Open Road: A Midlife Memoir of Travel and the National … (2024)

The subtitle says it all..."a midlife memoir of travel and the National Parks." This book is close to my heart because it's a true collaboration with my talented photographer husband; a window into our adventures together in road-tripping the National Parks and making art of our experience.

I was expecting this to be a great book; a travel memoir of escaping a mid life slump accented by a poor report card from doctor's appointment. The travels promised to be great, exploring national parks, first in the author's native Hawaii, then a trip starting and finishing in San Francisco that included Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, and Bryce National parks and a later trip out of Seattle to Alaska and then a drive through Canada eventually crossing back to Glacier National Park back to Seattle with a stop in San Juan Islands and finishing in Olympic National Park.
And there is some great writing and fun adventures in the book. The author also intersperses her experiences as a therapist for vulnerable children throughout the book and many of those stories are touching. Yet, reading the book often reminded me of going on a fantastic trip that included that annoying friend. She has an episode on the plane that requires medical attention because the airplane pillows weren't washed properly, she and her husband get lost between San Francisco and Yosemite, they almost run out of gas in Yosemite because national parks don't have gas stations, she develops a rash which gets worse because they can't wait for an hour for the medical clinic in Moab to open thinking that they will find a clinic in a town after Moab and are apparently surprised that Moab is in the midst of an isolated desert, and she develops panic attacks in Alaska because...Alaska is so big, they lock themselves out of their car in Canada. And these episodes are aggravated by her reactions to it and how they seem to overwhelm her.
I understand that other readers react differently, find the travails amusing, the tensions and reconcillations with her husband to be touching and inspiring. I may well be in a minority, but I found myself enjoying the descriptions of the trip and often wanting to escape that annoying friend

This was a wonderful book. Especially now with COVID, I was able to travel through someone else and never leave home. Thank you to Toby and her husband.

The parts of the book devoted to the authors park visitations get 4 stars. The parts telling of her work with children maybe three plus. The filler or maybe her favorite sections describing the state of her relationship with her husband at any moment of time get a bare two stars. I was unimpressed with the organization of the trips which she lauded often and their lack of practical research , cold in desert at 7000 ft? Who knew Get tired of her style I guess. And should one ina wonderful relationship need to go off and cry so often? Dunno.

An awesome memoir of one of my favorite authors road trips with her husband to several national parks in 2 separate 1 month trips. As I am not a camper I could ride along and enjoy this trip vicariously thru Ms. Neal. The way she paints a picture thru her words is amazing to me. Also included in the beginning of each chapter are glorious photographs taken by the love of her life Mike Neal who also happens to be her husband. Interspersed throughout this book she includes stories about several children she aided as a therapist during her time in Hawaii. If I ever need a therapist I definitely want one just like Ms. Toby. I love being on her ARC team and always await her next book with bated breath. And I also want to thank her for the fact that definitely reinstated the no camping vacation for me! That and also she and her husband came thru both trips still in love and with a sense of humor.

This midlife memoir by Toby Neal is her best writing to date (although I am guessing she will surpass it with her next book). The writing is classic Neal, engaging, heartwarming, exciting, and thoughtful. Although not as wrenching emotionally as “Freckled”, there are many moments of introspection and insight, and the flashbacks to Neal’s time working as a school counselor provide a strong contrast to the wonder of the travels, as well as context for Neal’s emotional and intellectual introspection. There were laugh-out-loud moments and moments I cringed as I recognized myself and my husband on our own travels, facing the less-pleasant aspects of togetherness.

As a reader who has traveled many of the same paths as Neal, to many of the same parks and along many of the same roads, I can attest to both the accuracy of the descriptions, and the beauty of the places she describes. For those who haven’t been to these remarkable and unique locations, you will feel as though you are there with Neal as she and her husband experience the joy and wonder of the natural world. This is a hallmark of Neal’s writing – her ability to so thoroughly describe a sense of place, time, and culture that the reader is transported by the writing.

The writing is accompanied by Mike Neal’s superb photography. I’ve been following Mike Neal’s work for longer than I’ve been a reader of Toby Neal’s writing, and his photographs are some of the finest I’ve seen. Mike Neal has the same ability to draw the viewer into his photos and engage with the viewer that Toby Neal has with readers. His perspective is unique and fresh, and he imbues his photos with powerful emotion and deep connection to the natural world.

Taken together, you can see how this couple have been married for 35 years; they beautifully complement each other and have learned to play on each other’s strengths. This book is a delight in so many ways, the kind of book I will re-read many times over.

