Cover to Cover: Traveling in the United States - Scottsbluff Star Herald
I am headed out of town next month on vacation. I am going somewhere I am not familiar with, so I visited our travel section to see what books we had about the area.
Sherry Preston
Travel guides are written by experts who are paid to help travelers navigate unfamiliar places. Social media and many online travel sites are sponsored by the places they are promoting, so they often are paid a kickback for recommending places that paid to be mentioned. Because of this, they may also leave out other more worthy places to visit.
As a rule, the travel guides that have lots of color photographs tend to be heavy, while those printed in black and white have more information in them and weigh a lot less. All of them include a map of some sort.
I noticed Eyewitness Travel guides have lots of pictures but very small print. They contain great information about hotels and restaurants as well as what to see while on vacation. One fun feature is their one-, two- and three-day excursion recommendations.
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Frommer's starts off with lists like: The Best Free Things To Do, The Best Restaurants, The Best Way To See (your location) Like a Local and The Best Outdoor Things To Do. Travelers can learn which hotels are the best and find recommended restaurants that fit the budget. They also recommend sightseeing trips, guidance on nightlife and shopping as well as information about sights in the general area as well as farther flung sights. This brand of travel guide has more text than photos, but they are lightweight and portable for traveling.
Moon guides have sections for each area of the state as well as larger cities. These guides include color pictures and are lightweight. They are chock full of interesting tidbits and would appeal to travelers who seek out quirky places to eat and stay.
Our handiest guides might be "The Unofficial Guide" to Disneyland and Disney World. We have the 2022 versions, so they are up-to-date. Readers can explore the parks ride by ride, with advice on what might be "scary" for little ones. They offer on and off resort hotel recommendations as well as strategies for waiting in line with young children and lots of other useful tips.
Our "Smithsonian Guide to Historic America" collection is a little old, but those who travel to learn about history might enjoy it. Travelers can find in-depth information about visiting battle sites in the area, as well as information about other historic sites for all kinds of interests. These guides include historic maps, pictures of historic buildings and images of artwork.
Gering Library also has a handful of "Roadside History" books which include lots of black and white photographs. Traveling with one of these will add context to any road trip. The Colorado edition, for example, explains Japanese relocation to Camp Amache, Zebulon Pike's travels, as well as tidbits about local characters like Buckskin Joe.
Shelved among the more standard travel guides are some more specialized books.
If your family enjoys visiting national parks, Discovery Channel's series on U.S. National Parks is a great resource. The largest part of each book concerns the parks themselves, with site information, pictures and maps. Each book also has small sections on local wildlife and travel tips. We also have a number of other guides for specific national parks available.
Another fun series is the Insider's Guide: "Off the Beaten Path." These books include no pictures to speak of, but are full of outdoorsy activities and interesting trivia.
We have several guides specific to cities, for example, New York, Denver, Branson, Las Vegas and Boston. These provide lots of useful information for travelers, particularly someone unfamiliar with the area.
Finally, I discovered the "Tourist Trains Guidebook." This little book is full of fun information for train enthusiasts. Covering both the U.S. and Canada, travelers can find a variety of railroad experiences including museums, steam railroading institutes, dinner trains and trolleys.
Whether you are a backpacker or like to travel in style, wherever your destination is, Gering Public Library has a travel guide for you. If you don't find the destination you are looking for, let us know, we can add one to the collection. Next week's topic: international travel.
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