Alta California

From San Diego to San Francisco, a Journey on Foot to Rediscover the Golden State

By: Nick Neely

Narrated by: Tristan Wright

Nick Neely chronicles his 650-mile trek on foot from San Diego to San Francisco, following the route of the first overland Spanish expedition into what was soon called Alta California. Led by Gaspar de Portolá in 1769, the expedition sketched a route that would become, in part, the famous El Camino Real. It laid the foundation for the Golden State we know today, a place that remains as mythical and captivating as any in the world.

Neely grew up in California but realized how little he knew about its history. So he set off to learn it bodily, with just a backpack and a tent, trekking through stretches of California both lonely and urban. For 12 weeks, following the journal of expedition missionary Father Juan Crespí, Neely kept pace with the ghosts of the Portolá expedition - nearly 250 years later.

Weaving together natural and human history, Alta California relives his adventure, tells a story of Native cultures and the Spanish missions that soon devastated them, and explores the evolution of California and its landscape. The result is a collage of historical and contemporary California, of lyricism and pedestrian serendipity, and of the biggest issues facing California today - water, agriculture, oil and gas, immigration, and development - all of it one step at a time.

©2019 Nick Neely (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Alta California

The story was good. But the translations from spanish to english were hard to understand. Could have used a bilingual narrator for this story.

Cali full circle

From the de Portola expedition to current day (and a lot of history in between), the author does a fantastic job explaining paths that we Californians have taken.

A must read for anyone who loves California

I loved this book. It was tough to get into at the start, because of the density of facts embedded in eloquent, evocative prose. The prose carried me along and then, after a sentence or two, I'd have to go back to grok the facts that I missed. After a while, though, I was able to both enjoy his prose and absorb the facts in my first reading. The chapters are arranged by region, and by lucky happenstance I got to listen to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo as I drove from the Bay Area down to Santa Barbara, and i was able to listen to the Santa Cruz and San Mateo chapters on my way home. The author ended the book on a contemplative afternoon in Palo Alto. As a longtime Bay Area resident this book resonated with me on so many levels. This is my most recent book in the "conservationist" genre I have dubbed for books that describe our planet with such loving respect that my hope is that there cannot be but an increase in awareness and stewardship. It is worth noting that Neely's tone is never proselytizing or condescending. Throughout, he emanates wonder, appreciation and contentment with his surroundings. This is truly a historian's read and for those of you who are that, I highly recommend! (side note: the narrator is a bit dry but you will get used to him over time)

The history

I loved the story being a native Californian growing up in Sonoma where the last of the missions was located and being surrounded with the stories of General Mariano Vallejo But the mispronunciations of the narrator drove me crazy! Not only Spanish errors but English language got butchered. I finished the book but it was painful.

Alta amazing

This is one if the most interesting stories. The author got very detailed and really brought this book alive. All California residents or those born and raised in California should read the history of the state. Even if you are not a California person, it would make a great read of a one mans journey to relive the beginning of a beautiful state. The author is to be complimented in the detail and desire to learn about the beginnings of California and how important the missions were.