american travel books

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The best american travel books ever written (usa), a collection of usa travelogues, guide books, tales of adventure and the great outdoors..

We bring you a selection of the best American travel books ever written.

Land of the free; home of the brave; the land of milk and honey; the melting pot; los Estados Unidos; or as we Brits say “The land across the pond”; whatever you may call the land of opportunity you will surely agree with the Chinese name for the U.S.A: “Mei-Guo” which literally means – beautiful country.

Probably the worlds only real super power (Vladimir Putin’s words, not mine), it is also an incredibly super country, with especially lovely people. Fifty exceedingly diverse states, could just as easily be fifty individual countries with their own separate cultures.

From a travel writers perspective the ‘States’ has everything you can imagine or ever need. From mountains to beaches; some of the biggest cities and urban metropolises, to quaint rural towns and villages; epic geology and landscapes, a wealth of flora and fauna, and food and drink across the spectrum. It may lack the age of its Europeans cousins, but it has certainly crammed a lot into such a short period. A wealth of material, for any type of travel book.

Without further ado lets crack on with our list of the best American travel books –

Note: Travel Mono may receive a small commission from any affiliate link used to make a purchase, but there is no extra cost to the customer. We use the funds to help keep the site running.

Best American Travel Books –

Travels with Charley: In search of America by John Steinbeck

“To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the light—these were John Steinbeck’s goals as he set out, at the age of fifty-eight, to rediscover the country he had been writing about for so many years.

With Charley, his French poodle, Steinbeck drives the interstates and the country roads, dines with truckers, encounters bears at Yellowstone and old friends in San Francisco. Along the way he reflects on the American character, racial hostility, the particular form of American loneliness he finds almost everywhere, and the unexpected kindness of strangers.”

Available in Hardcover, Paperback & Audible Formats

• Buy this book on Amazon

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

“Inspired by Jack Kerouac’s adventures with Neal Cassady,  On the Road  tells the story of two friends whose cross-country road trips are a quest for meaning and true experience. Written with a mixture of sad-eyed naiveté and wild ambition and imbued with Kerouac’s love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his sense of language as jazz,  On the Road  is the quintessential American vision of freedom and hope, a book that changed American literature and changed anyone who has ever picked it up.”

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

“This cult classic of gonzo journalism is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.”

Available in Hardcover, Paperback, eBook & Audible Formats

I’m a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America after Twenty Years Away by Bill Bryson

“After living in Britain for two decades, Bill Bryson recently moved back to the United States with his English wife and four children (he had read somewhere that nearly 3 million Americans believed they had been abducted by aliens — as he later put it, “it was clear my people needed me”). They were greeted by a new and improved America that boasts microwave pancakes, twenty-four-hour dental-floss hotlines, and the staunch conviction that ice is not a luxury item.”

Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

“Life on the Mississippi” (1883) is a memoir by Mark Twain of his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before the American Civil War, and also a travel book, recounting his trip along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to New Orleans many years after the War.”

Available in Hardcover, Paperback & eBook Formats

• Download for free in all eBook formats (Copyright has expired)

In Search of Nice Americans by Geoff Steward

“Turning his back on the British legal profession and the requirement to account for every six minutes of his time, Geoff Steward ventures off-grid and on the road across America. From New York to Alaska, he tries to fend for himself without his trusty PA, the unflappable Charmaine, for whom contentment lies in Jesus Christ and custard creams.”

Available in Paperback & Kindle Formats

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

“In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter.  How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of  Into the Wild .”

A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins

“I started out searching for myself and my country,” Peter Jenkins writes, “and found both.” In this timeless classic, Jenkins describes how disillusionment with society in the 1970’s drove him out onto the road on a walk across America. His experiences remain as sharp and telling today as they were twenty-five years ago — from the timeless secrets of life, learned from a mountain-dwelling hermit, to the stir he caused by staying with a black family in North Carolina, to his hours of intense labor in Southern mills. Many, many miles later, he learned lessons about his country and himself that resonate to this day — and will inspire a new generation to get out, hit the road and explore.”

Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America’s Wild Frontier by Stephen E. Ambrose

“This was much more than a bunch of guys out on an exploring and collecting expedition. This was a military expedition into hostile territory’. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson selected his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead a pioneering voyage across the Great Plains and into the Rockies. It was completely uncharted territory; a wild, vast land ruled by the Indians. Charismatic and brave, Lewis was the perfect choice and he experienced the savage North American continent before any other white man. UNDAUNTED COURAGE is the tale of a hero, but it is also a tragedy.”

In the Temple of Wolves: A Winter’s Immersion in Wild Yellowstone  by Rick Lamplugh

“This Amazon best seller is written by a wolf advocate who spent three winters living and working in a remote corner of Yellowstone National Park, home to some of the best wolf watching in the world.”

Available in Paperback & eBook Formats

Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom   by  Ken Ilgunas

“In this frank and witty memoir, Ken Ilgunas lays bare the existential terror of graduating from the University of Buffalo with $32,000 of student debt. Ilgunas set himself an ambitious mission: get out of debt as quickly as possible. Inspired by the frugality and philosophy of Henry David Thoreau, Ilgunas undertook a 3-year transcontinental jour¬ney, working in Alaska as a tour guide, garbage picker, and night cook to pay off his student loans before hitchhiking home to New York.

Debt-free, Ilgunas then enrolled in a master’s program at Duke University, determined not to borrow against his future again. He used the last of his savings to buy himself a used Econoline van and outfitted it as his new dorm. The van, stationed in a campus parking lot, would be more than an adventure—it would be his very own “Walden on Wheels.”

Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada  by John Muir Laws

The most comprehensive field guide to the natural wonders of the Range of Light! The Sierra Nevada.

Available in Hardcover, Paperback Format

Driving Miss Norma: One Family’s Journey Saying “Yes” to Living by Tim Bauerschmidt

“When Miss Norma was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she was advised to undergo surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. But instead of confining herself to a hospital bed for what could be her last stay, Miss Norma—newly widowed after nearly seven decades of marriage—rose to her full height of five feet and told her doctor, “I’m ninety years old. I’m hitting the road.”

And so Miss Norma took off on an unforgettable around-the-country journey in a thirty-six-foot motor home with her retired son Tim, his wife Ramie, and their dog Ringo.

As this once timid woman says “yes” to living in the face of death, she tries regional foods for the first time, reaches for the clouds in a hot air balloon, and mounts up for a horseback ride. With each passing mile (and one educational visit to a cannabis dispensary), Miss Norma’s health improves and conversations that had once been taboo begin to unfold. Norma, Tim, and Ramie bond in ways they had never done before, and their definitions of home, family, and friendship expand. Stop by stop, state by state, they meet countless people from all walks of life—strangers who become fast friends and welcome them with kindness and open hearts.”

The United States of Laughter: One Comedian’s Journey Through All 50 States by Andrew Tarvin

“At the age of 31, Andrew Tarvin made the very practical decision to rid himself of most of his belongings, leave his Midtown apartment in NYC, and travel the country out of two carry-on bags. In 12 months, he traveled 92,358 miles, did 215 events, and spoke or performed in all 50 states (yes, even Wyoming).

Along the way, he collected 50 stories from 50 states. Stories of adventure, like fending off a bear in Alaska, stories of deliciousness, like eating a Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo Burrito in Montana, and stories of people, like meeting his newest fan in Pringle, South Dakota, population: 112.

Through his journey, he discovered that, despite what we may see on the news or read on the internet, there is one thing that unites all Americans: laughter. As he traveled around the country, he found connection through comedy and realized we are all more alike than we are different, no matter what state we call home.”

Available in Paperback, eBook & Audible Formats

In Search of America’s Heartbeat: Twelve Months on the Road by Robert H Mottram

“They lived the secret dream of countless American couples; a year on the road that took them more than 30,000 miles into the far-flung corners of the nation. Along the way they came face-to-face with grief, but also with the warmth and humanity of America and its people. A grandson of Russian immigrants and award-winning journalist celebrates America in a wonderful, upbeat story chock-full of Americana. It will tell you things about your country that you probably didn’t know.”

Live It: Riding the Highs and Lows of a Cross Country Dream by Tracy Draper

“Long sidelined from any kind of athletic endeavors in order to manage the demands of motherhood, Tracy Draper quietly harbored a dream to ride her bike more than 3,000 miles across the country. Every year, hundreds of cyclists ride register with private touring groups to travel by bike from coast to coast.

But instead of taking a credit-card tour, this longtime supporter of a myriad of causes recruited and organized her own team of cyclists to tackle the continental challenge in support of America’s wounded veterans. Her story perches readers on the front lines of a monumental challenge that tested everything from the rubber on desert-scorched tires to the group dynamics of herding sometimes-exhausted cyclists across a continent. In a voice both humbling and inspiring, she tells a story of hardships and life-defining moments.

Her trek takes readers across the country and introduces them to a cast that includes selfless Navajo Indians, unsung heroes of military sacrifice, and middle-class Americans who opened their homes and checkbooks to a band of strangers. It is also a story that takes us from a comfortable spot on the couch to place where we can envision what is possible when you have a bike and a dream.”

One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey by Sam Keith

This best-selling memoir from Richard Proenneke’s journals and with firsthand knowledge of his subject and the setting, Sam Keith has woven a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond.  To live in a pristine land unchanged by man . . . to roam a wilderness through which few other humans has passed . . . to choose an idyllic site, cut trees by hand, and build a log cabin. . . to be self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available…to be not at odds with the world, but content with one’s own thoughts, dreams and company.  Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. This book is a moving account of the day-to-day explorations and activities Dick carried out alone….alone in the wilderness…and the constant chain of nature’s events that kept him company.

Temperance Creek: A Memoir by Pamela Royes

In the early seventies, some of us were shot like stars from our parents’ homes. This was an act of nature, bigger than ourselves. In the austere beauty and natural reality of Hell’s Canyon of Eastern Oregon, one hundred miles from pavement, Pam, unable to identify with her parent’s world and looking for deeper pathways has a chance encounter with returning Vietnam warrior Skip Royes. Skip, looking for a bridge from survival back to connection, introduces Pam to the vanishing culture of the wandering shepherd and together they embark on a four-year sojourn into the wilderness. From the back of a horse, Pam leads her packstring of readers from overlook to water crossing, down trails two thousand years old, and from the vantages she chooses for us, we feel the edges of our own experiences. It is a memoir of falling in love with a place and a man and the price extracted for that love.

Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook by Andrew Doughty

“The finest guidebook ever written for the Big Island. Now you can plan your best vacation ever. This all new eighth edition is a candid, humorous guide to everything there is to see and do on the Big Island.

Best-selling author and longtime Hawaii resident, Andrew Doughty, unlocks the secrets of an island so vast and diverse that many visitors never realize all that it has to offer. Explore with him as he reveals breathtaking trails, secluded beaches, pristine reefs, delicious places to dine, relaxing resorts, an active volcano and so much more. Every restaurant, activity provider, business and resort is reviewed personally and anonymously. This book and a rental car are all you need to discover what makes the Big Island so exciting.”

Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America’s Two-Lane Highways by Jamie Jensen

“Jamie Jensen was immersed in road trip culture from an early age. He grew up in Southern California, back when freeways were new, cheeseburgers cost a quarter, and every beach had a beachfront amusement park. After a three-year stint bumming around the country, making hay in Kansas, and ghostwriting a book for the Grateful Dead, Jamie set to work researching and writing Road Trip USA. Since then he’s traveled more than 400,000 miles in search of the perfect stretch of two-lane blacktop.”

Available in Paperback Format

Off the Beaten Path: A Travel Guide to More Than 1000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting by Reader’s Digest

Off the Beaten Path  spotlights over 1,000 of the United States’ most overlooked must- see destinations.  Plan an unforgettable vacation with this best-selling travel book-a super-easy reference that shows you where to go, how to get there, and what you need to know before you begin your adventure.

Available in Hardcover Format

Roadfood – 10th Edition: An Eater’s Guide to More Than 1,000 of the Best Local Hot Spots and Hidden Gems Across America by Jane Stern

“A cornucopia for road warriors and armchair epicures alike,  Roadfood  is a road map to some of the tastiest treasures in the United States.

First published in 1977, the original  Roadfood  became an instant classic. James Beard said, “This is a book that you should carry with you, no matter where you are going in these United States. It’s a treasure house of information.” The 40th anniversary edition of  Roadfood  includes 1,000 of America’s best local eateries along highways and back roads, with nearly 200 new listings, as well as a brand new design.”

Available in Paperback, eBook and Spiral-Bound Formats

Your Guide to the National Parks: The Complete Guide to all 59 National Parks by Michael Joseph Oswald

“This award-winning guide, completely updated for the 2017 edition, includes more than 450 new photographs, 160 revised maps, and 50 hiking tables, making it the only guidebook you’ll need to explore the United States National Parks.”

We hope you found our list of the best American travel books useful. If you have any feedback or suggestions please let us know in the comments section below.

If you are a writer or publisher who believe you have a book worthy of our list please check out our review submission guidelines.

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15 Best Travel Books for the USA

Looking for the best travel books for exploring the USA ? Here are my top picks for 2024 printed travel guides…

Traveling in the USA is a dream for many people because the country offers a diverse array of landscapes, cultures, and experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or you’re embarking on your first adventure, having the right travel guide can make all the difference in ensuring that you make the most of your trip.

A travel guidebook not only offers suggestions for places to see, eat, and stay but also provides travel tips to help you navigate the vast, and sometimes overwhelming, options in the USA. From learning about national parks and regional highlights to understanding the local customs and dining scenes, a good travel guide can be an invaluable companion on your journey.

When choosing a travel guide , it’s essential to consider your specific interests, travel style, and the kind of information you need. Some guides focus on budget travel , while others cater to luxury experiences or adventure seekers. Additionally, the format — print or digital — plays a crucial role in determining how accessible and up-to-date the information is.

After extensive research and testing, I’ve compiled a list of the best travel guides for the USA that cater to various needs, making your trip planning smooth and enjoyable. So, let’s dive in and find the perfect guide for your adventure.

Best Travel Books for USA Road Trips

I have gathered a list of the best travel guides for exploring the magnificent USA. These handy books will help make your journey smooth and unforgettable.

Fodor’s Best Road Trips in the USA

Fodor’s “Best Road Trips in the USA” is a must-have guide for anyone planning epic road trips across the United States.

• Comprehensive coverage of all 50 states
• Full-color, visually appealing guide
• Well-organized, easy-to-follow format
• Some trips may lack details about nearby attractions
• Book size and text size may be small for some readers
• Not spiral-bound, which some users might prefer

I recently used Fodor’s “Best Road Trips in the USA” to plan a memorable journey across the country. This guide did not disappoint because it provided an extensive list of epic trips across all 50 states. The full-color photography and design made it a visually engaging companion throughout my travels.

The organization and format of the book made it easy to explore different routes and plan my stops accordingly. Each trip featured in the guide was well thought out, and I discovered amazing gems that I might have otherwise missed.

However, I did find that some trips in the book could have provided more detailed information on the attractions and landmarks nearby, including national parks . This would have been helpful in making the most of my time on the road.

Moon USA State by State: The Best Things to Do in Every State for Your Travel Bucket List

I highly recommend this travel guide for uncovering the hidden gems of the USA and planning the ultimate bucket list trip.

