The Adventure & Travel Gift Guide: Travel Planner Edition

The season I have waited for all year is finally here - the chance to get to listen to Christmas music publicly without shame! Call me eccentric, but am I the only one listening to Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" stealthily on earphones at work in the middle of August? The Dutch has gone from being annoyed to waking up to Pentatonix' "Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy" to blaring holiday music in his car, even when he's by himself (Yes! A convert!). He can't beat me on this, so he finally figured joining me was his only option.

I've long been wanting to curate my favorite travel and adventure-oriented gear to share here on the blog, and I figured a list of these would be perfect in time for the holidays, especially if you have wanderers in your life you don't know yet what to give for Christmas. It will be a series of posts leading up to Christmas, ranging from trip planning to gadgets to gear to clothing. And I won't even shame you if you horde these for yourself, too!

Since my favorite part about traveling other than traveling itself is planning, I thought I would start with that!

When it comes to travel, I adhere to the belief that literacy is the best policy. I've come across questions before about how I plan my trips, some of which are in obscure spots not where your typical tourist gravitates towards. The secret is this: I read. I read the newspaper (New York Times has a great travel section worth reading). I subscribe to magazines. I read books. Yes, I would sometimes get inspired by what I watch, but more often than not, my taste in TV is pretty singular and it would often be streamed reruns of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations".

The bottom line is I seek for travel inspiration the old school way and it still surprises me how many unusual travel stories are still found in print nowadays.

1 A decade ago when I was broke and unable to travel, National Geographic magazines were my sole source of inspiration about seeing the world. When I couldn't come to volcanoes and national parks and mountains and ruins, National Geographic brought them to me. And that's why until today, I'm still a loyal subscriber of National Geographic Traveler. It always has beautiful photography and inspiring travel writing. It also provides thoughtful coverage of issues surrounding the evolving world of travel you otherwise would not read about such as UNESCO heritage sites that are in jeopardy. The cost to subscribe is only $10 for six print issues. Click here to subscribe. For adventure and active travel, I like Outside Magazine, not just for edgy trip ideas with an outdoor focus, but also for their extensive gear reports. One year subscription costs $19.95 and can be ordered online here. Sunset Magazine is a surprise because it sounds something like an old lady would read, but it actually is great for getting ideas for long weekend travels within the West Coast. It is great for people who don't have the penchance for international travel. A subscription costs $16, link here.

2 Anyone on your list traveling to Europe soon? Rick Steves' pocket-sized phrase books are intended for travelers so it won't contain any useless translations of phrases as "I have four red dogs". I always take one when I go. It hasn't yet saved my life, but it has proved helpful nonetheless. The French one is $9.09 on the website here. Other languages available.

3 When I used to get a subscription to weekend The New York Times, I would literally fish out the Travel section first for the "36 Hours" column. The good news is that they compiled all the relevant "36 Hours" columns in a book form, which you can get here. The one pictured is only for the US West Coast and is sold at Amazon for $12.98 here.

4 Bill Bryson might just be my favorite travel writer of all time. He's hilarious and irreverent, but not by sacrificing journalistic talent. You can tell from the picture that I got this (and many more of his books) at a used bookstore for $3.99 and I say don't be shy to gift recycled books! Books are meant to be shared!

5 I have a thing for Phaidon books. I just do. And there's absolutely nothing to preclude you from shopping from their clearance rack online. "Where Chefs Eat" has been re-released and updated. It is as great as asking a local for a recommendation, except that the local in question actually knows food. This one is a monster and the print version is $24.95 here, but consider the online version for $14.99 here.

As a final note, don't be wary of gifting recycled books. If you're gifting to a book-lover, chances are, new or old - it doesn't make a difference to them. Books don't have a shelf life! I know it doesn't to me! Support local and check out your local used bookstore or the local libraries who sometimes have book sales to raise funds (my local ones sell used books for a dollar). Besides, it's the green thing to do! And speaking of eco-conscious, consider gifting paperless via eBooks or online magazine subscriptions.

Photography, Editing and Writing: Do Cartwheels with Me (all me, baby!)

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