Gators, Guts, & Glory: Adventures Along the Florida Trail (Hiking Adventures) Paperback – Illustrated, July 15, 2019

Gators, Guts, and Glory is a book that captures the spirit I believe is an inherent part of hiking any part of the Appalachian Trail. While in college in Asheville, North Carolina, I was able to hike some pieces of the Appalachian Trail. Plus, I had a friend who desired to hike the entire length of the Trail from Maine to Florida. The idea intrigues me, but after reading this book I am not sure I have what it takes to do the whole trail. However, this book definitely makes me desire to do at least parts of the trail.I think one of my favorite parts in the book is where she talks about the “Water Buffalos”. Because my husband’s MOS (meaning his job) is a “Water Dawg” – meaning he deals with everything from laying water lines to dealing with a Water Buffalo, I immediately recognized what she was talking about before she provided the explanation given to her.The descriptions given made me feel as though I was actually with her. The only part I did not like was the mosquitoes since I swell up in ridiculous ways from their bites.All in all, this is an excellent book about combining faith with adventure. I appreciated how others were willing to provide assistance, even when strangers – such as the Paisley twins. So if you are interested in hiking, faith, Florida, or adventure, check out this book for yourself.

Perhaps it's my own experience of hiking many sections of the FT, but I didn't find this book all that entertaining. Specifically, the many God references are a bit of a turnoff for me, personally. If you subscribe to religion and don't mind bible references then this might be a fun read for you.

Bugs , backpacks and beautiful trails oh my. I am not a camper nor a hiker so this book intrigued me. Why would someone want to hike for days with weather that changes daily and lack of water becomes a reality?The author has a lot of determination and a thirst for adventure in this book. It is chalked full of inviting trails which seem to go on forever. It surprised me that she was pretty calm when meeting strangers on her journey and I especially loved her endurance as she traveled to see God’s beauty.The author really did her research before taking off and I thought how prepared she must have been. I’m pretty sure I would not last an hour on a trail. My idea of hiking is making a trip to the mailbox. Camping for me is in an RV with all the luxuries minus bugs, and bad weather.I was shocked when she went home with one of the ladies she encountered on her hike. The offer of a soft bed and ice cream is tempting but I would never go with someone I didn’t know. I’m not as trusting as the author and it sounded like she had a great time visiting with the lady and her husband. They do seem to become friends and that encouraged me to have more faith in mankind . There always seemed to be a big issue with water. Staying hydrated is very important and I worried about our hiker throughout the book.The different places the author visits on her journey were quite interesting . There are good people in this world and it was evident as the author gets help from strangers. I loved that she was able to witness and pray with people along her journey. The book was interesting but I’m still not convinced I want to go hiking.I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Okay, disclaimer. I am most definitely not a hiker! However, I was tugged into Lauralee Bliss's tale of hiking along the Florida trail. This book came into my life during a very busy season when I only had limited amounts of time to read recreationally. I wasn't sure a book about hiking would hold my interest, but I found myself eagerly looking forward to traveling alongside Lauralee every morning. I was amazed, startled, uplifted and sympathetically exhausted as she plugged pluckily onward through this incredible adventure. I also loved the way she enfolded her faith into this tale, so naturally and easily. This was one of those rare books where I found myself dreading the ending because I was enjoying the journey so much!Did this book make me want to hike the Florida trail myself? Um. No. But did it make me want to read more of Lauralee Bliss's books? You better believe it!

What a great book! A fast, easy read; I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the author's journey, both actual and spiritual as she trekked and slogged along the 1,100 mile long Florida Trail. I loved it! Very exciting, moving, spiritual; and really gave me a glimpse of life along the Florida Trail. As a hiker, I can relate to many of her situations. And I have to admire her tenacity with all the hurdles she had to go over. A touch of humor too, I found myself laughing out loud more than once!

I'm as tolerant as the next person, and I understand we all view the world through our own lens. But, I draw the line when an author expects me to endure a syrupy religious rhapsody on every other page.I wanted so much to like this book. As a long-trail hiker myself, I could relate to so many of the quotidian events and struggles. In that sense, the book gives an involving narration of trail life. But every time I would start to groove with the story--bam!: A contrived injection of evangelicalism.About halfway through the book, the author recounts being invited to a family dinner by a very charitable host. Over dinner, the host mentioned her belief in "multiple" gods. To which the author felt the need to testify of the one "REAL GOD"--and then force the same cloying testimony with me, the reader!That was it for me. I won't be finishing this one. I can't imagine sitting at someone's table--full of their food--and deciding it's time to insult their personal beliefs. I also can't imagine marketing a book about the Florida Trail, and then gratuitously slinging religious claptrap to paying customers.If you're going to do that, tell people up front.