This compendium of facts, observations, discoveries, reviews, serendipities, humor, experiences, and more is not only for the road traveler, but the armchair traveler as well. Unlike typical guides, which read more like phone directories, Romancing the Roads is a shared diary of discoveries along America's highways and byways. Join Gerry on a tour of hotels, B & B's, restaurants, national parks, antique stores, consignment shops, boutiques, and little-known places that make America such a great place for road-tripping. Unless otherwise noted, the author has visited every place mentioned, from the ostrich farm along Interstate 10 in Arizona to the Biltmore hotel in Los Angeles. Even if you never get in the car and discover such wonders for yourself, you will enjoy this vicarious journey to places both sublime and ordinary as the author makes her way from Washington to California and east to the Mississippi River.

Mike and Barbara Bivona have danced their way around the world, embracing the colorful rhythms of each country and culture in their travels. Now, Mike, the author of Dancing Around the World with Mike and Barbara Bivona, returns to share more of their globe-trotting adventures in part one of a new travel memoir series. While cruising the islands, they witnessed lava flowing into the surf off the shores of Hawaii and danced on a nightclub floor that once saw the white-uniformed officers of the warships anchored at the naval station in Pearl Harbor. Mike describes the thrill and challenge of learning the intricate steps of the Argentine tango in Buenos Aires and, more importantly, absorbing its proper attitude from master dancers. The brimstone fumes wreathing the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius transported them back in time, as the frozen bodies of the unlucky residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum-as well as the evidence of Romans' lively erotic imagination left on walls and sculptured into clay-inspired numerous colorful conversations. Mike and Barbara's shared passion for art and history has led them to seek out the haunts of other lovers of adventure-Columbus, Ponce de Leon, General Custer, circus impresario John Ringling, and the elderly jazz musicians in New Orleans. Part memoir and part travelogue, this volume offers you a trip around the world with the Bivonas-without ever leaving your chair.

Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - FOR nearly ten years my health had been declining; and for some while before I set forth upon my voyage, I believed I was come to the afterpiece of life, and had only the nurse and undertaker to expect. It was suggested that I should try the South Seas; and I was not unwilling to visit like a ghost, and be carried like a bale, among scenes that had attracted me in youth and health. I chartered accordingly Dr. Merrit's schooner yacht, the CASCO, seventy-four tons register; sailed from San Francisco towards the end of June 1888, visited the eastern islands, and was left early the next year at Honolulu. Hence, lacking courage to return to my old life of the house and sick-room, I set forth to leeward in a trading schooner, the EQUATOR, of a little over seventy tons, spent four months among the atolls (low coral islands) of the Gilbert group, and reached Samoa towards the close of '89. By that time gratitude and habit were beginning to attach me to the islands; I had gained a competency of strength; I had made friends; I had learned new interests; the time of my voyages had passed like days in fairyland; and I decided to remain. I began to prepare these pages at sea, on a third cruise, in the trading steamer JANET NICOLL. If more days are granted me, they shall be passed where I have found life most pleasant and man most interesting; the axes of my black boys are already clearing the foundations of my future house; and I must learn to address readers from the uttermost parts of the sea.

'Paris provides constant stimulation; the city remains a fabulous animal, volatile, individualist and alive with its history and possibilities.' For his new cityscapes N.P.James made an artistic investigation of Paris, walking through the various districts of Opera, St.Lazare, Republic, Montmartre, Montparnasse, Le Marais, St. Denis and St.Germain. His sketchbook records aspects of the streets, buildings, courtyards and monuments, in a web of small pencil drawings, which underpinned the paintings. Colour photographs, notes and observations of the historic and fabled city accompany the studies.

A Walk on the Wild Side charts the authors journey from Hampshire to the Scottish Highlands and eventually to one of the largest districts in Scotland and the least densely populated area of the British Isles. The book tells the stories surrounding the wildlife encountered in and around his home and throughout the beautiful and remote area of Sutherland in the northern Highlands of Scotland. Discover its unique landscape containing every conceivable habitat and the associated wildlife that abounds within. From the estuaries and mixed woodland along the narrow eastern seaboard to the wild and rugged interior of mountain and moor. From the secret coves and stunning sea cliffs of the north to Handa Island off the west coast with its sea stacks full of nesting birds and marauding skuas patrolling the skies above the hill lochans. Each chapter captures these diverse habitats and the birds, mammals and wild flowers that live within their confines. The magnificent golden eagle, the spectacular osprey, the haunting red and black throated divers, the secretive pine marten and otter - all of these are brought to life through the exploits of one man and his intimate knowledge of the area.

Shantyboat is the story of a leisurely journey down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. For most people such a journey is the stuff that dreams are made of, but for Harlan and Anna Hubbard it became a cherished reality. In the fall of 1944 they built a houseboat, small but neatly accommodated to their needs, on the bank of the Ohio near Cincinnati, and in it after a pause of two years they set out to drift down the river. In their small craft, the Hubbards became one with the flow of the river and its changing weathers. An artist by profession, Harlan Hubbard records with graceful ease the many facets of their life on the river-the panorama of fields and woods, summer gardening, foraging expeditions for nuts and berries, dangers from storms and treacherous currents, the quiet solitude of the mists of early morning. Their life is sustained by the provender of bank and stream, useful things made and found, and mutual aid and wisdom from people met along the journey. It is a life marked by simplicity and independence, strenuous at times, but joyous, with leisure for painting and music, for observation and contemplation.

