Six great beach reads for travelers

by Katie Hammel on

There’s a special joy that comes with losing yourself in a good book while relaxing on a beach. The warm sun on your skin, the sand between your toes, and the sound of waves gently breaking on the shore create the perfect environment for shrugging off your cares and transporting yourself to a new world. Here are a few of my favorite travel books – perfect picks for an easy summer read no matter what your style.


If you’re looking for a trashy novel. . .
Summer beach reading should be light, fun, and maybe a little tawdry. Thomas Kohnstamm’s Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? fits the bill perfectly. The subtitle, A Swashbuckling Tale of High Adventures, Questionable Ethics and Professional Hedonism, describes the plot quite well. The book tells the story of Kohnstamm’s first guidebook-writing assignment for Lonely Planet. He gives up his apartment, job, and girlfriend to travel to and write about northern Brazil and soon realizes he’s in far over his head. What follows is a hilarious and controversial account of his adventures, how he learns the ropes of guidebook writing, and just how guidebooks are created.

If you’re looking for a travel-writing how-to. . .
Rolf Potts’ Marco Polo Didn’t Go There: Stories and Recollections from One Decade as a Post-Modern Travel Writer is perfect for the aspiring travel writer, or anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into a travel story. The book includes some of Potts’ published work (well-written, insightful, and entertaining stories on their own), followed by interesting end notes about how each story came about, from what really happened and what didn’t make it into the final copy to the long road from experience to published article.

If you’re looking for an inspiring story. . .
If you dream of one day taking charge of your life and pursuing your passions, Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story is for you. The story traces the creation of the Lonely Planet empire, from Tony and Maureen Wheeler’s decision to take an overland journey from Europe to Australia to the publishing of their first guidebook and the subsequent failures and triumphs of the company. Even if your goals don’t involve building one of the top travel book publishing companies in the world, the story of chasing your dreams and finding success will inspire you.

If you’re looking for a good laugh. . .
Bill Bryson’s I’m a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away is a quick beach read that will keep you laughing all afternoon. Based on the hilarious writer’s newspaper column, the short stories point out the idiosyncrasies and oddities of life in America. From dealing with the Post Office to the difficulties of preparing a tax return, the book perfectly captures small town life in America and pokes fun at some of the country’s stranger traditions. The chapters are all quite short, perfect if you’ve got kids to mind and can’t commit to lengthier reading periods.

If you’re looking for a collection of short stories. . .
The Best American Travel Writing series has been combining great travel stories and narratives from websites, magazines, and newspapers, and putting them in one place for nearly a decade. The 2008 edition was edited by Anthony Bourdain and covers everything from restaurants in Kabul to weddings in St. Petersburg. With a dozen or so unique tales from different voices in each book, the collection will satisfy your need for short story variety and entertain you with engrossing travel narratives.

If you’re looking for intellectual stimulation. . .
If you’re the type who loves reading about research and studies, Eric Weiner’s The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World is right up your alley. Weiner set off to explore what makes us happy, and how economic conditions, culture, and traditions in various countries make people happy (or not). Along the way he visits countries like Iceland, India, Bhutan, Moldova and Thailand to see just how happy or unhappy the people are, and why. Along with being a fascinating and educational read, it also happens to be pretty darn funny too.

Sokolowskis University Inn, a Cleveland eatery that wowed Bourdain

by Jamie Rhein on

Recently, when I was relishing my meatloaf with a side order of pierogis and sauerkraut in between bites of my daughter’s stuffed cabbage rolls and my husband’s coconut cake, I didn’t know that I was having an Anthony Bourdain experience in Cleveland–kind of. I didn’t eat the head cheese or the chicken paprikash, two of the dishes Bourdain also ate when he made his Sokolwski’s University Inn stop with Harvey Pekar and Pekar’s friend, Toby.

The third generation of the Sokolowski family serves up Polish comfort food in a manner that draws crowds of all ages. Part of the restaurant’s appeal is its looks. The walls are a Cleveland memorabilia museum with plenty to keep a person’s eyes busy. Here’s a place to see what has made Clevelanders tick. Browns football, Indians baseball and the auto industry, for example.

I was there to take in the ambiance of a favorite family-owned Cleveland establishment that has been around since 1923 and to eat those pierogies. Bourdain’s purpose was to film a segment for No Reservations. (see segment after the jump). Although our paths didn’t physically cross, his experience was almost identical to mine–except for our dining companions.

What I enjoyed, which this video clip alludes to, is the camaraderie while waiting in line. Because it’s a cafeteria-style restaurant, there’s much chatting between customers while they wait their turn to make their way past the choices.

Even though we arrived on a Saturday at 4:45 pm., what I consider before dinner time crowds gather in full force, the line was substantial. Finding a table wasn’t a problem, however, and waiting wasn’t bad.

If you’re in Cleveland, here’s a place that offers authenticity and city history for everyone, no matter the age or the size of the customer.

