American Vacation: 12,000 Miles Into the Wild West

Raluca and M. are two thirty-something fresh divorcees who have just rediscovered love in the late summer of their lives. They have embarked on a brand new relationship together, and all they want is to explore each other’s worlds. Raluca shares the importance of writing in her life, and M. has a deep love for nature. A year and a half into their romance, M. starts planning an ambitious trip to the US with the intention of experiencing his favorite places with his new partner. This is how their passions entwine into one glorious travel adventure under the Southwestern sun. This easily being any writer’s dream subject, it later turns into Raluca’s fifth book.

AMERICAN VACATION is the result of one man’s generosity and one woman’s eagerness to give back after having been gifted a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel 12,000 miles into the Wild West for 45 days, through 7 types of natural landmarks, from 260 feet below sea level up to 14,000 feet of altitude. Together, they hiked 170 miles across 33 national, state, and tribal parks discovering iconic places and corners of paradise hidden deep within the North American landscape.

Immerse yourself in Raluca’s vivid pages, and you will see wild America through a foreign writer’s eyes who deeply appreciates the beauty of the land, and the way it is respected and preserved by the authorities and visitors. You will laugh and empathize with the author whenever she has to overcome her fears and limits, like climbing down rugged rocks in Spooky Gulch, reaching the summit of Mount White, or simply breaking down with exhaustion and overheating in Arches National Park.

American Vacation. 12,000 Miles Into the Wild West is Raluca Barbu's fifth book and the first one in English, the first 4 having been published in her home country, Romania. It is a travel book about the most iconic Western US landmarks, seen through the eyes of a Romanian writer. It is in many respects one-of-a-kind because no other Romanian author has traveled and written about the American West. It provides a foreign writer’s take on the American landscape and tourism through the eyes of a citizen of a former communist country.

The book is a homage given both to the beauty of the American outdoors and to young relationships that can blossom in such exotic scenery. As a vivid slice of Raluca’s travel experience, this book stands witness to a small fraction of this world's flawless beauty, which has taken hundreds of millions of years to perfect.

What makes American Vacation special is the travel narrative that Raluca has brought back as a literary genre. In a world of Google reviews, travel blogs, and vacation guides she manages to shine a light on the lost art of travel memoirs.

Praise for American Vacation. 12,000 Miles Into the Wild West

"I thoroughly enjoyed American Vacation -- from destination to destination, and cover to cover. Interesting and informative in a framework of armchair travel, the book is so much more. It provides the reader, at times, an opportunity to reflect about the amazing landscapes, large and small, that are America, and about us, as their caretakers. It is insightful, funny, charming -- and a tribute to Nature and the tourists and park rangers who care about wild places. When I'd finished the last page and closed the cover, I couldn't help but smile...feeling quite positive and hopeful! Perfect gift book all around."

Donna Blomquist (LaSalle Public Library, IL)

"This read is a Mobil Travel Guide, and a Travels With Charley: In Search of America (John Steinbeck) without the dog, in one book. If you are going on a trip in America to the West and Pacific Coast it is a must read. If you are staying home it is also a must read for the positive message. The Author sees America's parks as rich in beauty - good enough to eat and kind travelers along the way gladly share the feast. This Book belongs in your Beach Bag or Hiking Backpack for a delightful educational summer read."

Lynn Sanders

"This book was a wonderful read! I was expecting it to be a travel book of experiences and to my delight it was so much more. As I was reading I was seeing the beauty through her eyes and even though I have been to many of those places it was great having her perspective and outlook. I felt like I was right there with her hiking and exploring all the beauty that our great western states have to offer. Time to put on my hiking boots and go explore some more. Great book."

Evan Czarnik

"American Vacation is an epic journey wrapped in a love story! Told from a non-American perspective, this book provides unique insights and sheer delight in the American experience. Each chapter takes you on an adventure capturing the joy and awe of new discoveries. I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful use of language and whimsical animal encounters along the way. American Vacation will leave you eager to plan your own trip across the vast, amazing, United States of America. Grab your cup of coffee, and get ready to take off into the great American West!"

Christina Roemer-Goldstein (Wauconda Area Library, IL)

Visited places during the American Vacation:

Whitaker Point, AR; Pedernales Falls State Park, TX; The Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, TX; South Llano River State Park, TX; Caverns of Sonora, TX; White Sands National Monument, NM; Devil’s Bridge, AZ; Cathedral Rock, AZ; Slide Rock State Park, AZ; Glen Canyon Recreational Area, UT & AZ; Lake Powell, UT; Horseshoe Bend, AZ; The Petrified Forest National Park, AZ; Canyon de Chelly, AZ; Four Corners Monument, AZ; Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, AZ; Grand Canyon, AZ; Antelope Canyon, AZ; Coral Pink Sand Dunes, UT; White Pocket, AZ; Vermilion Cliffs Natural Monument, AZ; Buckskin Gulch, UT; Zion National Park, UT; Kanarra Falls, UT; The Subway slot canyon, Zion Wilderness, UT; The Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, UT; Snow Canyon State Park, UT; Bryce Canyon, UT; Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, UT; Dry Fork Slot Canyon, UT; Peek-a-boo Canyon, UT; Spooky Gulch, UT; Devil’s Garden Outstanding Natural Area, UT; Capitol Reef National Park, UT; Goblin Valley State Park, UT; Canyonlands National Park, UT; Dead Horse Point State Park, UT; Arches National Park, UT; Valley of Fire State Park, NV; Death Valley National Park, NV; Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, CA; Mount White summit, CA; Mono Lake, CA; Mammoth Lakes, CA; Yosemite National Park, CA; Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, CA; Moro Rock, CA; Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, CA; Garrapata State Park, CA; Point Pinos Lighthouse, CA; Pigeon Point State Historic Park Light Station, CA; Drive-Through-Tree, Leggett, CA; Living Chimney Tree, Phillipsville, CA; Redwood National Park, CA; Heceta Head Lighthouse, CA; Cape Perpetua, Siuslaw National Forest, CA; Kalaloch Tree Root Cave and Beach, WA; Hall of Mosses, Olympic National Park, WA; Cape Flattery, WA; Rainier National Park, WA Narada Falls, WA Reflection Lake, WA; Palouse Falls State Park, WA; Glacier National Park, MT; Yellowstone National Park, WY; Mount Rushmore National Memorial, SD; Badlands National Park, SD