"I Walked 444 Miles to Make a Memory"

Our speaker is best-selling author and distinguished Rotarian Andra Watkins. She was profiled in the January 2017 issue of the Rotarian magazine.

Her book "Not Without My Father: One Woman's 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace" is available at Amazon. She is the first living person to walk the 444-mile Natchez Trace as the pioneers did prior to the rise of steam power in the 1820’s. From March 1, 2014 to April 3, 2014, she walked fifteen miles a day. Six days a week. One rest day per week. She spent each night in the modern-day equivalent of stands, places much like Grinder’s Stand, where Meriwether Lewis died from two gunshot wounds on October 11, 1809. The book is her memoir about the dysfunctional family adventure.

Andra lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband, Michael T Maher. A non-practicing CPA, she has a degree in accounting from Francis Marion University. Andra is a highly decorated Rotarian. She is a past club president, past district communications chair, founding chair of Rotary Friendship Exchange, two-time Rotarian of the Year, multiple Paul Harris Fellow, and recipient of her district’s Distinguished Service Award.

"Natchez Trace: Tracks in Time" is a collection of photographs from her 444-mile walk was published in March 2015. Hard to Die, the follow-up novel to To Live Forever, is an inventive new take on the uncharted fate of Theodosia Burr Alston, the fiery daughter of Alexander Hamilton’s murderer Aaron Burr. This speculative fiction time-warp combines elements of history, the paranormal, and suspense to breathe fresh air into Theodosia’s forgotten life and story. Hard to Die was published in November 2016.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES:

Thursday, November 15

6:30pm – Club Meeting at Harvest Moon Restaurant; Program: “Rotary-Peace Corps Partnership Overview and Updates” with Ted Adams from Peace Corps headquarters

7:45pm – Board Meeting at Harvest Moon Restaurant