Reflection on America’s
Great Loop: A Baby Boomer Couple’s Year
Long Boating Odyssey
America’s Great Loop is a well known boating journey through
the waterways of the Eastern United States and Canada. The route covers over
5,000 miles of rivers, canals, and intercoastal waterways and is popular for its
relative safety and proximity to more populous areas.
George and Patricia Hospodar, are a couple who have been
married for over four decades and share a passion for sailing and boating.
George is referred to as the Captain and
Pat is the Admiral. The beginning of their informational book on boating
chronicles their early maritime escapades and includes witty anecdotes. After, Pat’s retirement as a music instructor,
the baby boomer couple decides to tackle America’s Great Loop in their 48 foot
boat, Reflection. The book is structured in fifteen chapters
which present their trip in a diary form along with practical boating tips and
captions detailing facts on the ports visited. The book includes photos, maps,
and a glossary. Some highlights for this
reader were visits to the Florida Keys and Charleston, SC. In all, the trip
took almost a year (324 days) and the Hospodars visited sixteen states,
traveling 5,474 total miles in the Reflection.
Areas that they visited included: New Jersey, New York, Canada, Michigan,
Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North
Carolina, Virginia, and more. They ended
their odyssey in their home port of Brick, New Jersey.
This non-fiction informational narrative is a must read for
those embarking on America’s Great Loop. Readers will gain points of wisdom to help
organize and plan their own trips. Finally, the book is a testament to the
human need to explore our environment and follow our dreams.