• Comprehensive and well-organized
• Includes unique and offbeat attractions
• Suitable for travelers with varying interests
• Lacks information on small towns
• Could use more details about accommodations and dining
• Content may not suffice for those seeking exhaustive information about each state

“Moon USA State by State: The Best Things to Do in Every State for Your Travel Bucket List” is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to explore each state in America. I found the guide to be an excellent tool for planning my travels and discovering lesser-known attractions that I wouldn’t have found on my own. It offers a diverse range of suggestions, catering to various interests suitable for all types of travelers.

The guide is well-organized with each state receiving its dedicated section. I found this quite helpful when mapping out my journey and making a list of must-see spots. Additionally, the focus on unique and offbeat attractions really made my exploration feel more personalized and exciting.

However, the book doesn’t delve deeply into smaller towns and may not cater to those looking for comprehensive information about lodging and dining options. While it doesn’t hinder the main goal of offering interesting and lesser-known sites to visit, it could be an area of improvement for future editions.

Lonely Planet Southwest USA’s Best Trips 4 (Road Trips Guide)

I highly recommend this travel guide for an unforgettable road trip experience in the Southwest USA.

• Comprehensive coverage of must-visit attractions
• User-friendly layout and organization
• Engaging writing style
• Maps could be improved
• Limited off-the-beaten-path suggestions
• Slightly heavy for on-the-go carrying

As a seasoned traveler, I find Lonely Planet’s “Southwest USA’s Best Trips” to be an excellent resource for planning the perfect road trip across the scenic landscapes of Southwest USA. The guide offers a wide range of richly detailed itineraries that cater to various interests, ensuring a memorable travel experience that’s tailored to your preferences.

I appreciate the book’s user-friendly organization, with well-labeled sections and logical groupings of attractions. It makes it easy to find the information I need quickly, allowing for smooth navigation and efficient trip planning. The engaging writing style used throughout the book paints a vivid picture of the places to visit, making the whole planning process an enjoyable experience.

However, I found that some of the maps included in the guide could have offered more detail and accuracy. Additionally, if you are someone who enjoys exploring lesser-known places, you may find that the guide’s focus on popular attractions leaves you craving more off-the-beaten-path recommendations.

Despite being packed with valuable information, the guide is slightly on the heavier side, which can be a minor inconvenience when carrying it with you throughout your trip. Nevertheless, I believe Lonely Planet’s “Southwest USA’s Best Trips” is a must-have for anyone planning to embark on an unforgettable journey through the beautiful Southwest USA.

Fodor’s Best Weekend Road Trips (Full-Color Travel Guide)

I recommend Fodor’s “Best Weekend Road Trips” for those looking to explore the USA with concise yet inspiring itineraries.

• Great trip ideas
• Highly readable
• Beautiful full-color presentation
• Lack of detailed information
• Limited local destinations
• Trips may require additional travel days

I found this book to be a fantastic source of inspiration for my USA road trips. The assortment of weekend getaways ranges from scenic drives to city escapes, with each suggestion sparking my wanderlust. Additionally, the full-color images and easy-to-read format make planning these trips a visually appealing experience.

When delving into specific itineraries, I realized that Fodor’s provides a good starting point, but lacks a certain level of detail I’d need for an extensive trip. Some travelers may find this to be a limiting factor while planning their getaways, especially if they want comprehensive information about local destinations.

Additionally, keep in mind that some trips may require you to reach a certain area first, meaning extra travel days might be necessary depending on your starting point. As a well-traveled person, I found that many local areas featured were already familiar to me, but the book was still useful in helping me discover new destinations.

The Rough Guide to the 100 Best Places in the USA

An essential and inspiring guide for travelers exploring the United States, featuring a diverse range of must-see destinations.

• In-depth information regarding diverse locations
• Beautiful and top-quality photographs
• Easy-to-navigate and well-organized layout
• Hardcover and slightly heavy
• Geared toward more popular destinations
• Limited information on local suggestions

Upon receiving “The Rough Guide to the 100 Best Places in the USA,” I was immediately captivated by the stunning images and the vast variety of information covered in this guide. Not only did it have details on the iconic tourist spots, but it also opened my eyes to a plethora of lesser-known gems in the country.

The organization of the book made it quite simple for me to plan my trips as the information was broken down into regions. Each destination had a dedicated section, making it easy to flip through and digest the content quickly. Moreover, the pictures alone were enough to spark my wanderlust, making it exciting for me to plan my upcoming visits.

However, I noticed that the book is a bit on the heavier side, which could be cumbersome to carry around during trips. As much as I loved the comprehensive information on popular tourist attractions, there were instances where I wished it had more recommendations on local insights, like hidden restaurants or lesser-known trails.

The Open Road: 50 Best Road Trips in the USA (Travel Guide)

I believe that traveling enthusiasts should definitely consider purchasing this guidebook as it’s filled with great tips for unforgettable USA road trip adventures .

• Comprehensive coverage of diverse trips
• Provides “best of” lists for various categories
• Easy geographic organization for trip planning
• Small font size might be challenging for some readers
• Some sections may be too brief for in-depth information
• Focus on restaurants and wineries might be unnecessary for some

After exploring this travel guide , I found its comprehensive listing of 50 road trips to be quite inspiring. It covers various destinations, landscapes, and travel times, catering to different preferences and personalities. I truly enjoyed the “best of” lists for categories like scenic routes, quirky attractions, and budget-friendly trips.

The geographic organization of road trips is convenient, especially for those planning journeys around specific regions. While I appreciated the attempt to include a variety of helpful information, the print size was a bit too small for my liking, which made reading less enjoyable.

Interestingly, this travel guide also includes restaurant and winery recommendations. Though it may be helpful for some readers, others might find this information unnecessary for their road trip needs. Personally, I prefer focusing on attractions and natural sites.

Fodor’s Bucket List USA: From the Epic to the Eccentric, 500+ Ultimate Experiences

This travel guide is perfect for those who want a comprehensive and inspiring guide to lesser-known experiences in the USA.

• Wide array of destinations and experiences
• Clear and concise descriptions
• Full-color, visually appealing layout
• Some faulty pages reported regarding print quality
• Smaller format than expected
• May not cover all popular tourist spots

This travel guide has piqued my curiosity and introduced me to an array of places across the country — from epic landscapes to eccentric attractions. The book is organized by region, making it easy to plan my trips and find new destinations I hadn’t considered before.

One of the things I appreciate the most is that this travel guide doesn’t only provide information about famous attractions. It also focuses on lesser-known gems that contribute to a well-rounded and diverse experience. The entries are detailed, and the high-quality images set my expectations before visiting, making them even more exciting when finally at the destination.

However, I must mention that some might find the smaller format somewhat limiting. People with visual challenges or those who prefer larger prints may struggle a bit with this. Additionally, a few fellow reviewers reported issues with the print quality, but my copy was in perfect condition. If you’re looking for a guide with a more extensive list of popular tourist spots, this may not be your top choice.

Lonely Planet USA’s Best Trips

This guide is a must-have for anyone planning a USA road trip, with comprehensive trip ideas and useful information.

• Packed with diverse road trip options
• Covers various regions across the USA
• Includes useful information on places to visit
• Limited details on accommodation and dining options
• Some readers may find the historical perspective unbalanced
• May require additional research or resources for complete planning

I just started using Lonely Planet’s “USA’s Best Trips,” and I’m already in love with the diverse road trip routes it offers. The guide breaks down trips by region, so I can easily find options for the areas I’m most interested in exploring. It’s been an invaluable resource for me to start planning my next adventure.

The information about places to visit along each route is helpful, providing a sense of what each destination has to offer. However, I noticed that the guide is a bit lacking in terms of dining and lodging options. I have to turn to other resources to find places to stay and eat during my journey, which can be a bit inconvenient.

Aside from that, some readers may take issue with the treatment of historical context within the guide. While I appreciate the inclusion of history and cultural information, it’s essential to approach these topics objectively and consider the complexities of the past.

National Geographic Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways, 5th Edition

This guide is a fantastic companion for anyone looking to explore the scenic routes of the United States .

• Comprehensive coverage of 300 scenic drives
• Detailed and easy-to-follow directions
• Durable and high-quality printing
• Smaller size than expected
• Some popular routes may be crowded
• GPS coordinates not included

The National Geographic “Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways, 5th Edition” provides numerous picturesque routes to follow and allows you to discover hidden gems and spectacular places along the way, such as old Route 66 . The guide’s durability will easily withstand constant use even if your kids are fighting over who gets to look at it next.

I appreciated the guide’s easy-to-read format and informative descriptions. However, after receiving the book, I noticed its size was significantly smaller than expected. Despite the small size, the high-quality print and beautiful images did not disappoint.

On the other hand, one helpful addition would have been GPS coordinates for the starting and ending points of the scenic routes. And, some of the more popular routes will likely be quite busy with other tourists, which can be both a pro and a con depending on personal preference. If you prefer less crowded routes, check out alternative scenic drives.

Best Travel Guides for Visiting US National Parks

If you’re looking to explore US national parks, these travel guides will help you plan a more in-depth trip and expose you to options you might miss in some of the less detailed travel books.

Moon Best of Yellowstone & Grand Teton: Make the Most of One to Three Days in the Parks

Another winner from Moon Publishing, this is a must-have guide for an unforgettable experience in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks.

• Comprehensive and practical information
• Customized plans for various time frames
• Excellent advice on hikes and wildlife viewing
• Can be overwhelming with too many options
• Not enough visuals and maps
• May need supplement material for in-depth research

I particularly appreciated the variety of suggested itineraries presented in Moon’s “Best of Yellowstone & Grand Teton: Make the Most of One to Three Days in the Parks,” catering to different durations and interests.

Whether you have half a day or several days to spend in each park, the guide provides useful recommendations on what to see, when to visit, and which trails to hike. The author’s favorite hikes were spot on as they offered stunning views and memorable experiences.

Despite its many advantages, I did notice a few areas where the guide could improve. While the content was abundant and well-written, the lack of visuals and maps occasionally made it challenging to navigate and locate specific points of interest. In this regard, you might want to consult additional resources for more detailed geographical information.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that the guide is so packed with options that it can be overwhelming. You might find yourself struggling to prioritize which activities to pursue. Nevertheless, this is arguably a small issue compared to the overall value the book provides.

Fodor’s The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West

This travel guide is an essential companion for exploring the National Parks of the West thoroughly yet concisely.

• Comprehensive coverage of 38 western national parks
• Includes helpful itinerary suggestions
• Useful information on nearby towns for amenities and lodging
• Alphabetical organization instead of regional
• Lacks in-depth details for some parks

This book serves as a reliable source of information because it covers a whopping 38 parks, providing insightful suggestions on what to see and do within each one. It not only comes with recommendations for main attractions but also includes guidance for accommodations, dining, and supplies in nearby towns.

What I found less helpful, however, was the way the book was organized. The parks were listed alphabetically rather than regionally, making it slightly inconvenient to plan an efficient road trip. Additionally, I found that information on some of the parks was relatively basic and lacking in comprehensive details.

Best USA Destination Travel Guide Books

Sometimes, you’re not looking to explore the entire US but just a specific destination. These are a few of my favorite USA destination-specific travel guidebooks, all of which are available to purchase on Amazon.

Fodor’s California: With the Best Road Trips (Full-Color Travel Guide)

Fodor’s “California” is a comprehensive and colorful guide that’s perfect for those planning a road trip across the Golden State.

• Great variety of destinations and road trips
• Useful tips on dining and accommodation options
• Well-organized and user-friendly layout
• Lacks images of some attractions
• Missing information on some iconic places
• Physical book could be difficult to navigate

I found Fodor’s “California” to be a valuable resource for exploring different regions and planning memorable road trips. It features a wide range of attractions, accommodations, and dining options, allowing me to discover hidden gems and make the most of my trip.

However, I noticed that the guide lacks images of some attractions, which would have been helpful for visualizing destinations before visiting. In addition, the book omits information on some notable locations, such as the Reagan Library, Nixon Library, and La Brea Tar Pits, making it slightly incomplete for those interested in these specific landmarks.

While planning a future adventure, I appreciated the well-organized layout and user-friendly format. The inclusion of interesting facts and local insights added a personal touch to the experience, making me feel like I was part of the Californian culture.

On the downside, the physical book can be a bit challenging to navigate, especially because of its small print and inability to lay flat. An e-book option or a larger print edition would be welcome for travelers who may have difficulty reading small text.

Fodor’s Boston 25 Best (Full-Color Travel Guide)

This travel guide is a must-have for anyone planning to explore Boston for the first time or anyone who is rediscovering the city’s hidden gems.

• Comprehensive and well-written
• Compact and lightweight
• 128 pages of valuable information
• Limited to 25 best places
• Lacks detailed information about lesser-known spots
• May not cover recent changes in the city

Fodor’s “25 Best Boston” focuses on the 25 best places to visit in the city, making it a great resource for first-time visitors. The descriptions of each location are comprehensive and well-written, providing engaging insights into the history, significance, and atmosphere of each attraction.

The compact size and lightweight design of the guide made it easy to carry around as I traversed Boston’s historic streets. The 128 pages of valuable information ensured that I maximized my limited time in the city, visiting the top attractions and having unforgettable experiences.

However, I must admit that the guide has a few limitations. Since it is primarily centered around the 25 best places in Boston, it lacks detailed information on lesser-known spots that might be of interest to seasoned travelers or those interested in niche attractions.

Additionally, given that the book’s publication date is back in 2018, there might be updates or changes in the city that the guide doesn’t cover.

Fodor’s Pacific Northwest

Fodor’s “Pacific Northwest” is a comprehensive guide for travelers looking to explore the beautiful landscapes and cities of the Pacific Northwest.

• Up-to-date information and reviews
• Covers major attractions in the region
• Full-color, high-quality photos
• Poor bookbinding and print quality
• Lacks coverage of some key destinations
• Maps could use more detail

As I recently planned a trip to the Pacific Northwest , I found Fodor’s “Pacific Northwest” guide to be a helpful companion. From exploring Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver to discovering the charm of small towns and the beauty of Oregon and Washington, this well-rounded guide came in handy.

The book is filled with up-to-date information and insightful reviews of attractions, accommodations, and dining options throughout the region. The full-color and high-quality photos were visually appealing, providing a glimpse into what to expect in each destination. I genuinely appreciated the coverage of major attractions, such as Crater Lake National Park and Pike Place Market.

However, as much as I enjoyed using the guide, I was disappointed by its binding and print quality. It was difficult to read content near the bind, and the photos weren’t as sharp as the older Fodor’s guides that I’ve used in the past.

Plus, I felt that the guide could have covered a few more key destinations in the region, making it more comprehensive. Lastly, while the maps were helpful, they lacked the detail I needed to navigate some areas precisely.

Fodor’s Essential Southwest

This is a comprehensive guide for exploring the best of the Southwest in the US, but keep in mind its older publication date requires double-checking all the details before making plans.

• Extensive coverage of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah
• Full-color illustrations and maps
• Thorough descriptions of natural sites and scenic drives
• Publication date means it may not have up-to-date details
• Some users reported missing pages in their copies
• Paper quality may not be as high as in previous Fodor’s guides

After recently using Fodor’s “Essential Southwest” for my journey through the American Southwest, I found it to be quite informative and valuable. The guide covers a vast region, including Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, which allowed me to plan my trip efficiently.

I particularly enjoyed the full-color illustrations and maps included in the guide. They not only provided an excellent visual aid but also helped me get a better sense of the areas I was visiting. Additionally, the book offers thorough descriptions of natural sites, scenic drives, and various activities, which helped me maximize my time at each destination.