Normally I’m a mystery/crime fiction reader, but on occasion I do like to read biographical works if the person I’m reading about particularly stands out to me. Toby Neal is one of those people. Having read Freckled, I was interested in learning more about her. (Reading Freckled before Open Road gives the reader additional insight but isn’t a requirement.) As in Freckled, Toby bravely gives very personal and profound glimpses into her life experiences throughout Open Road. (It was enjoyable to get to know Mike, and a bit about Tawny and Caleb too!) She shares powerful memories of the many troubled children she has helped throughout the years. Her deep appreciation for nature is evident in her vivid descriptions of their journeys; what a wordsmith Toby is!! Having been to a few of the national parks she writes about, reading this book was like being there again. I could identify with her angst over leaving her job working with students – as I retired teacher, I commiserate with the stress involved in navigating and tolerating the system and the complicated circ*mstances. Her commitment to helping people, which she does more than she knows with her writing, is commendable. I will now go back to reading her crime mystery stories featuring Lei, Sophie and her other characters with a new lens.

Having read Ms Neal’s earlier biography (“Freckled”) I was intrigued to read this next volume. It begins with a fairly “simple” hike across a volcanic crater, and continues with their epic trip through various National Parks across America.
Toby and her husband Mike share the good and the bad about their journey. The campsites and hotels they stayed in, the pain and mental toll their journey took, and their feelings along the way. As someone who will never be able to make this trip, I could feel the warmth of the sun, the cool waters they fished in and the friendly people they met along the way. Ms Neal’s atmospheric writing and description makes you feel as if you are sharing each step with them.
I also liked how the book is interspersed with stories from her counselling work, and her own personal experiences. All in all, I would thoroughly recommend this volume to anyone who wants to live vicariously through the pages, without getting blisters as they traverse the continent.
I was given a copy of the ARC, but views expressed are purely my own.

Open Road is a combination of autobiographical adventures of a trip taken with Toby Neal’s husband and a travelogue of some of the wonderful and wonder-filled National Parks in Hawaii, the Southwestern states of Arizona, Utah, California, Nevada and New Mexico, and a trip through Seattle and Western Canada to explore Alaska in the summer. Toby’s husband has captured these trips in the photos he takes along the way.
They take off for a month at a time and meander around a pre-planned itinerary to explore what the parks have to offer in terms of hiking, fishing, and camping. Open Road is a perfect follow-up to Freckled, the stories of her upbringing and life with her hippie parents and siblings. Open Road can be read as a stand-alone book, but for a fuller experience I recommend reading Freckled first.
I thoroughly enjoy Toby Neal’s style of writing. She is a storyteller and a good one. I have read all her fiction series and eagerly await the new ones as they are written. Even as non-fiction, Open Road is an interesting read written with love, honesty and a willingness to dare to expand her experiences.

One of the best Travel Guides I’ve ever seen!
I received an ARC from the author. Here are my thoughts:
I grew up in Southern Utah, so have been to many of the National Parks Toby and Mike Neal visit in Open Road. It is interesting to re-visit them and see them through Toby’s perspective. She shares experiences that really make this beautiful land come alive! For instance, I’m well acquainted with Zion and have been to a few places there that she didn’t get to experience, but I never had a squirrel lead me to the Emerald Pool and sit with me! That was my most loved moment in the book. She captures the uniqueness of each place with well-turned phrases, such as “hyperfocused frenzy “ (that was Mike trying to ‘get the shot’).Be aware that you will probably have to pack your camping gear and go on a journey that she so well describes! Stop and look at the small things; take in the wonders of nature; meet people; overcome fears, appreciate the world again.

What a magical and heartwarming journey this was along Open Road.
Some memoirs are special, they stay with you forever after you read them and share the journey with the author and Open Road is one of those journeys. Toby and her husband Mike drawn us in two-fold, Toby through her words, Mike through his photography and together they gave me such an enhanced magical journey that really brought Open Road to life for me.
Toby is a master of the written word whether it;s fiction or non-fiction but what I love most about her memoirs is the connection to ‘her’ because this is her life it makes the story even more magical, the experience from a readers point of view is stronger than it is with fiction and I love that.
I don;t read non-fiction often but when I do I want it to be an awesome and magical journey Toby Neal gave me that and so much more.

Now I want to start planning more road trips myself, I’ve been inspired so much by this author.

In Open Road Toby Neal has given us a road trip of truth, transporting readers into the wondrous National Parks system.

Filled with evocative descriptions that range from scorched earth black lava fields on the big island of Hawaii to the lush rainforests of the Olympic National Park, and beyond into the depths of the Alaskan wilderness. Her words give breath and life to the wildlife, the vistas, and vastness of the Open Road, while chronicling the oft times difficulties in traveling new roads and our own human foibles.

Facing the challenges with self knowledge and growing awareness of her personal self, Neal's honesty opens the door for others to face their own fears and take charge of creating their own road best traveled.

I was a tad apprehensive to read this memoir because I so loved "Freckled" and was concerned I might not enjoy this one. Well, that was definitely not a problem for me! This book is a stellar work!!