ONES COMPANY- A Journey to China By PETER FLEMING. Originally published in 1934. FOREWORD: THIS book is a superficial account of an unsensational journey. My Warning to the Reader justifies, I think, its superficiality. It is easy to be dogmatic at a distance, and I dare say 1 could have made my half-baked conclusions on the major issues of the Far Eastern situation sound con vincing But it is one thing to bore your readers, another to mislead themj I did not like to run the risk of doing both. I have therefore kept the major Issues in the back ground The book describes in some detail what I saw and what I did, and in considerably less detail what most other travellers have also seen and done. If it has any value at all, it is the light which it throws on the processes of travel amateur travel - in parts of the interior which, though not remote, are seldom visited, On two occasions, I admit, I have attempted seriously to assess a politico-military situation, but only a because I thought 1 knew more about those particular situations than anyone else, and because if they had not been explained certain sections of the book would have made nonsense. For the rest, I make no claim to be directly instructive. One cannot, it is true, travel through a country without finding out something about it and the reader, following vicariously In my footsteps, may perhaps learn a little. But not much I owe debts of gratitude to more people than can con veniently be named, people of all degrees and many nation alities. He who befriends a traveller is not easily forgotten, and I am very grateful indeed to everyone who helped me on a long journey. PETER FLEMING . London, 1934. Contents include: PART I MANCHUKUO FACE I BOYS WILL BE BOYS 19 i j II INTO RUSSIA 24 r III THE MIRAGE OF MOSCOW 29 1 IV DRAMA 37 J V TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS 44 P VI FLOREAT MONGOLIA 2 VII CRASH 59 VJIII HARBIN 67 IX PXJ YI 72 f X WINGS OVER MUKDEN 82 to XI GEISHA PARTY 92 XII JEHOL 102 XIII PRAYERS 108 XIV AN AFTERNOON WITH THE GODS 114 Q XV GARRISON TOWN I2O T XVI REUNION IN CHINCHOW 125 XVII PAX JAPONICA 129 XVIII FLYING COLUMNJ 134 XEB THE FIRST DAY S MARCH 140 XX GETTING WARMER 146

The imperial road to Italy goes from Munich across the Tyrol, through Innsbruck and Bozen to Verona, over the mountains. Here the great processions passed as the emperors went South, or came home again from rosy Italy to their own Germany. And how much has that old imperial vanity clung to the German soul? Did not the German kings inherit the empire of bygone Rome? It was not a very real empire, perhaps, but the sound was high and splendid. Maybe a certain Grossenwahn is inherent in the German nature. If only nations would realize that they have certain natural characteristics, if only they could understand and agree to each other's particular nature, how much simpler it would all be. The imperial procession no longer crosses the mountains, going South. That is almost forgotten, the road has almost passed out of mind. But still it is there, and its signs are standing. The crucifixes are there, not mere attributes of the road, yet still having something to do with it. The imperial processions, blessed by the Pope and accompanied by the great bishops, must have planted the holy idol like a new plant among the mountains, there where it multiplied and grew according to the soil, and the race that received it. . . .

All over the world there are places that became famous forever because something extraordinary happened there by chance. Beautifully illustrated and carefully researched Fame By Chance covers 380 such places with new insights and facts that are amusing, surprising and sometimes controversial. Foreword by Peter Ackroyd. All over the world there are places that became famous forever by chance - battles briefly waged, scenes of triumph and disater, sites of murder and intrigue, centres of influential creativity and noted mythical places from books and film. How and why did; Angora, Tabasco, Duffel and Fray Bentos give us products good and bad; Kohima's tennis court save India; Storyville's 269 brothels helped it to create jaz; Botany Bay never saw any British convicts; Tay Bridge was a disaster avoided by Marx and Engels; 'OK' stands for a farmhouse; Ferrari chose the 'Prancing Horse of Maranello'; Kyoto was saved from Hiroshoma's terrible fate; The British built the Great Hedge of India; With 432 pages beautifully illustrated and carefully researched Fame By Chance covers 380 such places with new insights and facts that are amusing, surprising and sometimes controversial.

Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - MONDAY. - It was, if I remember rightly, five o'clock when we were all signalled to be present at the Ferry Depot of the railroad. An emigrant ship had arrived at New York on the Saturday night, another on the Sunday morning, our own on Sunday afternoon, a fourth early on Monday; and as there is no emigrant train on Sunday a great part of the passengers from these four ships was concentrated on the train by which I was to travel. There was a babel of bewildered men, women, and children. The wretched little booking-office, and the baggage-room, which was not much larger, were crowded thick with emigrants, and were heavy and rank with the atmosphere of dripping clothes. Open carts full of bedding stood by the half-hour in the rain. The officials loaded each other with recriminations. A bearded, mildewed little man, whom I take to have been an emigrant agent, was all over the place, his mouth full of brimstone, blustering and interfering. It was plain that the whole system, if system there was, had utterly broken down under the strain of so many passengers.