One downside, however, is that the 2021 publication date means that certain information may not accurately reflect the current state of things, such as open restaurants and hotels. I would recommend double-checking all details before making plans to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Another issue some users encountered was missing pages in their copies. Though I did not personally experience this, it is something to be aware of when purchasing. Lastly, the paper quality seems to be lower compared to previous editions of Fodor’s guides. While this did not impact my overall experience, it might be a point of consideration for some travelers.

Best Travel Books Buying Guide

Remember that investing time in researching and comparing different travel guides will pay off in making your USA journey a memorable one. When I’m choosing the best travel guidebook for the USA, there are several features I look for to ensure that I’m getting the most accurate and helpful information.

1. Updated Information

Since landscapes, businesses, and attractions can change over time, I make sure the guide is updated regularly. This helps me avoid outdated information that might lead to schedule disruptions or disappointments. Always look for the most recent edition available.

2. Comprehensive Coverage

The USA is a vast country with diverse attractions. Hence, the travel guide should cover all aspects of tourism — various destinations, accommodation options, transportation, experiences, and local culture. It should have ample information to cater to different budgets and preferences too.

3. User Friendliness

A well-organized travel guide makes my planning process much smoother. Guides with clear headings, indexes, maps, and concise information are my preference. Moreover, the inclusion of an eBook version or a mobile app can help me carry the information on the go.

4. Travel Tips & Advice

A good travel guide offers practical tips and advice that’ll reward me with a better travel experience. This may include packing suggestions, local customs and etiquette, safety precautions, and essential phrases or words to know.

5. Reviews & Recommendations

Ultimately, a helpful travel guide will have reviews and recommendations from other travelers. Their insights can shed light on the pros and cons of specific attractions or accommodations. Consider guides that list reader feedback alongside expert opinions.

FAQs About the Best Travel Books for the USA

What are some famous travel guidebooks for the usa.

I always recommend a few well-known US travel book publishers. Some of my personal favorites are Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Rick Steves, and Frommer’s. Each of these publishers covers a wide range of destinations, itineraries, and tips for every type of traveler looking to explore the US.

Which US travel guides are best for first-time visitors?

If you’re a first-time visitor to the US, I suggest starting with Lonely Planet or Fodor’s travel guides. Both of these are very comprehensive and beginner-friendly, offering clear and concise information on planning your trip, popular attractions, and local customs.

For a budget-conscious traveler, Rick Steves tends to focus on affordable options, while Frommer’s is great for people interested in a luxurious experience.

Are there any free travel guide resources for the US?

Absolutely! There are many free resources for you to explore before your trip to the US. Websites like RootedWanderings.com can provide helpful information about different destinations, attractions, and itineraries.

Additionally, many US states and cities have tourism websites that offer free guides and maps. VisitMaine.net is the unofficial visitor’s guide to Maine, and AwesomeMitten.com helps travelers plan their adventures in Michigan. Other examples include RootedinOhio.com and WanderingSmokyMountains.com .

To find these, simply search for the city name along with “visitor’s guide” or “tourism office” for access to those resources. Happy travels!

Ashley Pichea is the Content Manager for RootedWanderings.com and curates in-depth travel guides and deep-dives on hidden gem destinations across the US for sites like AwesomeMitten.com , VisitMaine.net , and more. When she's not geeking out over SEO, you'll find her exploring the Midwest with her husband and five kids.

Top-Seller 13 Best US Travel Books & Guides

Do you want to get the most out of your US travel experience? Or you’re just thrilled by travel guides filled with gorgeous photos and captivating stories.

Then you must read these 13 best US travel books and top-selling US guides. These travel guide books are a must to read before or while traveling to the US and exploring unique places there.

From road trip ideas to hidden gems and everything in between, this list of US travel guides will have you itching to explore this great country as soon as possible!

1/ 50 States 500 State Parks: The Essential Guide To Exploring America’s State Parks

By Publications International Ltd || Read: Amazon | Walmart

50 States, 500 State Parks is a must-have guide for any traveler exploring the United States. This visually stunning book takes readers on an epic journey of discovery through America’s wild and wonderful national parks.

Featuring hundreds of stunning color photographs and detailed maps of each park, it’s sure to be a hit with nature lovers and outdoor adventurers alike.

The book includes unique travel tips and ideas of things to do and see in each state, conveniently organized by region.

2/ 100 Drives, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to Do, What to See

By: Joe Yogerst, National Geographic || Read: Amazon | Walmart

100 Drives, 5,000 Ideas is a sequel to the best-selling US travel book 50 States, 500 State Parks. You will surely love this book if you are a road trip traveler. 

This ultimate US travel guide takes you on 100 epic journeys across all 50 states and Itond. It also discusses 10 Canadian provinces, offering thousands of sites and roadside attractions.

That’s not all. There’s something here to satisfy every traveler to the US.

• Take magnificent turns along Alaska’s Route One.
• Wind through retro spots from Chicago to Lat Angeles on Route 66.
• Stop off at old sites on 600 miles of New Mexico’s Trail of the Ancients.
• Discover fossils along Dinosaur Drive, a route that winds its way from Calgary to Denver.
• Beach lovers will delight in Hawaii’s Oahu Circle Island Drive.
• And history lovers can follow Canada’s War of 1812 trail.

From a vineyard route through Northwest wine country to a winter wonderland on Alberta’s Icefields Parkway, this informative travel guide offers epic sights, sound bites, and pure fun.

Pack your car and hit the United States and Canada,e road to experience 100 drives – across the United States and Canada.

You’ll find innovative itineraries outlining your route, along with when to go and what to see and do along the way. 

Filled with expert tips, tons of activities , and plenty to see and do as you drive, 100 Drives, 5,000 Ideas is the ultimate US travel guide book for road trips.

3/ Lonely Planet USA’s Best Trips: 51 Amazing Road Trips

By: Simon Richmond, Lonely Planet || Read: Amazon | Walmart

If you’re looking for a complete guide to exploring the United States by road trip, then Lonely Planet USA’s Best Trips is perfect.

This book has detailed maps, vivid photos, and a comprehensive guide to 51 amazing road trips that span the entire US.

Each trip includes a detailed itinerary, special attractions, unique places to visit, and insider tips from the author.

No matter what kind of traveler you are, you’ll find something to inspire your next great American road trip in this book.

4/ Off The Beaten: A Travel Guide To More Than 1,000 Interesting Places

By: Reader’s Digest || Read: Amazon | Walmart

Off The Beaten Path is the best-selling travel book for anyone looking to discover the hidden gems of the United States.

This US travel book will inspire you to dig deeper, contains over 1,000 destinations, and is packed full of amazing insightful stories.

This guide covers everything from lesser-known national parks to the quirkiest roadside attractions and the most off-the-beaten-track locations.

The book has detailed maps and directions to help you get from A to B. So, if you’re looking for a truly unique experience and an adventure off the beaten path, this book is for you!

5/ Road Trip USA: The Ultimate Guide for Cross-Country Adventurers

By: Jamie Jensen || Read: Amazon | eBay

Road Trips USA is one of the best US travel books and guides, without a doubt. This best-selling seventh edition of Road Trips USA offers mile-by-mile highlights of more than 35,000 miles of classic American highways and byways.

Experience a cross-country journey celebrating our great nation’s diversity, spirit, and beauty.

This USA travel book covers all the major cities and thousands of obscure towns and attractions in between.

Packed with road-tested advice from experienced adventurers, this guide gives you all the practical information you need to prepare for a successful trip.

With Road Trips USA, you can enjoy an unforgettable adventure filled with stunning views, hidden gems, and lasting memories.

6/ Road Food, 10th Edition: An Eater’s Guide to More Than 1,000 of the Best Local Hot Spots and Hidden 

By: Jane Stern || Read: Amazon | Walmart

Road Food is perfect if you’re looking for the ultimate US road trip guide. This 10th edition of Roadfood features detailed reviews and directions on all the best local spots and hidden gems America offers.

Organized by region, this book includes mouth-watering descriptions of iconic dishes, unique restaurants, and delicious eats from coast to coast. 

The American travel book also includes tips and tricks on finding the best food in each area and interviews with locals who know the best places to get a good meal.

So, if you’re looking for the ultimate US travel guide book to finding all the most delicious food in America, look no further than Roadfood.

7/ The Open Road: 50 Best Road Trips in the USA

By: Jessica Dunham || Read: Amazon | Official Site

Are you ready to leave your comfort zone and experience a journey like no other? With The Open Road , you can explore America from coast to coast with complete peace of mind thanks to its comprehensive guide.

From strategic lists and road trip options to flexible itineraries, this guide has all the information you need to plan an unforgettable adventure.

The book is packed with expert advice and essential tips, so you can ensure you don’t miss any of the best stops from coast to coast.

Not only does it have local flavors and attractions, but it also has gorgeous full-color photographs and a fold-out map for each route.

Grab your copy of The Open Road and hit the highway. It’s time to discover America like never before for an unforgettable adventure.

8/ The New York Times (NYT) 36 Hours: USA & Canada, Revised and Updated

By: Barbara Ireland || Read: Amazon | Walmart

The New York Times 36 Hours is one of the US travel books and guides for any traveler looking to explore North America. 

Don’t get the title wrong; it’s not just about New York.

This revised and updated edition covers 125 destinations throughout the USA and Canada, with detailed information on the best sights, restaurants, and activities for every location.

The guide includes popular and off-the-beaten-path attractions, so you can discover hidden gems and explore beyond the typical tourist locations.

The travel guidebook also features practical tips and insider advice from locals, ensuring your journey is as exciting and comfortable as possible.

With The New York Times 36 Hours, you can confidently experience North America’s best offers. Get your copy today and start planning an unforgettable adventure!

9/ Moon USA National Parks: The Complete Guide to All 63 Parks (Travel Guide)

By: Becky Lomax || Read: Amazon | Walmart

Moon USA National Parks is one of the best US travel books to discover the beauty of America’s national parks. 

This US guidebook includes everything you need to know about all 63 parks in the US, from the iconic Yellowstone and Yosemite to lesser-known gems like Redwood National Park.

The guide has detailed maps and guides to each park’s trails, activities, and wildlife. It also provides insider tips on getting the most out of your visit and staying safe in all kinds of weather.

You can also explore aquariums, parks, and zoos here . 

10/ National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States 9th Edition

By National Geographic || Read: Amazon | Walmart

The National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States is essential for anyone interested in exploring America’s most breathtaking natural wonders.

This updated edition covers the country’s 63 national parks and provides an in-depth look at each park’s flora, fauna, and natural features.

It also includes detailed maps, tips on the best times to visit, advice on activities and accommodations, and lists of nearby attractions.

With this guide, you can ensure you get the most out of your visit to any of America’s national parks.

11/ Secret Route 66: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

By Jim Ross & Shellee Graham || Read: Amazon | Walmart

Explore the hidden gems of Route 66 with Secret Route 66 . This US travel guide book takes you off the beaten path and reveals all the weird, wonderful, and obscure stops along the iconic route of the United States of America. 

Discover quirky roadside attractions, historical sites, abandoned ghost towns, and more. The guide includes detailed maps, photos, and insider tips on how to get the most out of your journey.

If you’re itching to explore the famous Route 66 and its wonders, grab your copy of the book today and prepare for an amazing getaway.

Embrace this unique journey as it will offer a one-of-a-kind experience – so don’t miss out on making memories that will last forever.

12/ Fodor’s Best Weekend Road Trips: Full-color Travel Guide

By Fodor’s Travel Guides || Read: Amazon | Walmart

Experience the best of North America with Fodor’s Best Weekend Road Trips . This full-color US travel guide is packed with inspiring ideas for where to go, what to do, and how to get there.

You’ll find detailed information on over 50 road trips across the US and Canada, from coastal getaways to mountain escapes and more.

The book has route maps, driving times, and tips on where to stay along the way, making it one of the top US travel books. 

Fodor’s Best Weekend Road Trips is perfect if you want to explore North America quickly and make the most of your limited time.

13/ Where To Go When the Americas: Inspirational Ideas for Your Perfect Trip

By DK Eyewitnes || Read: Amazon | Walmart

Discover the best places to visit in the Americas with DK Eyewitness’s Where To Go When The Americas . This inspirational guidebook features a range of ideas for your perfect trip – from city breaks to beach holidays and adventure tours.

The guide includes:

• Detailed maps.
• Itineraries.
• The best places to eat and stay.
• Insider tips from local experts.

Without “Where To Go When The Americas,” you won’t be able to make the most of your travels.

So don’t miss out on having this US travel guidebook that will make your holiday experiences even more memorable.

I'm Abdol Rauf , and I share the most exciting places to visit , help plan your trip and enjoy a variety of accommodation options in the US and rest of the world.

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US Travel Books

The statesider reading list.

The Statesider’s reviews of US travel books all in one handy place. What counts as a US travel book? Well, lots of things, we find. American cultures, regional foods, music scenes, cities and landscapes, flora and fauna, nonfiction and fiction, even the occasional cookbook. America encompasses many things and many perspectives — so does this list.

Want to recommend great US travel books or something else that just seems right in The Statesider’s wheelhouse? We’d love to know! Drop us a line .

Support your local independent bookstores: It’s easy, and it helps support The Statesider, too. For every purchase you make through our Bookshop.org store , your money helps local indie booksellers thrive, and we get a small percentage. Everybody wins!

Browse this list on Bookshop.org

Support local bookstores and The Statesider at the same time

2021 US Travel Books

Chinatown Pretty: Fashion and Wisdom from Chinatown’s Most Stylish Seniors , by Andria Lo & Valeri Luu. Visiting Chinatowns across the US and Canada, including San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, and Vancouver, Lo and Luu have been taking portraits of Chinatown’s most fashionable grandmas and grandpas since 2014. This joyous book isn’t just about the fanciful fashion, questions about colorful and clashing clothing often seem to lead to insightful answers about living well through times good and bad. Order now and support your local independent bookseller

The Vapors: A Southern Family, the New York Mob, and the Rise and Fall of Hot Springs, America’s Forgotten Capital of Vice , by David Hill. Author David Hill grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas, but he takes us back to a very different Hot Springs, which morphed from a spa town into a proto-Vegas center of gambling and sin for the leisure class. Hill tells the tale through a cast of colorful characters, including family members, and you’d be forgiven for forgetting at times that this isn’t a hard-boiled crime novel but a true depiction of a slice of Arkansas that is long gone.  Order now and support local independent booksellers .