The above photo was taken from the front of the restaurant. Along with great Polish fare, eating here offers an unusual angle of Cleveland’s skyline.

Win an autographed Anthony Bourdain poster! (Part II)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Two questions. You like to win free stuff, right? And have you heard of this guy Anthony Bourdain (he’s some sort of food show host apparently)? Alright, if the answer to either of the previous two questions is yes, Gadling has got your back. In what can only be described as deja vu, we’re giving away yet another Anthony Bourdain No Reservations poster, autographed by the man himself.

As you might have also heard, 2009 marked the kickoff of an all-new season of No Reservations. It’s been another solid string of episodes, with interesting installments on Mexico and a great look at some off-the-beaten path spots in Venice. Last week saw Tony enjoying our nation’s capital, Washington D.C., stopping for a half smoke at Ben Chili’s Bowl and getting some great Chesapeake Bay Crab at the local market. Tonight’s episode brings Tony to the isolated islands of the Azores.

Would you like your very own Anthony Bourdain poster to clutch to your chest while you watch the rest of the new season? Just leave an entry telling us about your favorite No Reservations episode in the comments below and we’ll draw a lucky winner by this Friday, January 30th.

Good luck!

  • To enter, simply leave a comment below telling us about your favorite No Reservations episode.
  • The comment must be left before Friday, January 30th, 2009 at 5PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
  • One Grand Prize Winner will receive a free, original autographed poster of Anthony Bourdain
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
  • Poster is valued at $20.
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Beef brain tacos and Haggis – eating the foods that scare you

by Jeremy Kressmann on

The past week has been an interesting one for me, food-wise. Last Monday I had a chance to sample a Mexican “beef brain” taco (de cabeza) and this weekend I found myself unexpectedly eating a plate of Haggis. You know – the Scottish dish made with a stomach-churning mixture of sheep’s lungs, heart and liver mixed with spices and boiled in the casing of a sheep stomach? Yeah, that Haggis.

While I would never go so far as to describe myself as the next Andrew Zimmern or Anthony Bourdain, I have become significantly more adventurous in my eating habits in the past five years. It’s perhaps an inevitable consequence for any frequent traveler. The more time you spend abroad, the easier it becomes to adjust to the rhythm of life and customs of places unlike your home. But even for many self-proclaimed “adventurous” travelers like myself, certain foods are the equivalent of a culinary no-fly zone. Phrases like “It’s unsafe” or “I might gag if I eat that” are often provided as rationalizations.

While I can empathize with these excuses, I think all of us (barring dietary restrictions) should try every food at least once. A lot of what we fear about certain foods is mental – a perception we’ve gained from anecdotes and popular culture that’s often not grounded in reality. More often than not you’ll find yourself enjoying the supposedly forbidden food, wondering what had you all worked up in the first place. And if you don’t like it? So what…the worst that happens is you spit it out and have a fun story to tell your friends.

Take Haggis – a food that has become the punchline to a bad joke. When I tried it recently, I found the taste and texture to be fantastic. It was like eating a spicy version of ground beef – I had myself wondering what all the fuss was about. And those beef brain tacos? I wasn’t a big fan – the meat was relatively tasteless and I found them to be too chewy. But you know what? I’m happy I tried both of them. Even if I don’t plan to snack on Haggis and beef brains every day, I’ve gained a newfound appreciation of each of these unique cultures – and that to me makes it worthwhile.

10 travel read suggestions for the road

by Jamie Rhein on

Ben Groundwater points out in his Sydney Morning Herald post “Travel Reads for the Road” that a good book is a wonderful companion to have while traveling. Not only can reading help fill up down time in a satisfactory way, a good book can enhance travel experiences.

In his post Groundwater lists ten perfect for travel books that range from serious to humorous and fiction to non-fiction. These are the best books he’s read this year. The neat thing about his list is that he pairs several books with locations where their settings will seem most poignant.

For example, if traveling in Africa, read Swahili for the Brokenhearted by Peter Moore and Blood River by Tim Butcher.

His pick for Thailand travel is The Beach by Alex Garland– and for Russia, particularly St. Petersburg, Groundwater suggests A City of Thieves by David Benioff.

If France strikes your interest, check out A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke and Almost French by Sarah Turnbull.

For travel in general, Groundwater recommends Holidays in Hell by P.J. O’Rourke, Rule No. 5: No Sex on the Bus by Brian Thacker, A Cook’s Tour by Anthony Bourdain and On the Road by Jack Kerouac.

The last travel related book I read was Step Back From the Baggage Claim. A review is coming your way soon. In the meantime, each of Groundwater’s suggestions are appealing. I’m particularly interested in picking up Rule No 5: No Sex on the Bus and Swahili for the Brokenhearted. The titles alone are intriguing. Thacker’s book is not new, but it sounds hilarious and Moore’s book has a similar theme to Franz Wisner’s book Honeymoon with my Brother where travel and self discovery go hand in hand.