Isabella Lucy Bird suffered many illnesses, and her doctor recommended an open-air life. Bird left her native England and began her travels. From New Zealand to Hawaii, she moved to Colorado in 1873 because her heard the air was excellent for the 'infirm.' Bird covered over 800 miles in the Rocky Mountains in 1873, mostly alone. Her letters to her sister about her travels document her adventures and were published as "A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains."

Bird was one of the first women to ascend Long's Peak. Her descriptive writing of the flora and fauna, the mountains and valleys, the sunsets and sunrises are spiritual. The people she met and the struggles she incurred make you admire her and glad you can travel with her by reading her letters.