2020 US Travel Books

The Best American Travel Writing 2020 , edited by Robert Macfarlane and Jason Wilson. We look forward to this edition every year, and it’s an especially interesting and eclectic list of stories this year. If you were paying close attention to the Statesider this year, you’ll spot a few stories that we shared, and we’re especially happy that   two  Statesider original stories earned a spot on the Notables list Following the Albatross Home , by Kim Rogers, and Welcome to the Land , by Adam Karlin. Buy Now and Support Your Local Independent Bookseller

The Same River Twice: A Memoir of Dirtbag Backpackers, Bomb Shelters, and Bad Travel , by Pam Mandel. Forgive us, very little of this story takes place in the US, but it’s written by our very own Pam Mandel, and it you like what we do, you’ll love this book. And if you’ve read Pam’s writing before, you’ll know that this won’t be your typical travel memoir. Buy Now and Support Your Local Independent Bookseller

Ghosts of Gold Mountain , by Gordon H. Chang. If I retained anything at all from American History in high school, it was that Chinese immigrants helped build the Transcontinental Railroad over the Sierra Nevada. It’s an essential fact in California history, but it always seemed to be the end of the story. Chang shows that it’s just the beginning of a complex American saga, as he follows the journey of the Railroad Chinese from Sacramento across the Sierra Nevada, racing to meet up with the westbound track in Promontory, Utah. This book is a lively read, and the parallels with today’s political landscape — complete with reliance on foreign labor mixed with xenophobic scapegoating — are hard to miss.  Buy Now and Support Your Local Independent Bookseller

Sharks in the Time of Saviors , by Kawai Strong Washburn. Holy shit, what a book. Okay, that’s not an informative review, let me try again. I’ve not read anything that brings Hawaii to life in a more real, and at the same time more magical, way than this book. Washburn’s characters communicate the complexities of living as a modern Hawaiian in the islands and on the mainland. And even while members of this family take the bus or deliver packages or navigate relationships and live the every day ,  they hold deep ties to the ancient gods and Hawaii’s nature. What a book, so full of feeling and absolute heartbreak and poetry and love. Damn. What. A. Book. The audio version is top notch and I might have cried on the freeway at the end. (Pam)  Order Now and Support Your Local Bookseller

Stay and Fight , by Madeleine Ffitch. Helen bugs out from Seattle with her boyfriend to a piece of land in Appalachian Ohio with some fairly clichéd ideas about living on the land. When the boyfriend bails, Helen becomes increasingly reliant on a redneck tree surgeon with a fondness for classic literature and a down-on-their-luck lesbian couple. To say things don’t go well would be an understatement, but the resilience this unlikely alliance find in each other is complicated and moving. It’s a good story, but it’s the physicality of the characters and their clear, strong voices that make this such a compelling read. ffitch comes out swinging on page one with a brutal description of an injury repaired with duct tape and… I couldn’t put it down.  Order Now and Support Your Local Bookseller

Good Talk , by Mira Jacob. This graphic memoir about what it means to live at the intersection of multiple cultures in America is funny and sad and candid and full of so much feeling. Jacob is the daughter of Indian immigrants, her husband is Jewish. Her son is intensely curious about his own brown skin and what it means for his identity in America. Jacob tries, with endless patience and kindness, to guide him. While a lot of the book is funny, parts of it are infuriating and so tragic. I was particularly affected by the section about 9/11 and the angry, tender retelling of how she navigated finding out her in-laws endorsed Trump.  Order Now and Support Your Local Bookseller

The Columbus Anthology , edited by Amanda Page. “I have called myself a Columbus native without considering what it means,” says Maggie Smith in an introductory verse to The Columbus Anthology, and this collection of 50 essays and poems (and one cartoon) about the Ohio capital takes those words as a challenge. An American anywhere, a city whose identity is its anonymity, Columbus makes a rich backdrop for a literary exploration — even more so in a time when statues of the city’s namesake are being toppled and destroyed and a petition is gathering thousands of signatures  to rename Columbus “Flavortown.”  Where Columbus goes from here is anyone’s guess, but we’ll meet you at Buckeye Donuts to suss it out.  Order Now and Support Local Indie Bookstores

American Tacos: A History and Guide , by José R. Ralat. You might think that opening a book on tacos right now would be recipe for frustration, its pages loaded with delicious tacos that are just out of reach. You would be, in part, correct — this book will make you salivate like one of Pavlov’s dogs in a bell factory. But it’s also a satisfying meal by itself, and inspiration for future exploration both in the outside world and your own kitchen. Ralat, Taco Editor for Texas Monthly, rejects the “Abuelita Principle” that measures a taco’s authenticity by how closely it adheres to the “real” version made by grandma, and embraces the diversity of taco forms found in the wild and whatever its future evolution will bring.  Order Now and Support Local Bookstores

An American Sunrise, by Joy Harjo . Pardon us while we take a brief break from travel to read some poetry from this new collection from the US’s first Native American Poet Laureate. These are poems that ask to be read aloud: spare, rhythmic, it seems wrong to leave them trapped in the four square walls of the page. If there was ever a time to read poetry aloud to yourself — or to those with you — this is it. And Harjo’s poems, while often looking back into the country’s past, evoke current events in ways that make them seem penned for the moment. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Overground Railroad: The Green Book & Roots of Black Travel in America , by Candacy Taylor. In this new history of The Green Book , the most popular guidebook for Black travelers in America during the Jim Crow era, Taylor not only recounts the chronology of the guide through its publishing run from 1936-1967, she hits the highway herself and tracks down what remains today of the Black-owned and Black-friendly businesses listed in the guides. Fewer than 5% are still in operation. The book details the many threats and challenges faced on the road, as well as by air and rail, and the community that developed in the network of businesses that welcomed Black travelers. All of this history is beautifully brought to life in the design of the book (by Anderson Newton Design ), with both historic and present-day photos by Taylor on her trip, as well as covers from all of the Green Book editions. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation , by Michael Powell. This may be a book about basketball, but you don’t need to know a jump shot from a finger roll to enjoy this richly painted portrait of a season of “rez ball” in Najavo Nation. A hard book to categorize, Canyon Dreams isn’t just “Hoosiers” in northern Arizona; it’s as much a book about the landscape, the internal and external pressures on Navajo culture, and the dreams of the young players as it is about a run for the championship.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America , by Carrie Gibson. If the 1619 Project got you thinking about other ways the origin story of America can be told, add El Norte to your reading list. In this detailed and engagingly-written history of the Spanish influence in North America from Ponce de León to today, Gibson attempts to correct the long-held Mayflower-centric telling of America’s roots with stories that have for too long been pushed to margins or ignored completely. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

2019 US Travel Books

Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege: Essays on Hawaii , by Liz Prato. This wry, introspective book feels a bit like a “real Hawaii for beginners” guide. It teaches us why tourists experience Hawaii the way we do — and, in doing so, shows us how to be better guests.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

This America: The Case for the Nation , by Jill Lepore. Lepore’s snappy read on the history of American history (yep), the difference between patriotism and nationalism, and what defines America feels essential in our era. This little book is rich with meaningful insights. And while it doesn’t pull punches, it engenders a surprising optimism, calling on our better natures to fulfill the dream of an inclusive, vibrant, patriotic nation. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Best American Travel Writing 2019 , edited by Alexandra Fuller & Jason Wilson. In the new 2019 edition of Best American, roughly a third of the stories take place in the US, and it’s a powerful set of choices. Don’t expect a vacation from the tumult of American politics: these stories dive head-on into issues of the day, including immigration, climate change, social justice, invasive species, American identity, and rampaging bachelorette parties. Rahawa Haile’s powerful, layered story “I Walked from Selma to Montgomery” is a standout, as is…actually, they’re all wonderful (even the ones that go farther afield — we’ll allow it).  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke , by Andrew Lawler. What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke? Lawler is hardly the first to venture into the murky mystery of the total disappearance of over 100 colonists that has captivated historians for centuries. Lawler’s book goes considerably deeper than others — perhaps as deep as will ever be possible — blending historical research with modern-day archaeology and travel to layout the case, dead end by dead end. The evidence suggests a quintessentially American solution to the mystery.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

The American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 , by Shing Yin Khor. Anyone who has been on a long road trip will recognize the joys and angsts of this playful graphic memoir that recounts the story of a 2016 Route 66 journey of a Malaysian-American artist and her doggie pal, Bug. It’s not all Christmas-style breakfast burritos, friendly strangers and kitschy roadside art: she confronts the cliché of trying to “find yourself” on the road, chafes against casual racism, discovers the art of pooping in a hole, and tries to come to grips with what she’s really looking for in the crumbling towns of the American West. Teens and grown-ups alike will enjoy this one.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places , by Colin Dickey. The Salem witch trials, the Winchester Mystery House, the whole seance medium thing… Dickey’s book retells these stories (and a whole lot more). But the book isn’t just a collection of spooky woo, Dickey provides detailed historical context for plantation ghosts and hidden staircases. You’d think a historical debunking would suck the meaning out of these stories, but quite the reverse is true. Dickey seems to suggest that our ghost stories, our hauntings, are what we use to put off reckoning with the truth.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South , by Michael W. Twitty. When we talk about Southern food, what are we really talking about — and what parts of the story are we overlooking? In this remarkable James Beard Award-winning book (it won both the James Beard Award for Writing, and Book of the Year in 2018), culinary historian Michael W. Twitty explores his own past and the hidden history of Southern cuisines, including their roots in African and Native American traditions. Read the full interview with the author and order now from your local bookseller .

Some people don’t want to acknowledge the connection because it makes them realize how much they are beholden to a multicultural America, and things wouldn’t be the same without this country’s contributions from all its residents.

Mariam Sharma Hits the Road , by Sheba Karim. When gorgeous Ghaz “shames” her conservative family by appearing on a billboard for underwear, best friends Mariam and Umar spring her and the three go on a classic road trip. There’s junk food and divey hotels and what Ghaz calls “the road trip effect.” But there’s also a deeper exploration of what it means to be Pakistani and/or Indian and/or Muslim and/or Hindu in America. Ghaz’s overbearing family is just the beginning; Umar is a devout Muslim and gay, and Mariam was abandoned by her father as a child. The book is layered, sometimes a rollicking good time, sometimes dark, always lively. It’s going to make a really fun movie.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

God Save Texas: A Journey Into the Soul of the Lone Star State , Lawrence Wright. There’s a famous Faulkner quote: “To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” In God Save Texas, Wright seems to be saying, “To understand American, you must first understand a place like Texas.” Wright so clearly loves his home state, even while he stares right at what makes Texas so completely messed up in so many different ways. Wright looks at Texas as a proving ground for GOP strategy, at the state’s obsession with guns, at the immigration battle on the Texas border, at Texas as a stand-in for the soul of America, and he doesn’t come across as particularly optimistic. But somehow, this book still makes a person itch to drive the backroads looking for dinosaur bones, or live music, or the weirdness that makes Texas what it is.  Order Now Through Your Local Book Store

Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s new Melting-Pot Cuisine , by Edward Lee. Edward Lee is the son of Korean immigrants, a master of Southern cooking, an advocate for US road trips…and, oh yes, someone you might know from Top Chef, Mind of a Chef, Fermented, Smoke and Pickles, 610 Magnolia, or his James Beard Award-winning book, Buttermilk Graffiti. We talked with him about American diversity, fried chicken, and, of course, cake vs. pie. Read the full interview and order a copy from your local bookstore .

Things New & Strange: A Southerner’s Journey Through the Smithsonian Collections   by G. Wayne Clough. There have been 13 Secretaries of the Smithsonian, but only one — the author of this singular, joyous book — was born in the South. After retiring from the post, Clough went on a peculiar scavenger hunt, combing the Smithsonian’s vast natural history collection to see what stories actual specimens could tell about his childhood home of South Georgia. Each turn of the page reveals surprises, jumping from giant sloths to longleaf pines, personal history to regional biogeography, early Native American archaeology to Little Richard, all weaving together to tell a rich story of one small slice of America. If only every region was lucky enough to get such a loving, nuanced biography.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

The Hour of Land   by Terry Tempest Williams. Part personal memoir, part history, Williams travels the lesser known back stories of twelve national parks. The writing is beautifully lyrical and packed with emotion and the stories she unearths as the book unfolds are genuinely enlightening. It’s an education into the politics of our parks, revealing ways in which the creation and management of these places we tend to take for granted has not always been easy or universally supported. Plus, apparently it is crazy hard to become a guide at Gettysburg National Military Park.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Andy’s Summer Read Pick: Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter , by Ben Goldfarb. “Trying to mitigate floods or improve water quality? There’s a beaver for that. Hoping to capture more water for agriculture in the face of climate change? Add a beaver.” Travel along with writer Ben Goldfarb in this hugely entertaining journey into the world of one of America’s most notorious, industrious, and misunderstood residents. Winner of the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, and one of my favorite environmental reads from the past year, this charming science meets travel meets lots and lots of beavers tale will make you reassess everything you think you know about our dam-building friends.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Doug’s Summer Read Pick: Mississippi Solo , by Eddy Harris. I live a few blocks from the Mississippi River, and sometimes forget that it’s not just a banal local landmark. Eddy Harris has no such illusions. The river, he writes, “is laden with the burdens of a nation.” This poetic travelogue about his canoe trip down the waterway’s two-thousand-mile length captures the spirit of each paddle-stroke and stopover, with added poignancy coming from Harris’s status as a young black man traveling alone. People stare in Minnesota; there are racists with shotguns in Arkansas — and, throughout the book, there are plenty of unexpected welcomes. It’s all a hell of a personal journey but also, quietly, a striking portrait of a nation.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Pam’s Summer Read Pick:   Sourdough  by Robin Sloan. A friend recently read this book and found it delightful but so odd that it’s not for everyone. “You might like it,” she told me. Here’s how right she was: I’d read it already and yeah, it’s odd. It’s part Silicon Valley, part immigrant story, part weird punk farmer’s market, and one of the main characters is a batch of sourdough starter. The other main character, Lois Clary, is a robotics engineer who teaches a robot she’s working on to knead bread. The book is about food and finding your tribe and oh, just read it, it’s a delight. Also, I now tend to my own starter, in no small part because of this book. I’m not nearly as good to mine as Lois is to hers — she plays music for it — but my bread isn’t bad.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World by Suzy Hansen . There many narratives about travelers heading into the world to discover themselves, not nearly as many about those who have left US borders to discover America. Hansen digs deep — so deep it hurts — into the impact America global policy has had on the world and on our identity. Ya got yer CIA, yer Marshall Plan, yer covert Central American ops, and if you consider yourself a self-aware American, you might nod your head with a wry “ouch.” But there are also Turkish highways, the Iowa Writers Workshop, Time Magazine, Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire, and so much more. It’s a tough read, but not because of the writing. It’s the harsh light of self examination that makes this difficult … and essential.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Zoo Nebraska by Carson Vaughan. The escaped chimps were the last straw, the end of a dream. The Statesider’s Pam Mandel talks with author Carson Vaughan about his new book,  Zoo Nebraska , the story of a small town that never lived up to its big ambitions.  Read the Statesider interview with Carson Vaughan and order now from your local bookstore .

Help Me to Find My People: The African American Search for Family Lost in Slavery  by Heather Andrea Williams. Pieced together from newspaper ads, oral history accounts, and historical documents, this book tells the stories of families built and broken during and after the end of American slavery. The clear-eyed journalistic presentation of the facts doesn’t take away from the horror of the era at all; it underscores how dehumanized, how much of commodity, the stolen people were.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Owning Memory: How a Caribbean Community Lost Its Archives and Found Its History by Jeannette Allis Bastian. Who is the gatekeeper of history? Whose stories get held up as the most important? We’re  constantly grappling with these questions , but they’re especially complex in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The territory was a Danish colony before 1917, and many of its historical documents are held in Copenhagen. This academic but accessible book offers a fascinating look at the politics of storytelling in a land of colonialism.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

All the Tony Horwitz books : American history, in all its complexity, was one of the late author’s primary muses. Horwitz was a master at combining deep research with romping-fun travelogue, and connecting past to present in ways both intriguing and, at times, unsettling. It’s hard to pick a favorite of his USA- focused books; really, you should just read them all.

