On September 27th, Riding the Continent will be launched. The memoir by motorcycle-naturalist Hamilton Mack Laing, on his 1915 tour from New York to San Fransisco.
Laing’s previously unpublished manuscript had been hidden away for over a century, until Trevor Marc Hughes, a motorcycle travel writer, uncovered Laing’s account and edited the material into a book. In Riding the Continent, Laing, one of Canada’s first environmentalists, records his experiences as he rides an early Harley-Davidson on a 1915 North America tour from New York to San Francisco — exploring the bird life, scenery and people he encountered along the way.
Laing enjoyed travelling by motorcycle to access the natural world, believing it gave him a distinct advantage over other forms of transportation. Sleeping outdoors most nights, Laing travelled light and brought only those essentials that fit in his three panniers.
The Launch will be held at the Deeley Exhibition in Vancouver on September 27th, 2019. The doors will open at 7:00 p.m. for a reception with light refreshments and for guests to view the Trev Deeley Motorcycle Museum. At 8:00 p.m., Hughes will provide an illustrated presentation of the journey. A Q&A period and book signing will follow, with copies of the book available for purchase.
The Deeley Exhibition is located at 1875 Boundary Road. Free parking is available.
You can find more about the book here
