Travel & Travel Writing

Edward Abbey is a grumpy, offensive desert rat. It is this boldness and direct attitude that makes this book so good. His short, punchy prose is packed with both interesting facts about the Utah desert and his own brand of radical environmentalism, but it’s his vivid descriptions of the desert that make you want what any good nature book should make you want: to get outside!

This is a collection of original travel stories told by some of the world’s best contemporary novelists—including Isabel Allende, Peter Matthiessen, Alexander McCall Smith, Joyce Carol Oates, and Tea Obreht. What surprised me about the collection was its never-ending breadth, not just in destination (we visit the span of the world from San Quentin prison, to Rome, Antarctica, India, or the Sudan) but also the keenly observant voice and narrative that is immediate with each author. Some of these authors tell of journeys so quirky and hysterical, that it’s hard to believe that the stories are true, and not an imposition of their novelistic ways, but other essays our deeply affecting and observing, speaking to the seemingly polar emotions of kinship and also solitary inconsequentiality that can come with travel. This is guaranteed to please many on your gift-list and worth asking for on your wish list as well.

This nifty how-to will help you add savvy and glamour to your camping experience--whether that means hitting the road in your Airstream or creating a refuge in your own backyard. Maryjane, a 30 year camping veteran, has DIY advice on absolutely everything: buying and restoring a trailer, delicious open-flame cooking, toilets, mechanics, décor, and much more.

Ancient trails. Underwater chasms. Ice-clad peaks. This showcase of the world’s most thrilling adventures takes you by boot, pedal or paddle to awe-inspiring natural spectacles and on adrenalin-charged feats of endeavor. From swimming with whale sharks to paragliding Mont Blanc, this new book will inspire travelers—and delight readers—in search of the most spectacular adventures.

I’ve wanted to visit the Serengeti since I was a little girl. As of now, I have not had the opportunity, but this stunning book makes me feel like I’m there. Using hidden cameras, Shah captured the passage of a year on the plains, automatically taking pictures of whatever came along, offering a rare glimpse of an untamed land and some very curious animals—including lions, elephants, cheetahs, and monkeys. This is a beautiful, incredibly unique book.

When we travel, it’s often love at first bite. Food Lover’s Guide to the World presents a lifetime of eating experiences that will lead you from one end of the globe to the other. This beautiful guide includes the best places to find local dishes in cities great and small, cultural tips and how-to-eat etiquette, introductions by Mark Bittman and James Oseland, and more than 50 recipes to cook back home.

“Santella spans the globe on two wheels in his newest book, the ninth in his bestselling Fifty Places series, taking readers—and riders—from Italy to Iowa. Anchored by spectacular photography, Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die offers as much inspiration as it does information with tips on potential routes, when to go, and where to stay along the way. This is a beautiful book that will have you packing your sunscreen for Sardinia one minute and an extra layer for Alberta’s Icefields Parkway the next.” —Portland Monthly magazine

What would it be like to give up everything and attempt to live off the land? Chris McCandless attempted this endeavor donating all his money to charity and cutting off communication to the world to make his way into the great white North – Alaska. Krakauer describes his devastating death with the clarity and foresight of a journalist yet with the passion of a fellow nature-lover.

If you enjoy hiking, camping, trees, bears, granola bars, backpacking, lakes, or noodles you need to read this book. Bryson makes me want to call in sick for the next year, spending the time wandering the forest without having to worry about a schedule. Plus the writing is intelligent and hilarious. Anyone want to walk the John Muir Trail with me next month?

Let the armchair traveler in you get swept away by this excellent travelogue. It’s a good chance to learn a little something about Peru and the history of the Lost City, as well as a darn good adventure tale well-seasoned with humor and reflection. As the Wall Street Journal says, “Adams deftly weaves together Inca history, Bingham’s story and his own less heroic escapade…. [A] wry, revealing romp through the Andes.”