on December 5 to get a signed copy of this terrific book. The book is available in advance at Main Street Books. It would also be the perfect holiday gift for family and friends.