It's obvious you had your notebooks with you because I could see the mountains, glaciers, and flowers as you described them so vividly. And now I am still struggling for words here...the depths of emotion you shared with us struck my heart and soul. You are such an amazing woman to take your insecurities and fears on 2 road trips with Mike and then to share it all in this wonderful book. And to five us insights into how you got through the rough patches using your various techniques. I am certain you will help others who read this too,

I have learned from reading this book to really be "in the moment" and to observe all that is going on around me. When Mike and I travel I tend to hide in my electronic gadgets and not pay attention what is going on outside the car. But, in my defense we are often on freeways aiming for a destination and watching other cars is not interesting to me. We are usually listening to an audio book and I do pay attention to that. We have been to the Grand Canyon and I loved Alaska and you brought back some of those memories for me.

A 5 star review from this woman!

I loved Toby’s books & this one was exceptional! I grew up in an area located between Bryce, Zion & the Grand Canyon. Seeing them through Toby’s eyes, brought back so many memories. She shares with us her struggles of traveling, the ups & downs. She lets us be a part of the excitement of discovering the beauty that exist in our world, then let’s us see her own daily struggles. Toby is so honest in her feelings with traveling, her relationship with her husband and her health & mental struggles. This is definitely a book I will read over again!

I loved Toby’s introduction to her memoir Open Road. Immediately it drew me into exploring midlife while touring our national parks. I have enjoyed her novels and loved Freckled. I knew her attention to detail would continue in Open Road. Her description of Haleakala Crater - its colors, textures, grandeur, its starkness - set the stage for a wonderful travel adventure. Then she added many of the lessons she has learned through life and her travels!

Her incredibly descriptive way of writing takes you along on her magical journey as if you were right there with her, and makes reading every word a magnificent experience. And the trials and triumphs along their journey are so amazingly fascinating.
I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy of this book and knew from the first chapter that I would love it. She writes from the heart and it makes a huge difference to be able to relate so easily to her story.
This isn't your usual biography. It's an adventure story!

Absolutely loved this memoir. The descriptive writing has me tagging along on these adventures of Toby and her husband Mike. It describes 3 major trips to National parks they have taken. The first in Hawaii , and then the next one at Yosemite, and the third trip was in the northern west coast
of the US and Canada. The last 2 took 30 days each at separate times.
This is Toby' s 2nd memoir , the first called Freckled is about her growing up with hippie parents in rural Kauai ( One of my all time favorite books ). This is her second, and gives a lot of insight to her personality, her drive as a writer, and about her relationships with her husband and kids. This all takes place after her grown kids have left home. It is not hard to imagine all the beautiful and sometimes scary sights they see, with Toby' s telling us all about the views and feelings she has as she sees the wonders of nature on such a grand scale. Come and take a trip to these majestic places with them. Toby was a therapist prior to her writing career and she refers back to some of her experiences with counseling children and how it has affected her life and her writing. She went through a lot of personal growth and self discovery.

A memoir that reads like a novel!

Having just turned 50, being in a 25 yr relationship and feeling like I have lost that brave girl I used to be, I can relate to so much in this book!

The poetic descriptions of the wonderful places they visited has me making a list of places I need to go and wanting to plan my own road trips.

Just a fabulous read all around.

Candid, well written book on travels thru various western national parks and provincial parks with her husband. Very descriptive sights and emotional reactions. Engrossing.

Thank you for sharing your world with us. I think this book was a journey we could only take with Tody. She writes a picture we very rarely see in a book. Her husbands beautiful pictures at the start of each chapter add to the story in a way we don't get to see in a lot of books. We get to feel their strong connection they share as they go on their adventure. As we get older we never know what life is going to throw at us. Tody lets us know she is not going to let age get to her. She shares stories of being a therapist. She shares some humorous stories of her and her husband as they go on the road trip of a life time. I say bravo to showing us that age is just a number. That even with the pains of age we still can have a adventure. We can also face scary moments like changing careers in the middle of life and we can grow and be just fine. I really enjoyed this book and hope others will pick it up.

Pack your bags and be prepared for a different kind of adventure. Take a ride with Toby and her husband Mike as they travel through some of the most beautiful parks in the United States and Canada.

Toby's writing is amazingly vivid, allowing you to picture and feel each and every mile that they travel. Through the ups and downs of travelling this book gives great insight into the things to see and do and what not to do. My bucket list just got longer. I've always wanted to see all the parks that I could see but, now my list just got longer. I also learned to have good cell service in Canada and the states and that reservations make things a whole lot easier.

Overall this book is fantastic. I loved being a mouse in their suitcase and thoroughly enjoyed travelling with both of the Neals.