• Confederates in the Attic , about the Civil War and the ways the Lost Cause persists today.
• A Voyage Long and Strange , about the Europeans who settled in the USA before the Pilgrims.
• The Devil May Care , featuring profiles of fifty lesser-known American adventurers.
• Midnight Rising , a deep dive into the history of John Brown’s Raid.
• Spying on the South , Horwitz’s brand-new travelogue, about Frederick Law Olmstead’s tour of the American South in the 1850s.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This story about a young woman who leaves Nigeria for the United States — and then decides to go home again after many years in the U.S. — is full of insight about what it means to be American, both from the idealized point of view of an outsider and from the changing perspective of an immigrant who becomes an insider. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Great American Outpost  by Maya Rao. What would it look like if the Gold Rush happened today—the crazed race for wealth, the environmental destruction, the utter disregard for law and order—but most of the country didn’t even notice? It would look exactly like the Bakken oilfields of western North Dakota (see the mysterious patch of light in the map above). Rao immerses herself in the culture and characters of the Bakken at the peak of the oil boom, in a piece of nonfiction that reads like a gripping Western.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience  by Anuradha Bhagwati. The daughter of Indian immigrants (and academics), Bhagwati chooses to  not  to follow in her family’s footsteps and joins the Marines. A driven, ambitious recruit, she becomes a leader in a culture that—spoiler alert—is rife with toxic misogyny. As if it’s not badass enough of her to navigate the system and excel, she becomes a whistle blower and activist, working to change the entrenched values of the U.S. Military. What’s it mean to “support the troops”? Bhagwati has some thoughts.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

The Ramen King and I  by Andy Raskin. Those squiggly blocks of noodles their associated packets are an essential and underappreciated companion to broke college students and car campers alike. In “The Ramen King and I,” Andy Raskin becomes obsessed with Momofuku Ando, the inventor of Top Ramen and Cup Noodles. Along the way the Japanese businessman — who spent a year in his shed developing the iconic product — becomes both a distraction from and a solution to Raskin’s relationship problems. If you think that’s a weird idea for a book, you’d be correct. It would be easy to write Raskin off as a messed up tech bro, but he’s an increasingly sympathetic narrator as he reveals his struggles. Plus, I learned a lot of odd and tragic things about noodles and the US occupation of post WWII Japan.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

How to Be a Muslim, An American Story   by Haroon Moghul. In the wake of 9/11 (moment of silence for everything we’ve lost) Moghul became an unlikely activist for Muslim-Americans and ended up Kind of a Big Deal. Growing up in New England, Moghul liked Green Day and was confused by dating and went on adventures that his parents wouldn’t have approved of and acted like any other American teenager. As an adult, he navigated depression and career angst and the challenges of marriage. Like Americans of  any  faith, he grappled with how—or if—to fit religion into his life. It should not feel revolutionary to read a book from a Muslim point of view that expresses this universal story of a young American coming of age and reaching peace with his faith, and yet. And yet.  Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Zora & Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval Taylor. In 1927, Langston Hughes bumped into Zora Neale Hurston in Mobile, Alabama. The two friends, both literary luminaries of the day, decided to set out together on a road trip through the South in Zora’s two-seater Nash coupe, nicknamed “Sassy Susie,” in search of folks songs, stories and “big old lies,” as Langston put it. The book covers much more ground than a summer road trip through the South, charting the long course of Zora and Langston’s doomed friendship, but Taylor skillfully anchors the story in time and place throughout, from the palatial Fifth Avenue Restaurant where the two first met to a visit with a backwoods “conjur-man,” all bolstered by Langston’s journals and correspondence between the two in the happier days when Zora would call Langston “the nearest person to me on earth.” Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. There’s no shortage of sm art writing about this story of a young black man trying to find his place in the 1940s, first at a black college, then in New York City as part of “The Brotherhood.” But Ellison wrote his book five years before Jack Kerouac wrote “On the Road,” and the musicality of the language, the dialog, even the psychedelic ramblings are far superior to Kerouac’s. It feels a glaring oversight not to have read “Invisible Man” much, much sooner, though it is just as valuable a read in today’s America. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

The Red Truck Bakery Cookbook by Brian Noyes and Nevin Martell. It’s impossible not to mention one particular fan of this rural Virginia bakery, some 50 miles west of the nation’s capital, who said: “I like pie. That’s not a state secret…I can confirm that Red Truck Bakery makes darn good pies.” (Now read that again in President Obama’s voice.) His favorite is said to be the sweet potato pecan, but I immediately bookmarked the pink-hued watermelon pie to come back to when summer melons arrive, and jumped on the pumpkin pie with the clever addition of homemade caramel mixed into the pumpkin custard. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore or Red Truck Bakery’s Shop

America for Beginners by Leah Franqui. After her husband dies, Pival Sengupta books herself on a tour of the United States with the First Class India USA Destination Vacation Tour Company. The trip is a cover Mrs. Sengupta’s search for her estranged son. Satya, her guide, and Rebecca, her companion, are both uniquely unqualified for the roles they’re called upon to fill, their itinerary is inscrutable — the Corning Museum of Glass? — and they eat in countless Indian restaurants. The trip seems such a weird way to see America, but the travel itself isn’t the point. I was charmed by this bittersweet and delightful book — plus, it would make a great movie. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

This Immeasurable Place: Food and Farming from the Edge of Wilderness by Blake Spalding, Jennifer Castle and Lavinia Spalding. Reading “The Cabin” (from Longreads linked above), brought to mind this book, one of the more remarkable cookbooks in recent years. Yes, there are recipes — delightful ones from The Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm, the three-time James Beard Award semifinalist in remote Boulder, Utah — but this is a cookbook you’ll want to sit down and read for its cast of characters, handmade wisdom and deep love of the wild landscapes of southern Utah. Order Now from the Hell’s Backbone Shop

Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding, Its Apocalyptic Weather, Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-Class Metropolis by Sam Anderson. You might think a subtitle that long would cover the scope of the book. You might also think a book on Oklahoma City could be dry as plain white toast. Wrong on both accounts. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

“I have come to believe, after my time there, that Oklahoma City is one of the great weirdo cities of the world — as strange, in its way, as Venice or Dubai or Versailles or Pyongyang. It is worth paying attention to, on its own terms, independent of any news cycle, strictly for the improbability of what exists there, all the time, ever day.” — Sam Anderson, Boom Town

A Girl’s Guide to Missiles: Growing Up in America’s Secret Desert  by Karen Lynnea Piper. Sure, you could shelve this with the “coming of age” memoirs, but it takes place on a secure missile base where Piper’s parents both worked on weapons development (her mom was something of a math genius). The weirdness of an American era that gave us Charles Manson, the  Lemurians , and the Sidewinder missile — everything comes to life. You can practically see yourself there. What great read. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

The Food Exp lorer by Daniel Stone. Much of the American diet originated elsewhere in the world. Meet David Fairchild, the adventurous botanist who changed what’s on the stateside plate. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America  by James & Deborah Fallows. If it seems like all you ever hear about small-town America are tales of hardship and lost glory, this is a refreshing read. Change is afoot across the country – and you might want to pay attention to what’s going on in local libraries. Order Now Through Your Local Bookstore

The Best Books of 2023

A Smithsonian magazine special report

The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2023

Take a trip without leaving home with these adventurous reads from this year

Laura Kiniry

Travel Correspondent

It’s often said that travel is all about the journey, whether it’s planning a remote island holiday or setting out on the adventure of a lifetime across the Arctic Ocean. But it can be almost as thrilling to roam the world from the comfort of our homes. Just take our pick of 2023 travel books, which include everything from humor-fueled essay collections and thought-provoking narratives to tomes brimming with full-page colorful photographs and tips on finding the most welcoming LGBTQ+ spots around the globe. They all share the uncanny ability to transport readers through time and space without ever having to open the front door.

Whether it’s a deep delve into a Balkan landscape of healing plants and foraging, or a more than 2,000-mile road trip through America’s racial history, here are ten travel books that are more than worthy of this year’s holiday wish lists.

Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance by Alvin Hall

From 1936 to 1967, the Green Book served as an annual travel guide for African Americans, helping them to identify welcoming hotels, restaurants, gas stations and other businesses across the United States during the Jim Crow era. Compiled by Black New York City postman Victor Hugo Green , this essential reference publication included places like Manhattan’s Hotel Theresa , once considered the “Waldorf of Harlem,” and the Moulin Rouge Hotel in Las Vegas, frequented by celebrities like Harry Belafonte and Ella Fitzgerald during its five-month stint in 1955.

Award-winning broadcaster Alvin Hall first learned about the Green Book in 2015, and he was immediately intrigued. Several years later, he and a friend, activist Janée Woods Weber , set out on a 2,000-plus-mile cross-country road trip from Detroit to New Orleans, visiting many of the establishments once featured in the guide’s pages. (Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has a nearly complete collection of the Green Book , which Hall utilized.) Along the way, Hall also gathered memories from some of the guide’s last surviving users.

The result, Driving the Green Book: a Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance , is a poignant 288-page journey along America’s open roads, delving into the country’s racial past, detailing the Green Book ’s life-saving history and bringing it all together in one remarkable read.

Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance

Join award-winning broadcaster Alvin Hall on a journey through America’s haunted racial past, with the legendary Green Book as your guide.

The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-Mile Horseback Journey Into the Old West by Will Grant

In 2019, American journalist Will Grant embarked on a five-month, 2,000 mile journey on horseback from Missouri to California. His goal: to follow the historic route of the Pony Express , a legendary frontier mail system operating between April 1860 and October 1861, which used a series of horse-mounted riders and relay stations to deliver mail from one end to the other in just ten days. Although the express service went bankrupt after only 18 months, it remains an iconic symbol of America’s Old West.

Grant chronicles his 142-day adventure in The Last Ride of the Pony Express , a first-person narrative describing his trip across the Great Plains of Nebraska and the sagebrush steppe of Wyoming in the company of his two horses, Badger and Chicken Fry. While Grant reflects on the West’s modernization over time, it’s his vivid descriptions of the communities and local residents—including ranchers, farmers and migrant sheep herders—along the way that make the book a real page-turner.

The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-mile Horseback Journey into the Old West

The Last Ride of the Pony Express is a tale of adventure by a horseman who defies most modern conveniences, and is an unforgettable narrative that will forever change how you see the West, the Pony Express, and America as a whole.

Unforgettable Journeys Europe: Discover the Joys of Slow Travel

The latest in the Unforgettable Journeys series by DK Eyewitness, a publisher of nonfiction books known for its visual travel guides, Unforgettable Journeys Europe highlights the notion that travel really is all about the “getting there.” This inspirational tome details 150 of Europe’s best slow adventures, such as kayaking through Lithuania and crossing the Arctic Circle by train.

The bucket list is organized by modes of transportation, with sections titled “By Bike” and “By Rail,” for example. Illustrations, photos, maps and plenty of practical information (including start and end points for trails, difficulty ratings and website links) are then spread throughout the text, making the book as much colorful reference as it is inspiring read. In the “On Foot” chapter, there’s a description of Scotland’s Fife Pilgrim Way , a 56-mile trek along an ancient pilgrim route with cathedral and countryside views. Along with details on what to see during the multiday hike, the book features a selection of highlighted tips, like what to do (pick wild berries while passing through Clatto Reservoir ) and how to splurge (dinner and an overnight stay at the cozy, Michelin-starred Peat Inn ) en route.

Unforgettable Journeys Europe: Discover the Joys of Slow Travel (Dk Eyewitness)

Inspirational travel book covering 150 of Europe's most incredible journeys, including routes on foot and by bike, road, rail and water.

Elixir: In the Valley at the End of Time by Kapka Kassabova

After a decade of living in the Scottish Highlands, native Bulgarian Kapka Kassabova returned to her roots in southwestern Bulgaria’s remote Mesta Valley, a rural region known for its array of wild crops and their vast medicinal properties. Over several seasons (Kassabova’s move occurred at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic), the poet and writer set out to study the deep relationship between the area’s people and plants, as well as with the land itself. Her resulting text—with chapters like “Pine Syrup,” “Honey Sellers” and “Shepherd’s Superfood”—is an autobiographical exploration of one of the globe’s lesser-known corners, one brimming with forages, healers and a wealth of folk traditions.

“ Elixir is the vibrant, beautiful story of a singular, remarkable place,” writes Foreword book reviewer Catherine Thureson. “It issues a call to reclaim the physical, emotional and spiritual connection between humanity and the natural world.”

Elixir: In the Valley at the End of Time

In Elixir , in a wild river valley and amid the three mountains that define it, Kapka Kassabova seeks out the deep connection between people, plants, and place.

The Life Cycle by Kate Rawles

British writer and cyclist Kate Rawles has a penchant for raising awareness about environmental challenges through her own adventures—and inspiring action in the process. In 2006, Rawles cycled 4,553 miles from Texas to Alaska , interviewing Americans about climate change along the way. Her latest endeavor—an 8,288-mile, 13-month journey across the length of the Andes Mountains on a self-built bamboo bicycle she nicknamed “Woody”—is the basis for her new book, The Life Cycle .

During this largely solo endeavor in 2017 and 2018, the author crossed some of the planet’s most diverse ecosystems, including South America’s Atacama Desert and the Bolivian salt flats. Simultaneously, she found herself witnessing the devastating effects of extreme biodiversity loss caused by industries such as logging and gold mining, and met with activists and communities working to regenerate these habitats—sharing their concerns and insight throughout the narrative.

The Life Cycle: 8,000 Miles in the Andes by Bamboo Bike

Pedalling hard for thirteen months, eco adventurer Kate Rawles cycled the length of the Andes on an eccentric bicycle she built herself. The Life Cycle charts her mission to find out why biodiversity is so important, what's happening to it, and what can be done to protect it.

Unravelling the Silk Road by Chris Aslan

An extremely well-researched story of three ancient trade routes that helped define a continent, Chris Aslan’s Unravelling the Silk Road “merges trauma with textiles to track the past and present experiences of the people of Central Asia,” writes author Clare Hunter . He explores the roles played by wool, a textile used by the region’s nomads for both yurts and clothing; silk, a commodity that was once more valuable than gold; and cotton, the cause of Russian and then Soviet colonization, since it provided cheap material for the global superpower.

Turkish-born Aslan interweaves his own personal experiences (the author once picked cotton with locals and worked with nomadic yak herders in Central Asia’s Pamir Mountains) with the history of each route and its impact on the lives of local residents ​​ —as well as the region itself. Aslan also examines how political and cultural changes are affecting new trade routes and the people who depend on them.

Unravelling the Silk Road: Travels and Textiles in Central Asia

Veteran traveler and textile expert Chris Aslan explores the Silk, Wool and Cotton Roads of Central Asia.

The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise​​ by Pico Iyer

British-born essayist and acclaimed writer Pico Iyer is no stranger to travel journalism. The author—whose childhood was divided among English, Indian and U.S. cultures—is known for works like 1989’s Video Night in Kathmandu , a stark look at modern Asia, and The Global Soul , a 2001 collection of essays on finding home in a world of international airports and shopping malls. For more than 40 years, Iyer has traveled the globe, reflecting on the planet and our role within it.

“After years of travel, I’d begun to wonder what kind of paradise can ever be found in a world of unceasing conflict,” writes Iyer in his latest book, The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise , “and whether the very search for it might not simply aggravate our differences.” The result is a retrospective look at his own travels and encounters—from North Korea’s capital city of Pyongyang to Jerusalem’s Ethiopian chapels—through the idea of “paradise,” what it means and whether it exists.

