About the Project
When I started this book project, I wasn't exactly sure how the story of the Town Lake Trail would
unfold, but just as it had touched me personally, the magic of the Trail began to reveal itself with every
interview and photograph taken. When I first moved to Austin, I gravitated to the Trail, and although I
didn't know a single soul, I instantly knew I was among friends. Since that day, I have come to love it
with passion. I soon began running with a group, and it was in that group I met Texas Governor Rick
Perry. One day while running together, we began talking about all the good things the Trail encompasses
and the way it binds our community together. We both thought it was an amazing paradigm, and thus
the concept for the book was born.
My desire to write this book was to offer a vision for the future of our nation and convey a powerful,
inspirational message on how communities across the country deal with the ever growing issues of
sustaining healthy lifestyles for all Americans. It is for this reason the book begins with four
extraordinary individuals deeply connected to Austin. While these four people have vastly different
viewpoints, there is a common thread that unites them – their love for the Trail itself.
Beginning with the inspirational woman who made it all possible, each highlights the need for citizen
involvement and leadership on a national, state, and local level to make something like the Trail happen.
As you travel through Every Town Needs a Trail, I hope you gain not only an appreciation for this
beloved park and its Trail, but insight into what makes it so magical for so many people.
Thank you to all of the remarkable individuals who shared their incredible stories; however it was the
vision and hard work of our entire team that brought the project together in order to make it a reality.
When I started this book project, I wasn't exactly sure how the story of the Town Lake Trail would
unfold, but just as it had touched me personally, the magic of the Trail began to reveal itself with every
interview and photograph taken. When I first moved to Austin, I gravitated to the Trail, and although I
didn't know a single soul, I instantly knew I was among friends. Since that day, I have come to love it
with passion. I soon began running with a group, and it was in that group I met Texas Governor Rick
Perry. One day while running together, we began talking about all the good things the Trail encompasses
and the way it binds our community together. We both thought it was an amazing paradigm, and thus
the concept for the book was born.
My desire to write this book was to offer a vision for the future of our nation and convey a powerful,
inspirational message on how communities across the country deal with the ever growing issues of
sustaining healthy lifestyles for all Americans. It is for this reason the book begins with four
extraordinary individuals deeply connected to Austin. While these four people have vastly different
viewpoints, there is a common thread that unites them – their love for the Trail itself.
Beginning with the inspirational woman who made it all possible, each highlights the need for citizen
involvement and leadership on a national, state, and local level to make something like the Trail happen.
As you travel through Every Town Needs a Trail, I hope you gain not only an appreciation for this
beloved park and its Trail, but insight into what makes it so magical for so many people.
Thank you to all of the remarkable individuals who shared their incredible stories; however it was the
vision and hard work of our entire team that brought the project together in order to make it a reality.
| "I urge you to look long at this river today and pull all the imagination I know you have in visualizing how it can become a river for all seasons and for all people." --Lady Bird Johnson |
Every Town Needs a Trail