California Coast Trails

Few books deserve the endorsement “forgotten gem.” Yet “California Coast Trails” is entitled to that accolade and more! An English immigrant, Smeaton Chase (1864-1923) came to California in 1890 where he pursued a career as one of the state’s earliest social workers. Yet he never allowed his career to interfere with the life-long pursuit of his twin passions, equestrian travel and botany. Though Chase made many various horse trips throughout the American West, this book describes his most famous journey, from Mexico to Oregon along the coast of California. The amateur scientist doesn’t merely ride along, he treats us to a treasure trove of observations, commenting on subjects as diverse as the architecture of the Spanish Missions, the hospitality of the people, and the beauties of a fabled countryside in the last days of its pristine natural glory. While Chase regales the reader with adventures, such as rescuing his horse from quicksand, the book is far more than a mere account of an equestrian exploration. It remains one of the most poetic and moving accounts ever written by a man in the saddle. “California Coast Trails” is thus not merely a “classic.” It is a blessing to any library and to every reader.