I recently used the Eat. Shop Twin Cities book when in Minneapolis for a couple days, and found it pretty useful. Not your regular travel guide, it focuses on unique stores and dining options. Each establishment gets a nice two-page spread, with pretty color photos showing some of the goods or foods available there. There isn’t a ton of description; location and hours, owners and how long the place has been open, a short paragraph giving the author’s impression and reasons for liking the place, then a list of the items that are especially good or unique to the establishment. However, it’s enough to give a good feel of what you can expect if you go to a place–the ambiance, the price level, type of service, etc.

After going through the book a couple times, I ended up going to three places that I’m pretty sure would not have been on my radar otherwise. In order of visit: Martin Patrick 3, a swanky little  boutique for men where some lovely handsome shoes were purchased, Black Sheep Pizza, where two delicious pizzas were consumed, and Izzy’s Ice Cream Cafe, where numerous (five? six?) scoops of ice cream were completely devoured. I highly recommend the ‘midnight snack’ flavor!

The Library also has  Eat. Shop Chicago, and a couple more in the series are on order. Grab one off the shelf and seek out some new foods and goods!

Note: in the interest of full disclosure, I also checked out Walking Twin Cities, which is a very nice book as well. However, it was pretty cold out, and I was less inclined to do much walking after all that ice cream I ate. Maybe next time!

I recently picked up the 2010 edition of The Best Women’s Travel Writing, a work that comes out yearly. It had come to my attention due to there being contributions from three authors who are currently in Iowa City: Kendra Greene, Marisa Handler and Jennifer Percy. It’s also edited by another Iowa City author, Stephanie Elizondo Griest, who’s works have been in other travel compilations.

While I enjoyed reading it, I have to admit that it was a little hit-and-miss for me. The idea of ‘travel’ can be a broad one, and it is here; many of the selections centered on women who were in long-term situations in other places, such as teaching English in China, or on particular activities in another locale, such as mountain climbing in Central America. Very few pieces were about the actual act of travel, of trains and planes, of going from one place to another, of vacationing, and so on. They were more about becoming enmeshed in another place and culture, of what takes you somewhere, what happens there,  and how those places change you. The topics were widely varied, and each interesting for their uniqueness and personal nature. Frankly, even if the topic or location wasn’t one that I was entirely interested in, each piece was short enough that I would finish reading it, and usually ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. There were even a couple that I found to be particularly poignant and thought-provoking, when I hadn’t really expected it. Overall, a pleasant read with some incisive writing, sure to please whether you’re reading it while making your own travels, or doing a little armchair travel.

There they are, the two big f-words in the world of travel guides…Fodor’s and Frommer’s. They’re about the same size, they both have lots of color pictures in the newer editions, they cost about the same, and they cover the same countries and areas…what, exactly, is the difference between them? Not to mention all the other guides that line the shelves in the 910-919 range. Sure, you could check out a bunch of them, but you probably won’t read them all, and you certainly don’t want to take them all on a vacation. So, which guide is the one for you?

If you’re a student/younger/budget traveler, Rough Guides or Lonely Planet will probably suit you pretty well. Both of them are solid, no-nonsense guides with low and mid-range budgets in mind. They are practical, have a nice focus on nightlife and social scenes, and review many lodging options, including budget hotels and hostels. These are the guides I used when I traveled in my twenties…the Europe on a Shoestring guide is a solid (and heavy) book, and it was the only guide I needed for a two-month trip. Lonely Planet can also be a good guide for more adventurous travelers who are going to unusual places, as they cover some destinations that other guides don’t, and they contain extensive information on current political conditions, health concerns, and any necessary legalities.

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