The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise

Traveling from Iran to North Korea, from the Dalai Lama’s Himalayas to the ghostly temples of Japan, Pico Iyer brings together a lifetime of explorations to upend our ideas of utopia and ask how we might find peace in the midst of difficulty and suffering.

The Pride Atlas: 500 Iconic Destinations for Queer Travelers by Maartje Hensen

Big, bold and colorful, The Pride Atlas is a valuable resource for LGBTQ+ folks and their allies, as well as a perfect coffee table topper. Compiled by queer author and photographer Maartje Hensen , its 400 pages are brimming with eye-catching photos and practical information, such as websites like Meetup and Couchsurfing that are useful for connecting with similarly minded locals and travelers, and resources regarding laws and cultural attitudes worldwide.

At the heart of the book are 500 destinations from around the globe, each one of them highlighting a way of engaging with LGBTQ+ culture. You’ll find drag shows, Pride parades, campsites, microbrew pubs and other places, from San Francisco’s Transgender District to Haircuts for Anyone , an inclusive and affirmative hair salon in Montreal that charges by sliding scale.

“Hopefully,” writes Hensen, “ The Pride Atlas expands your horizons and inspires you to go out into the world, to (un)learn from others … because, like gender, the world doesn’t fit into binary.” Indeed.

The Pride Atlas: 500 Iconic Destinations for Queer Travelers

Combining immersive photography with expertly researched travel writing, this is the ultimate guidebook for LGBTQ+ travelers—whether you're planning your next getaway, daydreaming from the comfort of your armchair, or seeking to learn about queer culture in other parts of the world.

Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel by Shahnaz Habib

An enlightening and entertaining debut essay collection by a U.S.-based Indian Muslim author, Airplane Mode brings a unique and under-represented perspective to the world of travel. Shahnaz Habib approaches such topics as the origins of passports, colonial modes of thinking about travel—like safaris and pilgrimages—and terms like “pseudiscovery,” which she uses to describe an explorer’s claim of discovering something that’s existed for thousands of years, with both wit and curiosity, incorporating her own personal narratives to boot.

Perhaps Annabel Abbs, author of Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women , says it best in her praise for Airplane Mode, which has been long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence . She calls it “a fascinating, wide-ranging and insightful travelogue that poses some of the biggest questions of all: Who gets to travel, and what is it that makes us so keen to travel in the first place?”

Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel

This witty personal and cultural history of travel from the perspective of a Third World-raised woman of color, Airplane Mode , asks: what does it mean to be a joyous traveler when we live in the ruins of colonialism, capitalism and climate change?

Oh My Mother!: A Memoir in Nine Adventures by Connie Wang

The closest Chinese expression to “Oh, my god” is wode ma ya , which literally translates to “Oh, my mother.” It’s a declaration of astonishment, as well as the title for journalist Connie Wang ’s humorous and heartfelt book, Oh My Mother!: A Memoir in Nine Adventures . Wang details the complicated relationship between herself and her stubborn and “wildly opinionated” mother, Qing Li, across nine essays, taking readers from time-share properties in Cancun and Aruba to a Magic Mike strip show in Las Vegas. “This is our memoir—a long personal essay, if you will—and it was forged through shared fact-checking,” Wang writes in the book. “Qing was the first person to read each chapter as it was written, and she is this book’s first editor.” According to Kirkus Reviews , the author “drives to the heart of how a daughter comes to know her mother as someone with a life beyond motherhood.”

Oh My Mother!: A Memoir in Nine Adventures

A dazzling mother-daughter adventure around the world in pursuit of self-discovery, a family reckoning, and Asian American defiance

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Laura Kiniry | READ MORE

Laura Kiniry is a San Francisco-based freelance writer specializing in food, drink, and travel. She contributes to a variety of outlets including American Way , O-The Oprah Magazine , BBC.com , and numerous AAA pubs.

100 Must-Read Travel Books

Rebecca Hussey

Rebecca holds a PhD in English and is a professor at Norwalk Community College in Connecticut. She teaches courses in composition, literature, and the arts. When she’s not reading or grading papers, she’s hanging out with her husband and son and/or riding her bike and/or buying books. She can't get enough of reading and writing about books, so she writes the bookish newsletter "Reading Indie," focusing on small press books and translations. Newsletter: Reading Indie Twitter: @ofbooksandbikes

View All posts by Rebecca Hussey

Real travel is awesome when we can manage it, but sometimes we just have to travel from our armchairs, right? When armchair travel is the most we can do, it’s good to have many reading options from which to choose. So I put together a list of 100 of the best travel books that will take you around the world without requiring any more effort than lifting your hand to turn the pages.

I did my best to organize these by geographical region, although sometimes that’s tricky since there are many ways to divide up the regions of the world. And I had to include a large category of “various locations” since some travel books really do take you everywhere. Within the geographical region, the books are organized chronologically.

I hope you will find some books on this list that pique your interest and can help you find adventures from the safety of your own home. Or maybe they will inspire you to go on a journey, or prepare you for an upcoming trip. Maybe you will read one of these on an airplane. Whatever the case, if travel is something that interests you, I hope this list helps you find new books to love.

Best Travel Books Set In Europe

Mary Wollstonecraft, Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark (1796)

“ Originally published in 1796, Mary Wollstonecraft’s account of her trip to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, is compelling both in its picture of countries rarely visited in Regency times and insights into Mary’s personal life. ”

Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes (1879)

“ Ever hopeful of encountering the adventure he yearned for and raising much needed finance at the start of his writing career, Stevenson embarked on the120 mile, 12 day trek and recorded his experiences in this journal.”

Edith Wharton, A Motor-Flight Through France (1908)

“ Shedding the turn-of-the-century social confines she felt existed for women in America, Edith Wharton set out in the newly invented ‘motor-car’ to explore the cities and countryside of France.”

D.H. Lawrence, Sea and Sardinia (1921)

“ Written after the First World War when he was living in Sicily, Sea and Sardinia records Lawrence’s journey to Sardinia and back in January 1921. It reveals his response to a new landscape and people and his ability to transmute the spirit of place into literary art.”

George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London (1933)

“ This unusual fictional account – in good part autobiographical – narrates without self-pity and often with humor the adventures of a penniless British writer among the down-and-out of two great cities. ”

Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (1941)

“ Written on the brink of World War II, Rebecca West’s classic examination of the history, people, and politics of Yugoslavia illuminates a region that is still a focus of international concern .”

Mary McCarthy, The Stones of Florence (1956)

“ Mary McCarthy offers a unique history of Florence, from its inception to the dominant role it came to play in the world of art, architecture, and Italian culture, that captures the brilliant Florentine spirit and revisits the legendary figures Dante, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and others who exemplify it so iconically.”

Jan Morris, The World of Venice (1960)

“ Often hailed as one of the best travel books ever written, Venice is neither a guide nor a history book, but a beautifully written immersion in Venetian life and character, set against the background of the city’s past. ”

Patrick Leigh Fermor, A Time of Gifts (1977)

“ In 1933, at the age of 18, Patrick Leigh Fermor set out on an extraordinary journey by foot – from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople. A Time of Gifts is the first volume in a trilogy recounting the trip, and takes the reader with him as far as Hungary.”

Tété-Michel Kpomassie, An African in Greenland (1981)

“ Tété-Michel Kpomassie was a teenager in Togo when he discovered a book about Greenland—and knew that he must go there. Working his way north over nearly a decade, Kpomassie finally arrived in the country of his dreams. ”

Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence (1989)

“ In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron with his wife and two large dogs. ”

Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun (1996)

“ Frances Mayes—widely published poet, gourmet cook, and travel writer—opens the door to a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. ”

Adam Gopnik, Paris to the Moon (2000)

“ Paris. The name alone conjures images of chestnut-lined boulevards, sidewalk cafés, breathtaking façades around every corner–in short, an exquisite romanticism that has captured the American imagination for as long as there have been Americans.”

Lori Tharps , Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain (2008)

“ Magazine writer and editor Lori Tharps was born and raised in the comfortable but mostly White suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she was often the only person of color in her school and neighborhood. At an early age, Lori decided that her destiny would be discovered in Spain. ”

Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor, Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story (2009)

“ Between 1998 and 2000, Sue and Ann travel throughout Greece and France. Sue, coming to grips with aging, caught in a creative vacuum, longing to reconnect with her grown daughter, struggles to enlarge a vision of swarming bees into a novel. Ann, just graduated from college, heartbroken and benumbed by the classic question about what to do with her life, grapples with a painful depression. ”

André Aciman, Alibis: Essays on Elsewhere (2011)

“ From beautiful and moving pieces about the memory evoked by the scent of lavender; to meditations on cities like Barcelona, Rome, Paris, and New York; to his sheer ability to unearth life secrets from an ordinary street corner,  Alibis  reminds the reader that Aciman is a master of the personal essay. ”

Sarah Moss, Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland (2012)

“ Novelist Sarah Moss had a childhood dream of moving to Iceland, sustained by a wild summer there when she was nineteen. In 2009, she saw an advertisement for a job at the University of Iceland and applied on a whim, despite having two young children and a comfortable life in an English cathedral city.”

Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot (2012)

“ In this exquisitely written book, Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge, England, home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove roads, and sea paths that crisscross both the British landscape and its waters and territories beyond. ”

Best Travel Books Set In  Latin America

Zora Neale Hurston, Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica (1938)

“ Based on Zora Neale Hurston’s personal experience in Haiti and Jamaica, where she participated as an initiate rather than just an observer of voodoo practices during her visits in the 1930s, this travelogue into a dark world paints a vividly authentic picture of ceremonies and customs and superstitions of great cultural interest. ”

Sybille Bedford, A Visit to Don Otavio (1953)

“ In the mid-1940s, Sybille Bedford set off from Grand Central Station for Mexico, accompanied by her friend E., a hamper of food and drink (Virginia ham, cherries, watercress, a flute of bread, Portuguese rosé), books, a writing board, and paper. Her resulting travelogue captures the rich and violent beauty of the country as it was then. ”

V.S. Naipaul, The Middle Passage , (1962)

“ In 1960 the government of Trinidad invited V. S. Naipaul to revisit his native country and record his impressions. In this classic of modern travel writing he has created a deft and remarkably prescient portrait of Trinidad and four adjacent Caribbean societies–countries haunted by the legacies of slavery and colonialism .”

Bruce Chatwin, In Patagonia (1977)

“ An exhilarating look at a place that still retains the exotic mystery of a far-off, unseen land, Bruce Chatwin’s exquisite account of his journey through Patagonia teems with evocative descriptions, remarkable bits of history, and unforgettable anecdotes.”

Paul Theroux, The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas (1979)

“ Beginning his journey in Boston, where he boarded the subway commuter train, and catching trains of all kinds on the way, Paul Theroux tells of his voyage from ice-bound Massachusetts and Illinois to the arid plateau of Argentina’s most southerly tip. ”

Salman Rushdie, The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey (1987)

“ In this brilliantly focused and haunting portrait of the people, the politics, the land, and the poetry of Nicaragua, Salman Rushdie brings to the forefront the palpable human facts of a country in the midst of a revolution. ”

Mary Morris, Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone (1987)

“ Traveling from the highland desert of northern Mexico to the steaming jungles of Honduras, from the seashore of the Caribbean to the exquisite highlands of Guatemala, Mary Morris, a celebrated writer of both fiction and nonfiction, confronts the realities of place, poverty, machismo, and selfhood. ”

Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place (1988)

“ Lyrical, sardonic, and forthright, A Small Place magnifies our vision of one small place with Swiftian wit and precision. Jamaica Kincaid’s expansive essay candidly appraises the ten-by-twelve-mile island in the British West Indies where she grew up, and makes palpable the impact of European colonization and tourism. ”

Isabel Allende, My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile (2003)

“ Isabel Allende evokes the magnificent landscapes of her country; a charming, idiosyncratic Chilean people with a violent history and an indomitable spirit, and the politics, religion, myth, and magic of her homeland that she carries with her even today. ”

Best Travel Books Set In  North America

Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789)

“ Widely admired for its vivid accounts of the slave trade, Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography — the first slave narrative to attract a significant readership — reveals many aspects of the eighteenth-century Western world through the experiences of one individual. ”

Isabella Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains (1879)

“ Bird was born in 1831 in Cheshire, England, and became one of a distinguished group of female travellers famous in the nineteenth century–a time when it was considered that a lady’s place should be confined to the home. Isabella travelled and explored the world extensively and became a notable writer and natural historian.”

John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley in Search of America (1962)

“ In September 1960, John Steinbeck embarked on a journey across America. He felt that he might have lost touch with the country, with its speech, the smell of its grass and trees, its color and quality of light, the pulse of its people.”

Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire (1968)

“ This is a rare view of a quest to experience nature in its purest form — the silence, the struggle, the overwhelming beauty. But this is also the gripping, anguished cry of a man of character who challenges the growing exploitation of the wilderness by oil and mining interests, as well as by the tourist industry. ”

Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (1974)

“ A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, the book becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions of how to live. ”

Edmund White, States of Desire: Travels in Gay America (1980)

“ In this city-by-city description of the way homosexual men lived in the late seventies, Edmund White gives us a picture of Gay America that will surprise gay and straight readers alike.”

William Least Heat-Moon, Blue Highways: A Journey into America (1982)

“ William Least Heat-Moon set out with little more than the need to put home behind him and a sense of curiosity … His adventures, his discoveries, and his recollections of the extraordinary people he encountered along the way amount to a revelation of the true American experience.”

Gretel Ehrlich, The Solace of Open Spaces (1984)

“ Poet and filmmaker Gretel Ehrlich went to Wyoming in 1975 to make the first in a series of documentaries when her partner died. Ehrlich stayed on and found she couldn’t leave. The Solace of Open Spaces is a chronicle of her first years on “the planet of Wyoming,” a personal journey into a place, a feeling, and a way of life. ”

Jonathan Raban, Bad Land: An American Romance (1985)

“ In towns named Terry, Calypso, and Ismay (which changed its name to Joe, Montana, in an effort to attract football fans), and in the landscape in between, Raban unearths a vanished episode of American history, with its own ruins, its own heroes and heroines, its own hopeful myths and bitter memories. ”

Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild (1996)

“ In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. ”

Jenny Diski, Stranger on a Train: Daydreaming and Smoking Around America with Interruptions (2002)

“ Using two cross-country trips on Amtrak as her narrative vehicles, British writer Jenny Diski connects the humming rails, taking her into the heart of America with the track-like scars leading back to her own past. ”

Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost (2005)

“ A Field Guide to Getting Lost draws on emblematic moments and relationships in Solnit’s own life to explore the issues of wandering, being lost, and the uses of the unknown. The result is a distinctive, stimulating, and poignant voyage of discovery. ”

Sarah Vowell, Assassination Vacation (2005)

“ With Assassination Vacation, [Vowell] takes us on a road trip like no other—a journey to the pit stops of American political murder and through the myriad ways they have been used for fun and profit, for political and cultural advantage. ”

Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (2012)

“ At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life.”