Presently in Yellowstone there are almost 200 active research permits that involve over 500 investigators, but only a small fraction of this scientific work is reported in the popular press. Furthermore, the results are mixed and frequently confusing to the general public. The intent of this book is to explain both the general issues associated with the region and how science is done to understand those issues, from wolf and grizzly bear research to thermal activity. It further describes how science informs policy in the Greater Yellowstone Region, how scientists from an array of disciplines do their work, and finally, how the nature of that work enables or limits future plans for managing the park and surrounding lands.

When the artist Louis Jansen van Vuuren first visited Paris he could never have imagined that he would end up owning a château in rural France. Almost French is the highly entertaining account of his induction over the past 21 years into all things French: snooty waiters, high-brow countesses, numerous faux pas with the French language and of course, several encounters with the infamous French bureaucracy.

Turning the dilapidated château into a boutique hotel with his life partner, Hardy Olivier, required patience and perseverance. Many lessons were learnt the hard way. Four heaters are not enough to heat an entire château and they will blow your power supply.

And practising your French is a must. On a visit to the butcher, Louis asked for “sheep socks” when he was after leg of lamb. Talk about butchering the lamb!

Louis interweaves the stories about his life in France with fascinating snippets of history, culture and tradition. A must for all Francophiles.

Buz Donahoo is a larger than life character. From boyhood Miami to the beaches of exotic islands, the high mountain peaks of the Andes and Himalayas to the jungles of the Amazon, his life is painted upon a broad canvas. From a promising career as an architect to starting his own adventure tour company and guiding people to remote corners of the earth, Buz traces the contours of his life in A Ticket, A Pack and A Chart. Within the pages of this book we learn of the unique places he has traveled to and the equally unique people who have traveled there with him. While Buz Donahoo can paint in broad strokes with his words, he is at his best filling in the fine detail of the lives of the people he meets and the places he visits. He reminds us that it is often the little things we encounter in life and travel that leave a lasting impression. Whether studying at Taliesin, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, serving as a lieutenant in Watts during the 1965 riots, dining on the small, sun-drenched patio of an isolated restaurant in the Greek Isles, or scaling the heights of Aconcagua, South America's highest peak, we feel as though we're right there beside Buz, taking in each moment and each detail with him. Living according to his own set of rules, Buz's view of the world is refreshing and entertaining. The contents of his book truly capture episodes from the life of a man who lives a borderless life. Once you have traveled with him through these pages, you may find yourself yearning to travel to some far-flung, exotic location for an adventure of your own.

For those who believe that the best way to understand someone is to walk a mile in his or her shoes, Florida's rich history features those whose footwear ranged from Native American moccasins to astronauts' boots. And there are plenty of opportunities to "actually "walk in those shoes. You can join in all sorts of historical reenactments--in full costume if you like. You have the unique opportunity to relive a part of Florida's long and fascinating past.

You can also travel forward into the future. The Florida peninsula has been like a springboard from which human beings can rocket into space or dive beneath the surfaces of its nearly surrounding waters.

This unique guidebook offers you time travel. The day has arrived for this new kind of travelogue, which reveals not only places to visit but also time periods to experience. This is a book for today's explorers of place and space, past and future. This is "The Time Traveler's Guide to Florida."

A sample of the times you can visit:
12,000 B.C.: Stone Age and Primitive Arts Festival "Ochlockonee "
1565: The Menendez Landing Event "St. Augustine"
1586: Drake's Raid "St. Augustine"
1650-1725: The Pirates of Fort Taylor "Key West"
1690s: Military Muster at Castillo San Luis "Tallahassee"
Late 1700s: The Living Village of Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki "Big Cypress Seminole Reservation"
1835: The Dade Battle "Bushnell"
1864: The Battle of Olustee "Baker County"
1870: A Cane Boil at Morningside Farm "Gainesville"
1898: A Spanish-American War Event "Fernandina Beach"
1945: VE Day in Florida "The Villages"
2025: The Zero-G Flights "Cape Kennedy "
est. 2050: Jules Undersea Lodge "Key Largo"

Zenas Leonard was a wilderness explorer who journeyed across and charted the perilous Rocky Mountains in the early 19th century, keeping this diary as he went. Embarking on his spectacular journey with a company of seventy like-minded fellows, Leonard chronicles the many perils and trials the group encountered through their lengthy voyage deep into unknown territory. The band of explorers are beset with difficulties; the harsh, craggy lay of the land, ferocious creatures, and the various Native American tribes put the men through the greatest physical and mental tests. Many members of the group were fur traders by profession; in scouting the vast landscape of the Rockies, they hoped to discover new and prized game to catch. However their ambitions are sorely tested by hunger and thirst, while dangerous creatures such as the grizzly bear strike terror in their hearts.