'On a Donkey's Hurricane Deck' by R. Pitcher Woodward is the author's adventurous and action voyage story. Excerpt: "With my two cameras I secured six hundred pictures descriptive of the journey across eleven states, through the four seasons, during that long, long year; only by them and my diary am I brought to realize it is not a wild, weird dream. Now it is over, I sometimes smile over things recalled which, when they happened, found me as serious as the donk—grave in the superlative degree—and thoughtless people and those who never even crossed the plains by train may style my experience a mere outing or "picnic."

A dangerous and adventurous ride across a continent - with sneaky asides from the donkey! A classic

The tiny community of Ash Fork lies on the juniper-studded hills some 15 miles west of Bill Williams Mountain. Founded in 1882 when the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was laying tracks for a transcontinental railroad, Ash Fork became an important rail junction by 1895 when another new line was built, this one south to Phoenix. The storied Route 66 opened in 1926 and U.S. Highway 89 not long after, making Ash Fork the most important link between Northern and Southern Arizona by both rail and highway. By the mid-20th century, however, rail routes changed and Interstate 40 opened a half-mile south of town, stopping overnight the flow of traffic through Ash Fork. While many residents were forced to leave, those who remained stubbornly refused to concede defeat. As the new century dawned, the citizens of Ash Fork had developed a new community spirit and hopes for a brighter future.