Suzanne Roberts, Almost Somewhere: Twenty-Eight Days on the John Muir Trail (2012)

“ It was 1993, Suzanne Roberts had just finished college, and when her friend suggested they hike California’s John Muir Trail, the adventure sounded like the perfect distraction from a difficult home life and thoughts about the future. But she never imagined that the twenty-eight-day hike would change her life. ”

Gloria Steinem, My Life on the Road (2015)

“ Gloria Steinem—writer, activist, organizer, and one of the most inspiring leaders in the world—now tells a story she has never told before, a candid account of how her early years led her to live an on-the-road kind of life, traveling, listening to people, learning, and creating change. ”

Best Travel Books Set In  Asia

Matsuo Bashō, The Narrow Road to the Deep North (1689)

“ In later life Basho turned to Zen Buddhism, and the travel sketched in this volume reflect his attempts to cast off earthly attachments and reach out to spiritual fulfillment. The sketches are written in the ‘haibun’ style–a linking of verse and prose. ”

Alexandra David-Néel, My Journey to Lhasa (1927)

“ In order to penetrate Tibet and reach Lhasa, she used her fluency of Tibetan dialects and culture, disguised herself as a beggar with yak hair extensions and inked skin and tackled some of the roughest terrain and climate in the World.”

Eric Newby, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush (1958)

“ No mountaineer, Newby set out with a friend to explore the formidable peaks of the Nuristan Mountains in northeast Afghanistan. His witty, unorthodox report is packed with incidents both ghastly and ecstatic as he takes us where few Western feet have trod.”

Peter Matthiessen, The Snow Leopard (1978)

“ When Matthiessen went to Nepal to study the Himalayan blue sheep and, possibly, to glimpse the rare and beautiful snow leopard, he undertook his five-week trek as winter snows were sweeping into the high passes. This is a radiant and deeply moving account of a ‘true pilgrimage, a journey of the heart.'”

Michael Ondaatje, Running in the Family (1982)

“ In the late 1970s Ondaatje returned to his native island of Sri Lanka. As he records his journey through the drug-like heat and intoxicating fragrances of that ‘pendant off the ear of India,’ Ondaatje simultaneously retraces the baroque mythology of his Dutch-Ceylonese family. ”

Vikram Seth, From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkian and Tibet (1983)

“ After two years as a postgraduate student at Nanjing University in China, Vikram Seth hitch-hiked back to his home in New Delhi, via Tibet. From Heaven Lake is the story of his remarkable journey and his encounters with nomadic Muslims, Chinese officials, Buddhists and others. ”

Christina Dodwell, Traveller in China (1985)

“ Christina Dodwell s wanderlust, combined with her inventive and unorthodox methods of travel and her unquenchable curiosity about people, make her the ideal guide to the remoter parts of China’s vast territory. ”

Pico Iyer, Video Night in Kathmandu (1988)

“ Why did Dire Straits blast out over Hiroshima, Bruce Springsteen over Bali and Madonna over all? The author was eager to learn where East meets West, how pop culture and imperialism penetrated through the world’s most ancient civilisations. Then, the truths he began to uncover were more startling, subtle, and more complex than he ever anticipated. ”

Pankaj Mishra, Butter Chicken in Ludhiana: Travels in Small Town India (1995)

“ From a convent-educated beauty pageant aspirant to small shopkeepers planning their vacation in London, Pankaj Mishra paints a vivid picture of a people rushing headlong to their tryst with modernity. ”

Andrew Pham, Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam (1999)

“ Catfish and Mandala is the story of an American odyssey—a solo bicycle voyage around the Pacific Rim to Vietnam—made by a young Vietnamese-American man in pursuit of both his adopted homeland and his forsaken fatherland.”

Ma Jian, Red Dust: A Path Through China (2001)

“ In 1983, at the age of thirty, dissident artist Ma Jian finds himself divorced by his wife, separated from his daughter, betrayed by his girlfriend, facing arrest for ‘Spiritual Pollution,’ and severely disillusioned with the confines of life in Beijing. So with little more than a change of clothes and two bars of soap, Ma takes off to immerse himself in the remotest parts of China. ”

Suketu Mehta , Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found (2004)

“ The book combines elements of memoir, travel writing as well as socio-political analysis of the history and people of Mumbai. Mehta writes as a person who is at one level outsider to this magnificent city and on the other hand is the one who is born here and has lived his childhood in the city then known as Bombay. ”

Faith Adiele, Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun (2004)

“ Reluctantly leaving behind Pop Tarts and pop culture to battle flying rats, hissing cobras, forest fires, and decomposing corpses, Faith Adiele shows readers in this personal narrative, with accompanying journal entries, that the path to faith is full of conflicts for even the most devout. ”

Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea (2009)

“ Award-winning journalist Barbara Demick follows the lives of six North Korean citizens over fifteen years–a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il, and a devastating famine that killed one-fifth of the population. ”

Katherine Boo, Behind the Beautiful Forevers (2012)

“ In this brilliant, breathtaking book by Pulitzer Prize winner Katherine Boo, a bewildering age of global change and inequality is made human through the dramatic story of families striving toward a better life in Annawadi, a makeshift settlement in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport. ”

Best Travel Books Set In  Africa

Mary Kingsley, Travels in West Africa (1897)

“ Upon her sudden freedom from family obligations, a sheltered Victorian spinster traded her stifling middle-class existence for an incredible expedition in the Congo. ”

Beryl Markham, West with the Night (1942)

“[Markham’s] successes and her failures—and her deep, lifelong love of the ‘soul of Africa’—are all chronicled here with wrenching honesty and agile wit. Hailed by National Geographic as one of the greatest adventure books of all time, West with the Night is the sweeping account of a fearless and dedicated woman. ”

Maya Angelou, All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986)

“ Once again, the poet casts her spell as she resumes one of the greatest personal narratives of our time. In this continuation, Angelou relates how she joins a “colony” of Black American expatriates in Ghana–only to discover no one ever goes home again. ”

Eddy L. Harris, Native Stranger: A Black American’s Journey into the Heart of Africa (1992)

“ Recounting his journey into the heart of Africa, an African American describes his encounters with beggars and bureaucrats, his visit to Soweto, a night in a Liberian jail cell, and more. ”

Philip Gourevitch, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families (1998)

“ Philip Gourevitch’s haunting work is an anatomy of the killings in Rwanda, a vivid history of the genocide’s background, and an unforgettable account of what it means to survive in its aftermath. ”

Colleen McElroy, Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar (1999)

“ McElroy’s tale of an African American woman’s travels among the people of Madagascar is told with wit, insight, and humor. Throughout it she interweaves English translations of Malagasy stories of heroism and morality, royalty and commoners, love and revenge, and the magic of tricksters and shapechangers. ”

Charlayne Hunter-Gault, New News Out of Africa: Uncovering Africa’s Renaissance (2006)

“ In New News Out of Africa , this eminent reporter offers a fresh and surprisingly optimistic assessment of modern Africa, revealing that there is more to the continent than the bad news of disease, disaster, and despair.”

Noo Saro-Wiwa, Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (2012)

“ She finds [Nigeria] as exasperating as ever, and frequently despairs at the corruption and inefficiency she encounters. But she also discovers that it is far more beautiful and varied than she had ever imagined, with its captivating thick tropical rainforest and ancient palaces and monuments.”

Best Travel Books Set In The  South Pacific

Robyn Davidson, Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback (1980)

“ Robyn Davidson’s opens the memoir of her perilous journey across 1,700 miles of hostile Australian desert to the sea with only four camels and a dog for company with the following words: ‘I experienced that sinking feeling you get when you know you have conned yourself into doing something difficult and there’s no going back.'”

Dea Birkett, Serpent in Paradise (1997)

“ Acclaimed British travel writer and journalist Dea Birkett, obsessed like many with the island’s image as a secluded Eden and its connection to the mysterious and intriguing Bounty legend, traveled across the Pacific on a cargo ship and became one of the very few outsiders permitted to land on Pitcairn. ”

Bill Bryson, In a Sunburned Country (2000)

“ Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. ”

Kira Salak, Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua, New Guinea (2001)

“ Traveling by dugout canoe and on foot, confronting the dangers and wonders of a largely untouched world, [Salak] became the first woman to traverse this remote country and write about it. ”

Best Travel Books Set In The  Middle East/North Africa

Mary Wortley Montagu, The Turkish Embassy Letters (1716)

“ Her lively letters offer insights into the paradoxical freedoms conferred on Muslim women by the veil, the value of experimental work by Turkish doctors on inoculation, and the beauty of Arab poetry and culture. ”

Robert Byron, The Road to Oxiana (1937)

“ In 1933 the delightfully eccentric Robert Byron set out on a journey through the Middle East via Beirut, Jerusalem, Baghdad and Teheran to Oxiana -the country of the Oxus, the ancient name for the river Amu Darya which forms part of the border between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. ”

Isabelle Eberhardt, The Nomad: The Diaries of Isabelle Eberhardt (1987, written in late 19th century)

“ Eberhardt’s journal chronicles the daring adventures of a late 19th- century European woman who traveled the Sahara desert disguised as an Arab man and adopted Islam.”

Sara Suleri, Meatless Days (1989)

“ In this finely wrought memoir of life in postcolonial Pakistan, Suleri intertwines the violent history of Pakistan’s independence with her own most intimate memories—of her Welsh mother; of her Pakistani father, prominent political journalist Z.A. Suleri; of her tenacious grandmother Dadi and five siblings; and of her own passage to the West. ”

Amitav Ghosh, In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler’s Tale (1993)

“ Interspersing his quest with accounts of his stay in ‘Masr’ and the people he met, Ghosh weaves together a narrative packed with exuberant detail, exposing ties that have bound together India and Egypt, and Hindus and Muslims and Jews, from the Crusades to Operation Desert Storm.”

Rory Stewart, The Places in Between (2004)

“ In January 2002 Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan–surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers … Along the way Stewart met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers. ”

Colin Thubron, Shadow of the Silk Road (2007)

“ Making his way by local bus, truck, car, donkey cart, and camel, Colin Thubron covered some seven thousand miles in eight months out of the heart of China into the mountains of Central Asia, across northern Afghanistan and the plains of Iran into Kurdish Turkey and explored an ancient world in modern ferment. ”

Gertrude Bell, A Woman in Arabia: The Writings of the Queen of the Desert (2015, written in early 20th century)

“ This is the epic story of Bell’s life, told through her letters, military dispatches, diary entries, and other writings. It offers a unique and intimate look behind the public mask of a woman who shaped nations. ”

Lynsey Addario, It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War (2015)

“ Lynsey Addario was just finding her way as a young photographer when September 11 changed the world. One of the few photojournalists with experience in Afghanistan, she gets the call to return and cover the American invasion.”

Best Travel Books Set In  Arctic/Antarctic

Ernest Shackleton, South: The Story of Shackleton’s Last Expedition, 1914-1917 (1919)

“ In an epic struggle of man versus the elements, Shackleton leads his team on a harrowing quest for survival over some of the most unforgiving terrain in the world.”

Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams (2001)

“ Lopez offers a thorough examination of this obscure world-its terrain, its wildlife, its history of Eskimo natives and intrepid explorers who have arrived on their icy shores. But what turns this marvelous work of natural history into a breathtaking study of profound originality is his unique meditation on how the landscape can shape our imagination, desires, and dreams. ”

Sara Wheeler, Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica (1996)

“ Terra Incognita is a meditation on the landscape, myths and history of one of the remotest parts of the globe, as well as an encounter with the international temporary residents of the region – living in close confinement despite the surrounding acres of white space – and the mechanics of day-to-day life in extraordinary conditions. ”

Gretchen Legler, On the Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at McMurdo Station, Antarctica (2005)

“ Sent to Antarctica as an observer by the National Science Foundation, Gretchen Legler arrives at McMurdo Station in midwinter, a time of -70 degree temperatures and months of near-total darkness. ”

Various Locations

Ibn Battuta, The Travels of Ibn Battuta , (14th century)

“ Ibn Battutah—ethnographer, bigrapher, anecdotal historian and occasional botanist—was just 21 when he set out in 1325 from his native Tangier on a pilgramage to Mecca. He did not return to Morocco for another 29 years, traveling instead through more than 40 countries on the modern map, covering 75,000 miles and getting as far north as the Volga, as far east as China, and as far south as Tanzania. ”

Martha Gellhorn, Travels With Myself and Another (1979): “ Out of a lifetime of travelling, Martha Gellhorn has selected her ‘best horror journeys.’ She bumps through rain-sodden, war-torn China to meet Chiang Kai-Shek, floats listlessly in search of u-boats in the wartime Caribbean and visits a dissident writer in the Soviet Union against her better judgment.”

Barbara Savage, Miles from Nowhere: A Round-The World Bicycle Adventure (1983)

“ This is the story of Barbara and Larry Savage’s sometimes dangerous, often zany, but ultimately rewarding 23,000 miles global bicycle odyssey, which took them through 25 countries in two years.”

Elaine Lee, editor, Go Girl!: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure (1997)

“Globe-trotting attorney Lee assembled 52 travel pieces presenting the uncommon perspective of black women, mostly African Americans. Assembled under the headings ‘Back to Africa,’ ‘Sistren Travelin’,’ and ‘Trippin’ All Over the World,’ many initially appeared in popular women’s or travel magazines.”

Cheryl J. Fish, editor, A Stranger in the Village: Two Centuries of African-American Travel Writing (1999)

“ Dispatches, diaries, memoirs, and letters by African-American travelers in search of home, justice, and adventure-from the Wild West to Australia. ”

Caryl Phillips, The Atlantic Sound (2000)

“ Liverpool, England; Accra, Ghana; Charleston, South Carolina. These were the points of the triangle forming the major route of the transatlantic slave trade. And these are the cities that acclaimed author Caryl Phillips explores–physically, historically, psychologically–in this wide-ranging meditation on the legacy of slavery. ”

Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel (2002)

“ Any Baedeker will tell us where we ought to travel, but only Alain de Botton will tell us how and why … de Botton considers the pleasures of anticipation; the allure of the exotic, and the value of noticing everything from a seascape in Barbados to the takeoffs at Heathrow.”

Geoff Dyer, Yoga for People Who Can’t Be Bothered to Do It (2003)

“ As he travels from Amsterdam to Cambodia, Rome to Indonesia, Libya to Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert, Dyer flounders about in a sea of grievances, with fleeting moments of transcendental calm his only reward for living in a perpetual state of motion. ”

Susan Orlean, My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who’s Been Everywhere (2004)

“ In this irresistible collection of adventures far and near, Orlean conducts a tour of the world via its subcultures, from the heart of the African music scene in Paris to the World Taxidermy Championships in Springfield, Illinois–and even into her own apartment, where she imagines a very famous houseguest taking advantage of her hospitality. ”

Ryszard Kapuściński , Travels with Herodotus (2004)

“J ust out of university in 1955, Kapuscinski told his editor that he’d like to go abroad. Dreaming no farther than Czechoslovakia, the young reporter found himself sent to India. Wide-eyed and captivated, he would discover in those days his life’s work—to understand and describe the world in its remotest reaches, in all its multiplicity.”

Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love (2006)

“ Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. ”

Tahir Shah, Travels with Myself (2011)

“ Travels with Myself is a collection of selected writings by Tahir Shah, acclaimed Anglo-Afghan author and champion of the intrepid. Written over twenty years, the many pieces form an eclectic treasury of stories from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and beyond.