OPEN ROAD.....Toby Neal
A poster seen and the desire to be healthy and to see the national parks was formed. With the limitations of their bodies they are going on a three day hike to the crater first, they would be in a No Service zone if help needed. They still had their humor, she would enjoy the hiking if not for the back packs For him, if he wasn’t hiking, ( and maybe the duct tape on a boot that had blown ).
A book that flows as poetry written, giving us the details with the eyes of a writer Toby and Mike with photography. A journey that touches one of the wonders and memories of the parks we may not have seen.
Well done, and glad I had the chance to read and enjoy.
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

Amazing memoir of the authors travels in National Parks. I highly recomend this book!

A fun story to follow their road trip adventures through the Southwest and Canadian Rockies. . I’ve been to many of the places they visited.

Good book. Review post on IndieReader hence cannot be posted here.

BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN MIDLIFE MEMOIR!

OPEN ROAD is a beautifully written midlife memoir by USA Today bestselling author Toby Neal! It has an extra bonus in that it is illustrated with the outstanding photography of her husband, Mike Neal. Toby Neal found her herself on the edge of fifty needing to make some major changes in her life. As she lay on an exam table in a doctor’s office, she noticed a calendar on the wall and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah called to Neal. Neal decided a Road Trip through the National Parks is just what she needed to reground herself. Sounds relatively simple - until you realize the Neals live in Hawaii!

OPEN ROAD is the story of the Neal’s twelve-thousand-mile road trip. It is so much more! It is an exquisite look into many of the National Parks and told through Toby Neal’s descriptive and imaginative words. She makes you feel as though you are on the trip alongside them as they encounter exceptional adventures, failures at campgrounds, getting lost, finding unique sights, meeting unforgettable people, encountering all manner of wildlife, getting on each other’s nerves and rendezvousing with their grown children. In the midst of their adventures, Toby reveals much about her own personal struggles and how she’s learned to cope and how they still make their marriage work after 30 years. She writes of each of their strengths and weaknesses. She also appreciates how much her husband’s photography will add to this book. His photos are breathtaking! This is a very enjoyable book!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the author. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

Once I started Open Road, I realized quickly I would have to strategically pace myself rather than race through. Toby’s writing is too beautifully descriptive, generous and honest to not truly savor every word. I was riveted by the journey itself and wanted to know what would happen next on Toby and her husband, Mike's, rather epic adventure of the National Parks. I honestly feel like I have been to Glacier National Park and experienced the wonders firsthand! But as a middle aged woman myself, I related most to Open Road as a “coming of middle age” story. Like Toby, knowing there is a younger me trapped in an ever-aging body isn’t at all easy. But, as beautifully underscored in Open Road, truly celebrating an aging body for all it has done in the past and honoring how it continues to serve me every single day is really really hard! What happened to that younger version of me who had less fear and more tenacity, more wonder and less agenda? Toby doesn't shy away from the hard or personal stuff of life and aging, but accurately describes a delicate balance between giving into that unavoidable natural process and discovering the beauty of the path ahead, even in a body that doesn’t look or act like it once did. Sometimes it takes the reflections of the open road and the beauty of nature to remind us of our place within the larger story.

Toby's beautiful prose made me feel like I was with her and Mike on their incredible journey. Without the mosquito bites, the muscle aches, the cancelled reservations, the danger, the injuries, the discomfort, (I could get down on the ground to sleep in a sleeping bag, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't get up!) and the beauty of every site described so I could see it in my mind's eye.

I've flown over the Grand Canyon, but have never journeyed into it. My previous views of Hawaii were on Hawaii Five O and Magnum P.I, but Toby's descriptions made the places they went a lot more real to me.
Toby had just about as many reservations about being able to make the journey as I do, only she had the guts and the ability to challenge herself and do it. I don't. I admire her guts and bravery and determination, and thank her for taking this trip for all of us to share.
I don't know the logistics, but I would love it if she and Mike could use their photographs to create a picture book so that we could really see what they saw. Until then, I'm thrilled to have read a book that brought the world to me.

This is the first book I’ve read by Toby Neal, but I’m sure it won’t be the last- I already had Freckled on reserve and plan to read her crime series. I probably enjoyed the first trip a little more since I had been to several of those parks, but her descriptions of all the parks was awesome. It always feels affirming that others made the same boo boos we did- keys locked in cars (our battery died in Glacier when my daughter forgot to turn off the radio), missed exits, hard to find motels etc. they are all part of what makes a trip memorable - afterwards.

It looks as if I may be in the minority, and I really wanted to like this because I have been to some of these places, but she veered off in too many directions. Seriously, no pun was intended. The first half really dragged especially when she strayed into talking about her time as a counselor. I am sure it was important work but I came for the adventure. The second half was much better but I found the overall tone of this author a bit patronizing.