All aboard!
It wasn’t that long ago that rail travel was the major mode of transportation for leisure travelers in the U.S. And although the focus has shifted to automobiles, RVs and airplanes, rail travel is making a comeback. To help you in your quest to explore the vast expanse of this beautiful country, the folks at Bella Terra Publishing have created “Rail U.S.A.: Museums & Trips,” three unique regional guide maps featuring more than 1,200 railroad points of interest, as well as eye-catching, original watercolor illustrations of historic trains, stations and sites.
These 27-inch by 39-inch maps, billed as the most comprehensive and up-to-date listings anywhere, cover the western states from the Great Plains and Texas to the Pacific, the central states from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, and the eastern states from Maine to Florida. Whether you yearn to recapture the past and present era of rail travel or simply desire to enhance your vacation experience, these regional guide maps are a great addition to any adventurous traveler’s resource library. The company also offers several special interest maps, many of which are available as matted art prints and notecards. 845-876-5750, http://bellaterramaps.com
AN ITALIAN LOVE LETTER
Much has been photographed and written about the beautiful country of Italy. From its stunning landscapes to its welcoming people, iconic sites and attractions, inspiring architecture and more, it’s hard not to fall in love with all it has to offer.
Author Louise Fili has combined her successful career as a photographer and designer into a beautiful photographic diary of many of Italy’s most imaginative street, restaurant, hotel, advertising and other signs in “Grafica della Strada: The Signs of Italy.” This book is very distinctive, in that the only words on each page are those of these beautiful signs (names and addresses of each are listed in the index at the back) so as not to distract the “reader” from focusing on the beauty of this artistic expression in its entirety. Wonderful accompaniments available for the book are Fili’s designer Perfetto Pencils and Quattro Parole Italiane Notecards. www.amazon.com/Grafica-della-Strada-Signs-Italy/dp/1616892692
A KID GETS HIS KICKS
ON ROUTE 66
Route 66, extending approximately 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles and celebrating its 88th birthday in 2014, is one of our country’s most significant icons and an invaluable slice of Americana. But have you ever thought about what it might have been like to grow up along “The Mother Road”?
“The 66 Kid: Raised on the Mother Road: Growing Up on Route 66, the World’s Most Famous Two-Lane Blacktop” by author Bob Boze Bell is described as “part autobiography, part narrative history, part oral history.” In it, he details his unique insights into what it was like living in Kingman, Ariz., one of Route 66’s quintessential towns, where he has lived all of his life, interacting and existing with the unusual characters, businesses, roadside attractions and other entities—past and present—along the way. Much more than a typical guide that notes “Point A, B & C,” how to get there and what to see, “The 66 Kid,” peppered with historic photographs, illustrations and print clips, offers an eye-opening insider’s window into how Route 66 continues to exert a huge influence on every aspect of the cultural, culinary, artistic and political American landscape. http://www.amazon.com/The-66-Kid-Two-Lane-Blacktop/dp/076034695X
ONCE UPON A TIME …
This is the beginning of many a nursery rhyme, an instantly recognizable foray into an era that seemingly one could only dream about in one’s mind’s eye. But you can also experience the nostalgic feeling of a former era in the new book, “Once Upon a Time in St. Louis: Bygone Scenes in Watercolor.”
Internationally known watercolorist Marilynne Bradley and freelance writer and researcher David Baugher have combined their talents to offer readers a truly nostalgic sojourn through poignant illustrations and graceful prose to extol the many iconic virtues of the Gateway to the West’s historic past. From the historic Louisiana Purchase by Thomas Jefferson to the electric ambiance at Busch Stadium during a St. Louis Cardinal’s game, delightful antiquated riverboats, historic and architectural masterpieces, the revelry of the 1904 World’s Fair and everything in between, the book is aptly described as “an artistic tribute to St. Louis’ storied past and its vigorous present.” www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Time-St-Louis/dp/1935806858
TITILLATING TRIVIA
I have a great many friends who have traveled to and absolutely adore London. From its storied history to its beautiful setting, regal and classic attractions, famous neighborhoods, fantastic culinary adventures, unique indoor and outdoor activities, amazing accommodations, lovely people and more, the city does much more than captivate the traveler’s imagination. But if you are one who is very familiar with the city, have you ever thought about making a game about your wealth of knowledge?
Well, now there’s “London Quiz: How Well Do You Know London?: 400 Provocative, Curious and Humorous Questions to Enlighten and Entertain.” Written by Travis Elborough and Nick Rennison, the book is punctuated with notable, eye-opening, funny, elucidating and downright “hmm” trivia facts about the city’s famous residents, history, architecture, place-names and a great deal more. Even if you’ve never been, it’s an interesting read and may even cause you to add London to your travel “bucket list.” www.amazon.com/London-Quiz-Provocative-Questions-Enlighten/dp/0711236062
Lysa Allman Baldwin is a freelance writer and the publisher and editor of Amazing Escapades, offering “adventures for the mind, bod and belly” (www.amazingescapades.com).