For European explorers, natural historians, and botanists traversing the territory now known as North America, nature walks had at least two purposes. They were commissioned to find herbs to take back to the Old World and become familiar with the land their host countries intended to colonize. Naturalist William Bartram’s journey covered the Appalachian Mountains to Florida, as well as throughout the southeast to the Mississippi River. His chronicles, published collectively as Bartram’s Travels, may serve as an apt guide for those following the trail memorializing his journey. Within are a wealth of specimens, drawings, and observations about the people and landscape he encountered between 1773-1777.