A Washington native, Taylor grew up in 4-H and focused primarily on dog projects but also enjoyed natural resources, photography and public presentations. Those skills proved useful as he moved around the country, hiked incessantly, and eventually moved to Italy to teach science in Tuscany. In search of a local hiking guide, Taylor was surprised when none could be found online or at Tuscan book stores. “I began the laborious work of finding hikes based on maps and Italian websites,” said Taylor. “After ten or so hikes, I started to think I should keep track of this information and write my own book,” he added.

Selecting the fifty hikes combined passion and purpose for Taylor. He takes travelers to locations exploring mountains, forests, the coast and historic sites. “I wanted to take my experiences and share them with others to allow them to enjoy their trips to Italy to the fullest and offer them a completely different perspective than the Tuscany everyone expects. I wanted to share the wild, natural Tuscany with people,” said Taylor.

The book took two years to complete. Hikes are arranged by geographic region and each is ranked according to level of difficulty, distance, elevation change, wildflowers and the best months to visit. A separate area alerts readers to special visuals on each hike including bird watching, ecosystems, ruins and famous villages. Over one hundred photos capture vistas, streams, rock formations and mountain passages giving readers a sense of the unique area.

The most challenging part of the work for Taylor came when trying to perceive obstacles for others. “It’s one thing to head down a trail you’ve never done before and stumble your way around back to your car when time is not really that important. But, if you make a mistake, a wrong turn or get lost, suddenly you are thinking about how it could happen to a visitor and how it could really mess up a vacation,” he noted.

Taylor says being involved in 4-H helped him as a youth and through adulthood. “In 4-H I had an outlet where I could excel and was accepted by everyone,” said Taylor. “My motto has been to challenge yourself to take on things outside your comfort zone. I’ve always focused on learning and exploring. I want to help students better understand the world outside their door and inspire them by seeing that a kid from Tacoma can go anywhere and do anything if they make the decision to do it wholeheartedly.”

See color photos of Jeff Taylor’s hikes and detailed descriptions of his work at www.50hikesintuscany.com.

4-H alumni Jeff Taylor poses on one of his hikes in Tuscany.