Hobart Book Village – Catskills, NY

Set in the Northern Catskills, Hobart Book Village is home to seven independent bookstores, art galleries, and more. Founded in 2005, the Village now hosts the annual Festival for Women Writers and Winter Respite Lecture Series. 

The Gold Cities – Grass Valley and Nevada City, CA

Booktown Books is a collaborative of 14 independent bookstores all housed within 4,000 square feet in Grass Valley, CA. Over in Nevada City, visitors can check out Toad Hall Books and Hardy Books, both of which specialize in antique books and Western Americana. 

Providence, Rhode Island

Home to 8.6 libraries per 100,000 residents, and having 326% more independent bookstores than the average city, Providence is a great destination for anyone who loves getting lost in the stacks. Providence also has a myriad of entertainment options including historical tours, a zoo, and shopping, if you’re traveling with folks who don’t care much for books. 

Formal Fantasy Balls

With fantasy’s resurgence and growing popularity, many young folks have started hosting formal balls for readers. Hosted for the first time in 2023, Bookish in Baltimore’s The Starfall Ball celebrated the fantasy genre, featuring hundreds of readers traveling from across the country to wear their finest outfits adorned with bookish accessories, whether subtle or obvious. The Bookworm Ball will be hosted in Indianapolis, IN, in August 2023 with a similar dress code. 

Book Festivals

Hosted across the country, book festivals offer gathering places for readers of all genres. They can range from general to niche, and you’ll likely be able to find a handful within your state. Don’t forget to check out your local bookstore, as they often host author readings and book signings. Staying close to home can also save time and money if you’re not able to travel elsewhere for a festival! Bookreporter.com keeps an updated list of book festivals across the country.

Author Homes 

Homes of famous American authors are scattered throughout the U.S., from Stephen King’s home in Maine to John Steinback’s home in California. Many of these have been turned into museums honoring the work of the author. Below are just a few incredible museums to visit:

1. Emily Dickinson’s Homestead – Amherst, MA
2. Edith Wharton’s The Mount – Lenox, MA
3. Frederick Douglass’ Cedar Hill – Washington, DC
4. Ernest Hemingway’s Estate – Key West, Florida
5. Langston Hughes’ House – Harlem, New York
6. The Edgar Allen Poe House and Museum – Baltimore, MD
7. Laura Ingles Wilder’s Rocky Ridge Farm – Mansfield, MO

What are ‘literary’ books?

Literary books are stories that are character-driven, realistic, filled with symbolism, and aim to leave you with a message at the end. More often than not, literary novels err on the stoic side of life and can be rather tragic. This isn’t the case for all of them, but it’s a common theme.

If it helps, think of ‘literary’ and ‘literature’ together. Modern literary fiction is different from classic literature, and that discussion could fill a book in itself. When you think of literature, you probably think of those books read in high school english: Catcher in the Rye, The Scarlet Letter, Of Mice and Men, etc. These books are all symbolic on varying levels, and the main story is driven by the characters and their changes. 

Modern literary fiction includes books like All the Light We Cannot See, The Vanishing Half, and Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. They follow a similar format as classic literature but focus on more modern themes and struggles, and tend to blend more with genre fiction than classic literature. Literary fiction can encompass elements of fantasy, horror, and more, but the main focus is on the message of the book. 

What are ‘genre’ books?

Genre books tend to be plot-driven, are based on specific genre tropes, and are written more for entertainment, though many have important takeaways for life, just like literary fiction. There are countless genres and sub-genres, but the main ones are: action/adventure, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mystery, romance, and speculative fiction (fantasy, sci-fi, horror). Genre books often blend different genres together, or include subplots of other genres; an example would be a historical fiction with a romance subplot. 

Genre fiction is not a new concept, as there have been books throughout history written for entertainment purposes. Straying from literary themes and instead writing for entertainment created many of the genres we know today. Some of the best known mystery-detective stories like Sherlock Holmes or anything written by Agatha Christie are genre novels. H.P. Lovecraft is considered the father of modern horror due to his extensive genre writing in the early 20th century. 

There are different kinds of entertainment that genre can write towards, so it’s important to know what you want. If you want tear-jerking entertainment, you might look to historical or contemporary fiction. If you want to be swept off into magical lands or faraway galaxies, check out speculative fiction. A sucker for a story about people falling in love? Romance is the genre for you. All of the genres mentioned have hundreds of sub-genres, so you can find your niche in any of them. Some examples of sub-genres include cozy mysteries, epic fantasy, space opera science fiction, paranormal romance, and World War Two historical fiction.

Looking for Recommendations?

There are so many great ways to find your next read, but the tips below will help speed up the process if you’re overwhelmed by the choices or are still unsure:

• Check out various book lists on GoodReads or Storygraph. These sites also allow you to track the books you’ve read, join reader groups, and more.
• Ask your local librarian! I guarantee your local library has lists of recommendations, but asking for a personal favorite from the librarian is always a good option.
• Join a local book club. Most towns and cities have book clubs, and they often range across genres and literary fiction.
• Follow social media accounts focused on book content. These accounts (called ‘Bookstagram’ and BookTok on Instagram and Tiktok) always post recommendations and their current reads. Most accounts are curated towards a certain type of book, so if you find your niche, there are plenty of people sharing recommendations for it!

