Managing the myriad details can be daunting, and author Candy Harrington breaks the process down into bite-size pieces, explaining things like traveling with oxygen, finding the best travel agent, locating accessible ground transportation, and resources for accessible recreation.  And given the tough economic times, travelers will appreciate the section on budget travel (stay at an accessible yurt on the Oregon cost for $28/night).

Full of resources from A to Z, this book is perfect for anyone dealing with the details of accessible travel.  Whether you’re a traveler yourself, a family member, or a travel industry worker, there’s much to be learned from this book.

Candy Harrington is also the founding editor of Emerging Horizons, and is the author of several other accessible travel titles.  She also blogs at Barrier Free Travels.

You can purchase Barrier-Free travel at you local bookstore or online as a pre-order from Amazon ($13.57).

Photo credit: Amazon

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Traveler’s Bookshelf: Barrier-Free Travels

101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12 by Joanne O’Sullivan identifies a few of the places, events, and experiences that every child should have.  Don’t worry – these ideas aren’t going to break the bank – this book of places focuses on general ideas, then stimulating the young mind about the joy and enthusiasm of discovery.

Here are a few of the places on the list:

• ethnic restaurant
• your parent’s workplace
• wildlife preserve

Great ideas that can stimulate young minds thinking about how these simple experience fit into the big world.  That Greek restaurant may stimulate an interest in visiting Greece; a trip to the office may start an interest in architecture and visiting some of the great architectural wonders of the world; a wildlife preserve may be the first step in an eventual safari or trek.

The book has lots of photos, and has a fold-out map that helps teach a little geography.  There are even stickers for kids to mark off which of the places they’ve been.

I picked up this book for a young traveler-to-be as a Christmas gift last year.  I use it to share stories and information about where I’ve been and what I’ve done while on vacation or traveling for work.  I’m hoping that my curiosity and love of travel and new experiences rubs off!

101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12 is available at local bookstores, or online from Amazon ($9.95).

Image credit:  Amazon

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Instill a Love of Travel with 101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12

Reading this book will help explain that the very common OK sign (forefinger touching top of thumb to make a circle) and get you in trouble in many parts of the world.  It may be a positive response here in the United States, but means "no good" in other parts of the world (south France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Zimbabwe).  In Japan, it’s a sign meaning money.  In Iran it’s a sign of the evil eye, and in Turkey, Malta and Brazil it suggests a comparison to an unpleasant part of one’s anatomy.  Talk about a sign that covers all ends of the communication spectrum!

Whether you’re traveling the world and have reason to need this information, or just enjoy a good travel read, this book is sure to enlighten and amuse.  Author Mark McCrum writes in an engaging and humorous style, and there were a number of times I had to read sections out loud to friends. 

Going Dutch in Beijing is available at most bookstores ($22), and online from Amazon ($14.96).  It is not yet available as a Kindle download.

And, answering the implied question in the title — you should NEVER go Dutch (offer to split a dinner bill) in China as it can cause your host a loss of face.

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Should You Go Dutch in Beijing?

She said the most interesting and fun part of the trip was learning about unusual spots, local legends and just plain weird stuff about the locations she was visiting.

Weird U.S. is a compilation of stories about such places all around the country. Dubbed “Your Travel Guide to America’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets,” this book is definitely interesting.

From the publishers of Weird NJ magazine, this book tells about all types of places that are off the beaten path. The book is available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com for about $15-$20. They also publish a variety of other books that are more specific destinations, such as Weird New England, Weird California, Weird Carolinas, etc.

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Take a Trip Across the Weird U.S.