Roadtripping

On the Move with the Buffalo Gals

By (author): Conni Massing
ISBN 9781897142479
Softcover | Publication Date: February 8, 2010
Book Dimensions: 5.5 in x 8.5 in
264 Pages

About the Book

Roadtripping documents a decade of road trips through the fiefdom of Alberta. The men and women who make up the Buffalo Gals first set out in July 1999 to experience the unusual and charming roadside attractions of south-central Alberta. Never dreaming that this one-off adventure would turn into an annual event, it’s ten years later and they continue their escapades. Each year a new destination is chosen and the weekend-long travel begins. Traditions have evolved including elaborate scrapbooking, eating in gourmet dining rooms (when available) and excessive snacking (without fail). Beyond the joys and challenges of being on the road and a deepening bond of friendship, this book is a love poem to Alberta, a province often misunderstood and mislabelled as being the right-wing cowboy haunt of Canada.

With trip route maps, hilarious photos, and appendices including checklists and recipes, Roadtripping explores the bizarre and wonderful attractions of wild rose country, stuffed gophers, political fanaticism, mad cows and more.

About the Author(s)

Conni Massing writes for theatre, film, radio and television. Recent projects include her adaptation of W.O. Mitchell's Jake and the Kid, premiered by Theatre Calgary in 2009. Conni's work has been recognized by AMPIA, the Academy of Cinema and Television, the Writers Guild of Alberta, the Betty Mitchell Awards for theatre, and the Elizabeth Stirling Haynes Awards for theatre. She has taught writing at the University of Alberta, the National Theatre School of Canada, and at the Edmonton Public Library, where she was the 2009 Writer-in-Residence. Please visit www.connimassing.com.

Reviews

“Albertans or non-Albertans who read this travel memoir will learn something they never knew about the province, feel a little envious toward the Buffalo Gals . . . and, quite possibly, be left with a strange craving for beef jerky.”—Canadian Geographic

“Books about the road life tend to be a natural fit for travellers.” —Steven Beattie, special to The Globe & Mail

Roadtripping, [Massing’s] love letter to her home province, is both funny and inspiring.”—Quill & Quire

“Conni Massing, an award-winning Edmonton playwright who has fearlessly launched herself into non-fiction with a travel memoir.”—The Edmonton Journal

“A humour-fuelled travelogue.” —Westworld