Travel Lit

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, July 2016; written by Tammy Dinsmore

Are travels in your plans this summer? This year for me, it’s dreaming of that special road trip or even a trip to Europe. That’s why I picked up some travel guides from the library. It doesn’t hurt to plan ahead!

In “Road Trip U.S.A.: Cross-Country Adventures on America’s Two-Lane Highways” by Jamie Jensen, there are eleven trips highlighted, the five major ones being North to South and the others from the West Coast to the East Coast. All trips are, as the title suggests, on two-lane roads whenever possible, with side trips here and there. Ever heard of the Extraterrestrial Highway? Me neither, but it’s northwest of Las Vegas and apparently where a number of UFO –spotters go. Who knew?

I’m having fun just perusing the pages of this book, and even if you don’t follow the trips plotted out mile by mile, hitting a couple of the off-the-beaten-path places mentioned would be fun.

If you are interested in taking in the history or culture of the U.S., take a peek at “50 Great American Places: Essential Historic Sites across the U.S.” by Brent D. Glass. A few of the sites mentioned in the book are: Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, The Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, Malls of America in Minnesota, and The Presidio in San Francisco. At the end of each chapter are websites to look at and a list of nearby places to visit while you are there.

I have to admit I’ve only been to a very few of these places, so that just gives me more incentive to do some more traveling!

Are you a single woman fearful of traveling alone? “Time to Take Flight: The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Safe Solo Travel” by Jayne Seagrave has good tips for the individual traveler. While this book is geared more towards the “more mature” woman, there a number of tips that would apply to any traveler, like planning, budgeting, and packing. Included are 23 recommended places to visit not just in North America, but Europe as well.

Traveling with older family members who have mental or physical disabilities can be a challenge, but in “Planes, Canes and Automobiles: Connecting with Your Aging Parents Through Travel” by Valerie M. Grubb, travel is not impossible. According to the author, planning is the key to having a good trip. Knowing what your travel companion’s limitations are and going with the flow is essential. Also included are chapters on traveling with children, traveling with your adult children and “Senior to Senior” advice. I wish I had had some of this information a long time ago!

In addition to these four books, we have the newest editions of “The MilePost” for you Alaska bound folks, the “Rand McNally Road Atlas”, which includes maps of all 50 states, Canada and Mexico, and a great number of travel guides for places all over the globe.