Hoffman Birney (1891–1958)

Hoffman Birney spent the summer of 1928 on a car tour; beginning from his home in Tucson, AZ, traveling up to the Grand Canyon, to Los Angeles and up to Yosemite, then across Nevada to Idaho and Montana. He spent a few weeks doing research for a book in Montana, then headed home via Colorado, Mesa Verde and Rainbow Bridge. 7250 miles in a Chrysler roadster named Betsy. He took his bedroll, sleeping under the stars most nights.

If only because of the historical recounting of road traveling at the beginning of the 1900s, this book is interesting. He complains of the price of gas at .37, speaks of blazing speeds of up to 55 miles per hour, and mentions in a roundabout way how Prohibition was got around in a few places. Many of the places he visited are well known tourist destinations now, but when he went, very few people (relatively speaking) had visited or knew about them. His love of the southwest is well apparent, especially its geology and history.

What puzzled me was how he could be so enthralled with the ancient tribes of peoples and archeology, and yet so disdainful of the present cultures around him. Perhaps it is easier to be enamoured of the past than the present. Or perhaps his snide remarks were simply what was expected of a white man of the 1930s. A form of humor. He cared enough to be able to speak some Navajo. I don't know. I expected this to be a bit more anecdotal, rather than tour guide, and I missed having a map in the book, but I still appreciated it for what it was, an early automobile travelog.… (más)