Nick Walks America

Coleman Exponent is proud to be Partner of my 2008 expedition from New York to Los Angeles.

Durango hometown Hostel
I haven't stayed at many Hostels, but this one must be the best one ever. Candace is a great host and you'll be glad you stayed here.

BJ Hill
I met this guy loitering around the St Louis Arch, he's also walking across the states but the other way.

HikingForums.net
This forum has been my most valuable source of info in preparation for my walk & I'd highly recommend a look. These guys are the Daddy dictionary of hiking!

the Couch Surfing Project
CouchSurfing is a community set up to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance and facilitate cultural understanding, all through the surfing of couches!

Irina Davies
Kindly designed my logo for me. Logo's, graphic design, you name it she does it.

Peter Jenkins
His classic first book 'A Walk Across America' is a must read for anyone with the itch to drop everything and go a'discoverin'.

Brits International
If you're a British ex-pat and fancy hooking up with fellow Brits in the USA, check these guys out.

rhythm plate
Their music is so good i hear it in my sleep. No really.

Help for Heroes
Although i'm not fundraising for this charity, they all have common goals & Help for Heroes epitomizes what my charity walk is all about.

Mr Hancock's blog
Need somit rit proper? This man is like an educated Karl Pilkington, and he's helped me out no end with my walkamerica prep. Cheers chap.

PLACES IVE BEEN THAT ARE WELL WORTH A VISIT....

Ligonier Beach
Massive swimming pool, nice bar and brilliant staff, all on the mountain side. Can't ask for more.

Thank you. Im glad that my challenge has inspired you to help. From this page you can click on the donate buttons below which will take you to dedicated, safe & secure donation pages. Further down the page i have briefly explained who your hard earned cash will help. Thank you for helping to make a difference.



Alternatively you can download a sponsorship form HERE+




Royal British Legion

The Royal British Legion provides financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served and are currently serving in the Armed Forces, and their dependants. Currently, nearly 10.5 million people are eligible for our support and we receive thousands of calls for help every year.

The Legion was founded in 1921 as a voice for the ex-Service community and over 450,000 members continue to ensure that this voice does not go unheard. Although the needs of ex-Service people have changed over the years, we are still there to safeguard their welfare, interests and memory. British service people are in action around the world every day of the year. They know that if they need our support - now or in the future - the Legion is always on active duty for them.


American Legion Legacy Fund

As an unfortunate consequence of Operation Iraq Freedom & America's war on terror, many children of our active-duty personnel are now members of single-parent families. In most cases, this also means their chances to attend college have greatly diminished. Children of military personnel who die on active duty are entitled to recieve money toward a college education. But it's not enough.

I am helping to raise money to "provide for those left behind". Help me to ensure that higher education will be a reality for these families. Providing for the children that our military personnel left behind is our civic duty and an education is a powerful way to show our thanks.

Nick was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan USA in 1978 by British parents. He moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 4 and grew up in the idyllic coastal region of North Devon with 5 brothers. I know.

In 1998 Nick moved away from the safe & familiar surroundings of country life and his mothers fantastic Cornish pasties to study Advertising in Preston. Since then he has poured drinks for rich people & poor students, sold posters to American High School kids & trash to people in Georgia, designed bedrooms & logos and currently works for a housing charity in Coventry. Settling down frightens him. Green vegetables frighten him.

Nick has climbed mountains and glaciers, represented his County at cross country running & the High Jump (he's a short-arse) & once won a Kareoke competition. He nearly got hyperthermia in Kosovo, has white-water rafted & bodyboarded(badly) and has spent 3 days in Vegas without gambling. He also had a ponytail but is now starting to go baldy.

Nick has two goals in life: to be happy & to make a difference. He hopes that this adventure will fulfill both. He wants to help those who are brave enough to volunteer to serve their country and are wounded whilst doing so, whilst learning more about the real America. He also hopes that his feet don't fall off as he plans on using them for a little while longer. Nick has no idea what he's letting himself in for, and he likes it.

Favourite saying:
"I'd rather be poor & happy than rich & sad. I'm half way there, I'm poor"

I've finished so you will probably find me in the pub, but here's the route i walked anyway.


View Larger Map

Okay so im walking across America from NY to LA, but why?! The idea came to me one Wednesday morning & I decided there and then that I would do it. Walk across the USA. Great idea from a man who's idea of a walk is to his car. The plan was set in stone after a weekend with my younger brother (pictured). Chris, or Topper as he is known, is in the British Army, and he was a soldier in the Coldstream Guards during his tour of Iraq. Fortunately he returned unharmed, but it got me thinking about the Soldiers & families that weren't so lucky. Just because Topper wasn't hurt or killed it didn't give me the right to carry on as normal. And so I chose my Charities-the Royal British Legion & American Legion Legacy Fund.

I have dual British/USA Nationality (which I'm sure will help me at Customs when they ask where I'm going) and walking across the United Kingdom didn't quite have the same ring to it, so the US of A seemed the obvious choice. This is not about Politics or religion, it is purely about helping those British & American Soldiers & families that need it & deserve it.



In my job at the CIH I have been lucky enough to meet some amazing people. All who have inspired me deserve a mention;