My backpack is ready. My itinerary is set. My flight is booked. I’m walking one of the UK’s National Trails, the South West Coast Path. Why this trail?

I’m no Anglophile, but I do have a history associated with the UK. After my college study abroad in Greece, I traveled to the UK as my next trip abroad in 1978. Not having much money, I was able to live cheaply at London’s Wesley Chapel for almost a month. One of my fondest memories was traveling to Hay-on-Wie on the border between England and Wales to visit the bookstores. Although I arrived at 7 PM, I knew that I was in trouble. Looking for a place to stay in the January darkness with its cold and snow, I had no luck. Obviously, this train trip from London wasn’t one of my better ideas.

What should I do? Since it was pre-internet, I went to the police station! I still remember the officer on duty looking at me, “You want us to help you find a bed?” “Yes, sir.” In the January off-season, he knew that the few hotels were closed. Finally, after several phone calls, he contacted a woman who agreed to open a spare room. Remember this period was pre-AirBnB. One of the policemen even took me to her home. The one and only time, I hope, that I’ve ridden in an English police car. I profusely thanked the officer and the woman who welcomed me. For the unheated bedroom, she gave me a hot water bottle for the bed. You can’t beat kindness.

I’ve made several other trips to the UK. Since the UK is so easy to visit for Americans, “traveling with training wheels” according to Clark Howard, Mary and I took our sons there on their first trip abroad. I’ve spent a month at Oxford with Reinhardt students. We celebrated our twin son’s graduating from university with a trip which included them showing us their favorite parts of the UK since both had studied there. I lost count of the pubs and distilleries we visited. So many memories!

But why the South West Coast Path out of all the other UK trails? On the one hand, I desire to hike a “non-recognized” pilgrimage trail. As some of you know, I’ve walked pilgrimage trails in Spain, Portugal, England, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Walking the South West Coast Path, I’ll be able to explore the similarities and differences of pilgrimage and non-pilgrimage trails. In other words, I have some hunches that I want to explore. On the other hand, I want to hike the trail that Raynoor Winn and her husband walked approximately ten years ago. Our guy’s book club read her tragic, yet courageous and inspiring The Salt Path, which chronicles their walk on the South West Coast Path. My choice is made!

So, some more miles to cover, this time in England’s southwest.