Why do I write? Why do you care? You may have seen the blog hop that’s been going around this summer, where travel writers share why they write. It’s a fascinating look at how all of us share our journeys. As you may surmise, each writer is different – and inspiring.

Have you ever read a book with such an extraordinary sense of place that you either felt at home –or longed to feel at home– there? Have you ever traveled to a place where you immediately felt at home? What is the unique draw of these places? And why do these places affect each of us so differently?

No Massachusetts summer vacation is complete without the taste of an ice-cold brew paired with the hot, crispy, fried seafood from one of the country’s best clam shacks. Many of these reside along the North Shore of MA, the ultimate seafood and beer destination. Here, some of the freshest seafood comes from the oldest of places.

If you’re in Frankfort, Michigan to soak up the atmosphere (beach! Swimming! Sailing! Shopping! Theatre!). There’s so much to do in this small town that you’ll find yourself hungry time and time again.

You know when you’re shopping and all of a sudden, realize you’re hungry? Yes. This happens far too frequently, I imagine. Well, there we were, hitting up the IKEA in north Cincinnati when the growls of our tummies were too loud to ignore. Never mind the chocolate we’d picked up, or the lingonberry jam…we wanted hot food.

Too often, history goes by the wayside when we're inundated with fresh news. But really, history - and life - are composed of small moments, built layer by layer. I was a teen when my cousins moved down to the Appalachian Mountain region and we went to visit.

Rare are the books that get intercultural living; rarer still are the ones that are funny, interesting, and keep you reading with their honesty. One such remarkable book is Graduates in Wonderland: A Memoir of Friendship.

If you’re a foodie like me, you plan your travels around food. Ever since, well, forever, Turkey has captured my tastebuds. It’s a cross-cultural hodgepodge of food, since there have been so many political, historical, and cultural influences there. This sort of foodie fusion has led to some extraordinary eats!

There are special places which capture our imagination – and we dream and dream of being there. Tuscany, Fiji, Provence, Iceland, the Orkney Islands. There are books written by people who have moved to these places, which tell of the travails of settling in, of intercultural adjustment and learning to be a local.

Saving money on travel is a good idea. Why? Because then you can travel MORE! Here are some tried and true ways to save money on travel.