Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places by Dan Westergren.
“National Geographic takes you on a photographic tour of the world’s most spectacular destinations, inspiring tangible ideas for your next trip. Hundreds of the most breathtaking locales–both natural and man-made–are illustrated with vivid images taken by the organization’s world-class photographers. These images, coupled with evocative text, feature a plethora of visual wonders: ancient monoliths, scenic islands, stunning artwork, electric cityscapes, white-sand seashores, rain forests, ancient cobbled streets, and both classic and innovative architecture. Loaded with hard service information for each location, Destinations of a Lifetime has it all: when to go, where to eat, where to stay, and what to do to ensure the most enriching and authentic experience,”–Amazon.com.
Ultimate Travel: Our List of the 500 Best Places to See… Ranked by Karyn Noble.
“This compilation of the 500 most unmissable sights and attractions in the world has been ranked by Lonely Planet’s global community of travel experts, so big name mega-sights such as the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal battle it out with lesser-known hidden gems for a prized place in the top 10, making this the only bucket list you’ll ever need. This definitive wish list of the best places to visit on earth is packed with insightful write-ups and inspiring photography to get you motivated to start ticking off your travel list,”–Amazon.com.
The World: a Traveller’s Guide to the Planetby Will Gourlay.
“Weʼve distilled 40 years of travel know-how into the first guidebook to our entire planet. In this ultimate A to Z, every country has a detailed map, essential facts, inspirational images and its mustsee highlights. Discover the highlights of 221 countries in glorious colour, explore your interests, plan itineraries and find out how to get around, Our authors share travel secrets and local insights, Includes 228 maps, 700 images and 1595 highlights (approx. 2-5 pages per country)”–publisher’s web site.
Abroad at Home: The 600 Best International Travel Experiences in North America.
Take a trip around the globe—without ever leaving North America. Ideal for those who don’t want to spend the time or money to travel the world, this book presents a potpourri of international experiences in the United States and Canada. Discover the villages, neighborhoods, and regions that cover the breadth of North America’s great global diversity—Chinatowns and Little Italys, of course, but also Polish, German, French, Russian, and Japanese enclaves. You’ll learn the inside scoop on where to find the best Chinese pot stickers or Peruvian causas; where to kick up your heels to polka; and how to celebrate Japanese new year or Mexican flag day. Abroad at Home provides in-depth travel guidance to help you feel international in your own backyard.
The Best Place to Be Today: 365 Things to Do & the Perfect Day to Do Them by Sarah Baxter.
Find the best thing to do every day of the year, from one-day events like India’s Holi festival or the cheese-rolling race at Cooper’s Hill in England, to seasonal events like Alaska’s caribou migration and weather-dependent adventures like completing the Tour de Mont Blanc. This vibrant, practical and addictive book covers the 365 best festivals, sporting events, adventures and natural phenomena.
No Baggage: A Minimalist Tale of Love and Wandering by Clara Bensen.
“Newly recovered from a quarter-life meltdown, Clara Bensen decided to test her comeback by signing up for an online dating account. She never expected to meet Jeff, a wildly energetic university professor with a reputation for bucking convention. They barely know each other’s last names when they agree to set out on a risky travel experiment spanning eight countries and three weeks. The catch? No hotel reservations, no plans, and best of all, no baggage. Clara’s story will resonate with adventurers and homebodies alike–it’s at once a romance, a travelogue, and a bright modern take on the age-old questions: How do you find the courage to explore beyond your comfort zone? Can you love someone without the need for labels and commitment? Is it possible to truly leave your baggage behind?,”–Amazon.com.
Lonely Planet’s Wild World by Nick Mee.
Collects breath-taking images from around the world that create a compelling portrait of each continent
The Book of Wanderings: A Mother-Daughter Pilgrimage by Kimberly Meyer.
To a mother and daughter on an illuminating pilgrimage, this is what the desert said: Carry only what you need. Burn what can’t be saved. Leave the remnants as an offering. When Kimberly Meyer gave birth to her first daughter, Ellie, during her senior year of college, the bohemian life of exploration she had once imagined for herself was lost in the responsibilities of single motherhood. For years, both mother and daughter were haunted by how Ellie came into being–Kimberly through a restless ache for the world beyond, Ellie through a fear of abandonment. Longing to bond with Ellie, now a college student, and longing, too, to rediscover herself, Kimberly sets off with her daughter on a quest for meaning across the globe.
Portage: A Family, a Canoe, and the Search for the Good Life by Sue Leaf.
When as a child she first saw a canoe gliding on Lake Alexander in central Minnesota, Sue Leaf was mesmerized. The enchantment stayed with her and shimmers throughout this book as we join Leaf and her family in canoeing the waterways of North America, always on the lookout for the good life amid the splendors and surprises of the natural world. The journey begins with a trip to the border lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, then wanders into the many beautiful little rivers of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the provincial parks of Canada, the Louisiana bayou, and the arid West. Traveling the routes of the Ojibwe, voyageurs, and map-making explorers, she reflects on the region’s history, peopling her pages with Lewis and Clark, Jean Lafitte, Henry Schoolcraft, and Canada’s Group of Seven artists. Part travelogue, part natural and cultural history, Portage is the memoir of one family’s thirty-five-year venture into the watery expanse of the world.
Under the Stars: How America Fell in Love with Camping by Dan White.
“From the Sierras to the Adirondacks and the Everglades, from remote wildernesses to public campgrounds and RV meccas, Dan White travels across America, searching through its history and landscapes to tell the story of how camping took hold of the national imagination and evolved alongside a changing country. Whether he has sought out the quietest place in the continental United States, gone on safari in California, or joined a girls-only adventure for urban teens, Dan White’s wide-ranging enthusiasm and openness, his humor and insight reveals a vast and varied population of nature seekers, a nation still in love with its wild places”– Provided by publisher.
Happy Reading!