Let's Get Out of Dodge!

June 27, 2011

Tammy the Traveling Librarian here with the question, “Who’s up for a road trip?" From Jack Kerouac to Thelma and Louise, we all need a good escape now and then! America was built on exploration and adventure; it’s in our genes. A road trip broadens our horizons and also gives us a time for introspection. We are changed—inside and outside—by what we see and what we learn.

The following list of books and websites from MCPL will help you travel vicariously or plan a fabulous get-away yourself. The possibilities are endless, and you can always escape more than once. Where would you like to go?

No Suitcase Necessary

• Dishwasher: One Man’s Quest to Wash Dishes in all Fifty States by Pete Jordan. The true story of “Dishwasher Pete” and his goal to “bust suds” in all 50 states.
• The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Place in the World by Eric Weiner. The author’s yearlong quest to find the world’s happiest places.
• Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah MacDonald. MacDonald writes about her evolution in India from spoiled westerner to a person who learns to appreciate the people, culture, and beauty of India.
• Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner. After being dumped at the alter by his fiancée, Wisner takes his brother with him on his already scheduled honeymoon to Costa Rica. The brothers end up going on a two-year road trip.
• On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Inspired by jazz, poetry, and drugs, Kerouac chronicles the experiences he and his friends of the “Beat Generation” have as they travel across America during the early 1950’s.
• Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck. With his dog Charley, Steinbeck travels throughout America, writing about his adventures and discoveries during the 1960’s.

Planning A Trip

MCPL Online Resources:

• Global Road Warrior includes information about culture, communications, travel, and business, as well as maps for 175 countries and territories.
• Theme Park Insider is a consumer’s guide to the world’s most popular theme and amusement parks, written by consumers themselves.
• Hospitality, Tourism, and Leisure Collection is a resource for curious travelers and serious researchers alike.

MCPL Books:

• Heaven on Earth: 100 Places to See in Your Lifetime is a lush, glossy, big and fat book that shows inspiring photographs from the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx to the mysteries of Easter Island and Stonehenge. From the editors of LIFE.
• Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers by Nancy Pearl. A globetrotting guide to visiting places near or far and from A to Z.

~Sandi V.
Parkville Branch