It's 1970, and Rob and Jake luck out with high draft numbers in the first draft lottery to draft young men to fight in the Vietnam War. In Rob's brand-new Datsun hatchback, they set on a road trip with no fixed destination.Their journey begins at Duke University. With friends like Horney Ray, Doctor Boo, and Trimly Jimly, they witness anti-war protests, civil rights upheaval, and even an unexpected run-in with Janis Joplin at a campus party. History of the era unfolds around them as they chase adventure across the country.From the riotous Newport Jazz Festival to selling Lucky Dogs in New Orleans and encountering a street preacher known as the Apostle of Love, their travels become a crash course in life, independence, and self-discovery. Each new city - and each new character - brings them closer to understanding the world.A love letter to an era and a tale of youth on the brink of change, Richard C. Stuecker's COASTING AMERICA captures the spirit of the 1970's - a time of upheaval, music, restless dreams and the open road ahead.