Travel

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, July 2017; written by Lisa Pearson.

Going somewhere? If your future plans include a trip off the rock, there are plenty of resources at the Ketchikan Public Library to help you with your preparations. We have a wide range of travel books, including general guidebooks such as Fodor’s, Rick Steves and Lonely Planet. These series cover over 50 countries ranged across 6 continents. We also have books for those looking for unusual travel destinations and experiences, and for the armchair traveler interested in learning more about other cultures. There is a good sampling of these different types of offerings on the New Book shelves right now.

“Traveler’s guide to Alaskan camping: Alaskan and Yukon camping with RV or tent” is a great nuts-and-bolts guide for folks looking to camp their way across Alaska. Written primarily for RV travel, the book covers over 500 campgrounds throughout Alaska and the Canadian border regions. There are no color photos or flowery descriptions of must-see sights, but if you need to know where you can park your 40-foot RV, pump out your septic tank, or get a hot shower, this is your guide. Authors Mike and Terri Church write a number of different camping guidebooks, and the Alaska edition is now in it’s 20th year. Alaska is one of the premier vacation destinations in the world. Why not try heading North on your next vacation?

We have many guidebooks that cover Portland, Oregon but if you are looking for a different way to see the city, try “Walking with Ramona: exploring Beverly Cleary’s Portland” by Laura Foster. It’s a slim book, but it does a lovely job of melding Portland history, a biography of Beverly Cleary, and an appreciation of her most beloved characters: the Quimby sisters and Henry Huggins. If you are a fan of Beverly Cleary, a walking tour enthusiast, or someone looking for a different aspect of Portland to explore, this is a very fun guide. As a young girl, I lived a couple miles from the Grant Park neighborhood where Cleary grew up, so I enjoyed reading this book as an armchair traveler.

“Ancient America: fifty archeological sites to see for yourself” by Kenneth Feder can be used in two ways. If you are already planning a road trip south, look to see if there are any of these impressive sites to add onto your itinerary. If you haven’t picked a destination - or theme - for your next family vacation, consider an archeological trip that will blend history, culture, and natural beauty. Mound cities, cave dwellings, and petroglyphs are impressive reminders of the continent’s First Peoples and the cultures that flourished around the Ohio River valley and the Four Corners area, which is where most of these sites are located. For each site, Feder presents a detailed description of what the visitor will see, as well as the historical and cultural significance of the site. He also includes helpful information such as ease of access, entrance fees, peak season, and whether or not it is kid-friendly (bored children make poor traveling companions). If you are looking for a different kind of vacation, this is an excellent place to start.

“Duck Season: eating, drinking, and other misadventures in Gascony - France’s last best place” is by David McAninch. Since he is a former editor of Saveur magazine, McAninch takes a food-centric approach to the southwest corner of France. His chapters range from shopping at the local market to wandering through vineyards; from pigeon hunting to duck confit (Gascons eat a lot of duck). Much like Peter Mayle’s delightful “A Year in Provence”, McAninch gives the reader a real feeling for the personalities and pace of life in southern France, and does it all with a great deal of humor. Patiently cooked meals, enjoyed at an even slower pace, in a beautiful sunny countryside all add up to an enviable way of life. By the time you are finished with “Duck Season”, you will want to go to Gascony. You may even feel brave enough to try the recipes in the back of the book.