The U.S. has some incredible cross-country train vacations, as well as scenic day trips, specialty add-on activities, and more. Different from the light rail that gets us around in our home cities, the trips detailed below are luxurious, relaxing, and will show you just a bit more of the expansive country.

The Pacific Surfliner

This 351-mile trip starts in San Diego, California and travels north along California’s coast before ending in San Luis Obispo. This train travels through dozens of cities, including Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara. The Pacific Surfliner also stops at Disneyland Resort. A one-way coach ticket costs $86, which includes a personal item and two carry on bags. From San Diego to San Luis Obispo, this trip takes just under 13 hours.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers a few different ride packages that range from a four hour scenic tour to overnight trips with accommodations at the Stonebrook Lodge in Bryson City. You can choose specialty add-ons, such as rafting, a caboose party, and zip-lining. They also offer different types of trains to pick from, including steam powered or diesel powered trains. If you book a weekday trip between May 1st – August 31st 2023, every adult ticket (ages 13+) will come with a free kid’s ticket (ages 2-12).

Grand Canyon Railway

If you’d prefer to take in the Grand Canyon without hiking, you can take the Grand Canyon Railway through the heart of the Grand Canyon, and stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. There are various packages available for this trip that offer different types of entertainment, and they even host a Polar Express event in the winter. For a one night stay for two adults on the weekend, the cost for tickets and the hotel start at $437. Discounts are offered for AAA members and those with NPS park passes.  

Foliage Tours

States across New England offer foliage tours throughout the fall, with the height of foliage season usually in mid to late October. These tours range from quick family-oriented trips between apple orchards to longer passes through the White Mountains of New Hampshire or the Green Mountains of Vermont. Tickets range in price depending on time and location, but all will be well worth it. As a native Vermonter, I would be remiss not to mention Vermont’s Green Mountain Railway, which offers brunch, cocktail, and the occasional murder mystery trains in the Champlain Valley.

Cross-Country Trips

Looking for a longer vacation? Amtrak offers cross-country vacation packages for both the U.S. and Canada. These trips include sleeper cars, admission to landmarks, hotel accommodation, guided walking tours, and more. These trips range in price and duration, such as $999 for a 10 day trip from Los Angeles to Washington D.C.

If you’ve been considering visiting San Juan, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the activities. To make it easy, I have compiled my favorite activities for you to try, as well as some additional information about getting to San Juan! 

Getting To and Around San Juan

Puerto Rico can be reached by air or sea. Because Puerto Rico officially became a U.S. territory in 1917, you won’t need your passport to get there from the U.S. 

If flying, most airlines offer direct flights. From Raleigh, NC, to San Juan, a direct flight is three hours and 38 minutes, and less than $300 round trip. 

San Juan has a port for cruise ships, and there is a ferry connecting the island to both the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Ubers, Taxis, and walking are all great options for San Juan. You can also rent a car to drive through the city and around the island.

Stays

Puerto Rico has more than 130 hotels. You won’t have any trouble finding a place to stay that will fit your needs, whether you’re looking for a beachfront resort, quaint hotel, or downtown AirBnB. 

Personally, I loved my stay at the Condado Plaza Hilton, which was situated right on Laguna del Condado with private access to the public beach, Playita del Condado. 

Food and Drinks

Did you know that Puerto Rico produces 80% of the world’s rum and is the birthplace of the piña colada? In San Juan and around the island, there are dozens of mixology classes that focus on rum. You can also tour Casa Bacardi, with tickets ranging in price from $30 to $200. 

The Flavors of San Juan walking food tour is perfect for fans of history and delicious food. The tour is offered throughout the day and lasts approximately three hours. The walk overall is relatively mild, but be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes!

For restaurants, be sure to check out Waiters Gastro Bar, which is located in Condado (only a short walk from most resorts in San Juan). The owner of the restaurant is friendly and knowledgeable, and will offer great recommendations. My friend swears she had the best old fashioned of her life at Waiters, and I feel the same about the tres leches. 

Cocina Abierta is a tasting restaurant that offers five courses per person, with an intimate ambience great for small and large groups. There are vegetarian and pescatarian options for each course, and the total cost is $75/person.

Outdoors in Puerto Rico

One of my favorite activities was the Sunset Harbor Boat Ride. Refreshments were included in the tour, along with music and brief histories of various parts of the city.  

Puerto Rico is home to El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. Tours of El Yunque are offered as half and full day excursions and can include waterfall tours, kayaking tours, and hiking. 

Before Visiting

Please be aware that June through November is hurricane season in Puerto Rico. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria (2017), the citizens of Puerto Rico showed incredible resilience, and the tourism industry has slowly been rebuilding since.