Elisabeth Eaves, Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents (2011)

“ Spanning 15 years of travel, beginning when she is a sophomore in college, Wanderlust documents Elisabeth Eaves’s insatiable hunger for the rush of the unfamiliar and the experience of encountering new people and cultures. ”

Paula Young Lee, Deer Hunting in Paris: A Memoir of God, Guns, and Game Meat (2013)

“ What happens when a Korean-American preacher’s kid refuses to get married, travels the world, and quits being vegetarian? She meets her polar opposite on an online dating site while sitting at a café in Paris, France and ends up in Paris, Maine, learning how to hunt. ”

Emily Raboteau, Searching for Zion: The Quest for Home in the African Diaspora (2013)

“ On her ten-year journey back in time and around the globe, through the Bush years and into the age of Obama, Raboteau wanders to Jamaica, Ethiopia, Ghana, and the American South to explore the complex and contradictory perspectives of Black Zionists. ”

Amanda Epe, A Fly Girl: Travel Tales of an Exotic British Airways Cabin Crew (2014)

“ A Fly Girl gives insight to the highs and lows in the world of a former BA cabin crew, in an intriguing travel writing memoir. In the global landscape the memoirist meticulously documents personal adventures, social structures and political history throughout her daring and exciting expeditions.”

Robert Moor, On Trails: An Exploration (2016)

“ Throughout, Moor reveals how this single topic—the oft-overlooked trail—sheds new light on a wealth of age-old questions: How does order emerge out of chaos? How did animals first crawl forth from the seas and spread across continents?”

What do you think are the best travel books? Check out even more recommendations for travel memoirs here !

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11 Bestselling Books And Where To Stay If You Loved Them

T raveling for inspiration is hardly something new. Traveling to a specific location from a book? It might be a sign that you’re the ultimate fan. This travel season, when you’re trying to breathe through the boiling rage of canceled flights, delays and another traveler wearing a sun hat who cuts everyone off in customs, remember that you’re doing this for the book. You’re doing this so you can pretend to fall in love with an Italian chef in Florence, battle some twisted creature in a haunted castle in Slovenia, or time-travel into another world because you are that book nerd.

Books are meant to be transportive, but for those who want a more heightened experience, here are 11 bestsellers with locations that inspired them or where their adaptations have filmed — for a virtually immersive experience. 

‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ By Casey McQuiston

The goring hotel in london.

London’s The Goring Hotel , recommended by a member of Les Clefs d’Or , a society of elite concierges, provides the kind of stay you’d be likely to find for a (fictional) clandestine affair between a member of the British royal family and the son of a U.S. president. “ Red, White & Royal Blue ,” the delightful romantic comedy from author Casey McQuiston, quickly became a bestseller, and even faster seemed to have its movie rights gobbled up. The rom-com is a mix of American brashness and British quirks, with a dollop of scandal. When Alex, the son of the U.S. president, and his sister June attend a royal wedding in the United Kingdom, he fumbles Prince Henry into a wedding cake, igniting a media uproar. The incident forces the prince and the first son into a series of damage control-orchestrated events and then into an unlikely friendship — turned attraction. Although we can’t be certain where these fictional lovers would meet, The Goring seems likely. The hotel is the backyard neighbor to Buckingham Palace, boasts a slew of royal stays (Kate Middleton spent her final night there before becoming the Duchess of Cambridge), and makes for the perfect high-profile hideaway. A movie based on the book is set to be released Aug. 11 on Amazon Prime Video.

‘Seven Days In June’ By  Tia Williams

1 hotel brooklyn bridge in brooklyn, new york city.

Tia Williams’ swoon-worthy book about a second chance is easy to fall in love with. “Seven Days in June” is about the once-couple Eva Mercy, a single mom and bestselling author of erotica novels, and Shane Hall, a reclusive award-winning novelist. When Shane surprisingly shows up in New York City for a literary event attended by Eva, whom he had a fling with 15 years earlier, old sparks fly. And a hidden truth lies between them: Eva and Shane have both been secretly writing to one another within their written work for years. They can’t deny their chemistry — and over the next seven days, during a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect. The book was a Reese Witherspoon book club pick and an instant New York Times bestseller, and it was named one of the best romance novels of 2021 by The Washington Post. Although you can’t rent James Baldwin’s former NYC flat like Shane does, you can stay at the romantic 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge , with stunning views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline. For a bookstore where you might catch someone like the fictional author Eva, head to the impressively stacked Cafe con Libros .

‘Outlander’ By Diana Gabaldon

Dunkeld house hotel in dunkeld, scotland, native edinburgh in edinburgh, scotland.

If you’ve been living under a rock, you might have missed the popular historical series “ Outlander ” from author Diana Gabaldon, or the Starz show based on the books. Sweeping multiple time periods, it’s an epic romance about Claire Randall, a WWII nurse who travels back to 18th century Scotland, where kilts abound and outdoor plumbing hasn’t quite hit yet. Her safety is frequently in jeopardy as she tries to return to her home and fight an attraction to a redheaded Highlander, Jamie Fraser. Pilgrimages for “Outlander” enthusiasts are detailed by  VisitScotland , and although you can’t stay at Midhope Castle, known to fans as Lallybroch, there are several locations where you can stay, like the stunning Dunkeld House Hotel . Dunkeld is a magical place with ties to Jacobite soldiers, secretive glens and breathtaking beauty. Members of the show’s cast have stayed at the former lodge, and “Outlander” crew members have filmed at nearby sites including The Hermitage, which is home to Black Linn Falls. If you need a place to stay in Edinburgh before heading to Dunkeld (the best way to get there is via train), the Native Edinburgh hotel  is another top literary choice. It’s within walking distance to many locations linked to another mega-famous book series: “Harry Potter” by author J.K. Rowling. 

‘Tokyo Ever After’  By Emiko Jean

Asakusa kokono club hotel in tokyo, aman tokyo in tokyo.

“Tokyo Ever After,” Emiko Jean’s New York Times bestseller, is a delightful YA book about a young Japanese American girl, Izumi Tanaka, who suddenly discovers that her father is royalty. The outspoken and irreverent Izumi has always felt like she didn’t quite fit in with her small and mostly white Northern California town. Raised by her single mom, Izumi one day learns that her father is the crown Prince of Japan, making Izzy a princess. She leaves her home and heads to Japan to meet her father and begin a new life — but this fairy tale will require some adjustments. She’ll have to deal with conniving cousins, a handsome albeit grumpy bodyguard, and thousands of years of traditions and customs. She has to fight through who she is and where she feels she truly belongs. For any royal members in your family, they’ll likely stay at the Aman Tokyo , with its esteemed luxury status and views of the Imperial Palace gardens and Mount Fuji. For an experience more in line with that of Izumi, head for the Asakusa Kokono Club Hotel . The trendy boutique hotel has a vibrant and young energy that’s a mix of American style and a sleek Japanese aesthetic. It was designed in part by OMFGCO , the creative agency responsible for the Ace Hotel in Portland, Oregon.

‘You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty’ By Akwaeke Emezi

Hermitage bay in st. mary, antigua and barbuda.

Praised by The New York Times as an “unabashed ode to living with, and despite, pain and mortality,” Akwaeke Emezi’s “You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty” is a passionate and heartfelt romance novel. Five years after the accidental death of the person she loved, Feyi Adekola is ready for life again. Best friend Joy is determined to bring Feyi, an artist living in a New York brownstone, back into the dating scene. Feyi agrees to attend a rooftop party, but insists she isn’t looking for anything serious. Then, a steamy summer meeting turns into a whirlwind experience and luxurious trip to a tropical island. She’s suddenly surrounded by wealth and indulging in decadent meals on the glamorous island retreat of a celebrity chef and a major curator who wants to launch her art career. For those of us not renting a private island,  Hermitage Bay in Antigua and Barbuda feels just as secluded. It has only 30 individual suites, each one a cottage of dark wood and pristine design surrounded by tropical beauty. The five-star luxury resort might not come with your own personal love interest — or a few — but it is still one of the Caribbean’s extravagant hotels.

‘Happy Place’ By  Emily Henry

Towne cove camp in monson, maine, timber-frame home in winthrop, maine.

From the New York Times bestseller “People We Meet on Vacation” to the new rom-com “Happy Place,” Emily Henry has a knack for picking a setting. “Happy Place” is set primarily at a lakeside cottage in a fictional picturesque town in Maine. Old college friends head to their favorite retreat for a much-needed respite — but this year, one couple in the group has a secret: Harriet and Wyn broke up and haven’t told their pals. For a week, they have to outwardly play the part of a normal couple in love while also pretending to not still want one another privately — a tricky thing to do when you’re in a cozy, romantic cabin filled with cheese, good wine and a single bed. Maine is a fabulous vacation spot for the summer months, with cooler temps, charming towns and fantastic food. Towne Cove Camp , a comfortably stylish Airbnb with a private boat dock in the lakeside town of Monson, would make the perfect “happy place” for you and your friends. Or you can book a stay at this rugged luxury timber-frame home in Winthrop , also via Airbnb. It is a fully stocked house with 4,500 square feet on secluded Little Cobbosseecontee Lake.

‘From Scratch’ By Tembi Locke

Agriturismo bannata in florence, italy, adastra in florence, italy.

“From Scratch” is a poignant and tear-jerking memoir from Tembi Locke, an actor who recounted about her real-life romance in Italy. The book is beautifully written and perfectly captures her love, pain and resilience. While studying in Florence for a semester abroad, Tembi falls for Saro, a sultry Sicilian chef. When she returns to America, Saro visits Tembi and they eventually marry in New York. At a later wedding ceremony in Italy, things begin to unravel: Saro’s family refuses to attend because Tembi isn’t Sicilian and  because she’s a Black American woman. Despite this, their relationship continues to grow and the couple move to Los Angeles, where a shattering diagnosis leads Tembi back to Italy. Without giving too much away, this is a trip that Tembi makes without Saro. The book was adapted into a TV series for Netflix, starring Zoe Saldana. There is no shortage of places to stay in Florence, like the trendy AdAstra . But for an experience closer to where Saro hails from, stay at the Agriturismo Bannata , an exquisite and rustic farmhouse hotel in central Sicily near the city of Enna. It offers an intimate experience, with only six rooms. An on-site restaurant provides fresh and traditional Sicilian food and wine, and the owners are happy to organize cooking classes too, for a fuller immersion into Saro and Tembi’s love story.

‘What Never Happened’  By  Rachel Howzell Hall

Banning house lodge on santa catalina island, california.

Rachel Howzell Hall’s latest book is a murder mystery set on the enchanting and quirky Santa Catalina Island. This suspenseful and gripping novel follows Colette, or “Coco,” as she relocates to her island home where, 20 years prior, she was the sole survivor of some horrific murders. Coco hopes returning to Catalina Island will put distance between herself and an ex, reignite her passion for writing obituaries, and help her connect with an aunt named Gwen. Luckily, her best friend owns the local paper — and considering the number of elderly people dying in town, Coco will be busy. When she begins to suspect that the deaths are not natural but instead tied a serial killer from Coco’s past, suddenly her peaceful reset turns into a suspenseful trap. For a quintessential Catalina stay, the Banning House Lodge  — rumored to be haunted — is perfect, with killer views and a coastal-cool aesthetic. The highly reviewed bed-and-breakfast sits on a hilltop with views of Isthmus Cove, and it’s near the Catalina Museum for Art & History and the Avalon Theatre. Given the island’s remote location, be prepared to get some reading or writing done, because the Wi-Fi might not have a pulse.

‘Lessons In Chemistry’ By Bonnie Garmus

Avalon hotel in beverly hills, california.

Author Bonnie Garmus’ “Lessons in Chemistry” became such a massive success that it was quickly optioned and turned into a drama series on Apple TV+ , with Brie Larson starring in the lead role as Elizabeth Zott. Set during the 1960s in a made-up Southern Californian town, Elizabeth’s dream of being a scientist is put on hold when she finds herself pregnant, single and fired. After becoming the reluctant host of the TV cooking show “Supper at Six,” she decides to teach a nation of housewives the science of food with a chemist’s flare and, more importantly, the value of independence. Although the town in which Elizabeth lives isn’t explicitly stated, it’s presumed to be in the Los Angeles area. The  Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills , built in 1949 and redesigned in 1999, has the perfect mix of style and a nod to the midcentury past. Famous guests such as Marilyn Monroe were known to stay in the original hotel. And despite the modernization, a retro-chic vibe keeps the Avalon tied to its Old Hollywood roots. 

‘The Witcher’ By Andrzej Sapkowski

Hotel jama in postojna, slovenia, rydal hall estate in rydal, united kingdom.

Although you can’t stay in the fictional forests, haunted castles and fantasy lands crafted by Andrzej Sapkowski , the author of the popular “Witcher” series, you can stay near one of many locations where the Netflix series based on the books is filmed. “The Witcher,” one of the top trending shows on the platform right now, is well known for its epic scenery and fantastical plotlines. The show is a gothic and action-packed romp starring Henry Cavill as the gravelly voiced “witcher” Geralt of Rivia in a vast fictional place called the Continent. The show has filmed in many countries across the globe — and one breathtaking real-life location is Predjama Castle in Slovenia, a medieval marvel built within a 123-meter-high cliff. Although you can’t book the castle itself, you can stay minutes away at  Hotel Jama  in Postojna. If you’re looking for locations to visit from Season 2, Rydal — a village in the Lake District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, of Cumbria county — is brimming  with set locations.  Rydal Hall Estate , located on over 30 acres of land, has everything from rooms in the estate to “glamping” pods and a field where you can spend the night in a tent.

‘The Davenports’ By Krystal Marquis

The blackstone in chicago.

“The Davenports” is a historical romance that’s perfect for fans of “Bridgerton” and HBO’s “ The Gilded Age .” This charming and witty debut series from Krystal Marquis follows the American Davenports, one of the country’s few Black families of immense wealth during the early 1900s. Their fortune came from the brilliance and entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who pulled the family into the upper class. The book follows the Davenport daughters through endless parties and expectations to marry within high society. A hotel worthy of Olivia, the beautiful and more traditional of the sisters, is The Blackstone , an iconic Chicago establishment. The author’s publicist confirmed that Marquis researched the hotel for her series — and it’s easy to see why. Since 1910 , The Blackstone has been a hub for celebrities, socialites and politicians. Stars like Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole and Rudolph Valentino, as well as social elites like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts, all visited the hotel.  Located on Chicago’s Cultural Mile with spacious marble baths and grand views of Lake Michigan, the establishment offers a mix of decadence and American cool.

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Southwest cancels nonstop route from Austin to Cozumel. When is your last chance to book?

If you want to travel from Austin to Cozumel, you'd better act fast.

Southwest Airlines announced Thursday that it will cease service to Cozumel International Airport in August, meaning Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will lose yet another nonstop route.

Safety: FAA taps Austin airport for safety improvements following spate of near-misses last year

The change is expected to take effect Aug. 4. The last nonstop flight from the Austin airport to the island in Quintana Roo, Mexico, appears to be at 11:30 a.m. July 27. As of Friday afternoon, tickets for that flight cost $248 to $368.

Southwest's announcement came alongside its 2024 first-quarter financial report, which showed the company endured a net loss of $231 million. The airline is also planning to cancel service to Bellingham International Airport in Washington, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and Syracuse (N.Y.) Hancock International Airport.

Eclipse: See stunning photos from solar eclipse flight from Austin to Detroit

"To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming markets," Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement. "We are focused on achieving our financial prosperity goals and creating value for our shareholders, while we adjust to changes in our aircraft delivery plans, customer travel patterns and preferences, higher fuel prices and other cost pressures."

Airport leadership: Austin appoints airport CEO, ending yearlong period of temporary leadership