ROME, Ga. - Jan. 6, 2020 - Faced with life-changing decisions, Tim and Tracy Ruckman had a choice to continue life as they'd known it for almost a decade, or to take a chance and chase their dreams.

They set out in their hybrid SUV, loaded with camping gear and electronic gadgets, determined to see as much of the United States as they could with their limited budget, but with no set plan, no specific destination, and no set date to end the trip. As they traveled, they realized they were adding as many new dreams to their bucket list as they were checking off.

Both originally from Alabama, they first headed west. Texas winds took out their first tent, breaking two poles and ripping one wall. Tracy's mountain fears in New Mexico almost sent them home to Georgia a few times, but their drive to continue won out.

Tim, retired, is a lifelong fan of westerns, so they spent time following the Lonesome Dove trail. When they arrived in west Texas, he said, "Now, this is Texas I know!" Tracy, a writer, publisher, and artist, snapped photos as they went, and has turned many of those photos into digital art that she now sells online, "hoping to fund more travel," she said.

Go West, His Momma Said is their full-color travelogue, chronicling the first half of the journey, exploring the great west. The book is available on Amazon and by request at local booksellers.

Contact
TMP Books
Tracy Ruckman