Tune in this Saturday as Peter Greenberg, the “Travel Detective” interviews Lee Foster on his new book with Ann F. Purcell, The Photographer’s Guide to Washington, D.C. (April 2009, The Countryman Press). Learn how to capture the cherry blossoms at their finest, when to catch the best shots of the National Mall, and discover the best photo opportunities our nation’s capital has to offer. For more information visit Mr. Greenberg’s website or stream it online from News Radio 1440. The show runs every Saturday from 10am-1pm EST.

Posted: April 23rd, 2009 under Travel.
Comments: 2

It’s been quite a week for awards announcements here at Countryman. We congratulate Jeanette Hurt, whose The Cheeses of Wisconsin: A Culinary Travel Guide joins the ranks. Her book received second place in the Midwest Travel Writers Association’s Mark Twain Awards. For more information on the awards and the MTWA, visit their site.

On another note, Jeanette’s companion piece, The Cheeses of California: A Culinary Travel Guide is set to arrive at a store near you in April.

Posted: March 31st, 2009 under Cooking, Travel.
Comments: 1

A visit to Washington, D.C., a vibrant repository of American history and culture, is an opportunity to see and capture a world-class city full of political grandeur. With The Photographer’s Guide to Washington, D.C. (April 2009) by Lee Foster and Ann F. Purcell, you can enjoy, explore, and photograph the nation’s capital like never before. This guide, with its full-color maps, detailed directions to sites, and excellent photography tips, will ensure that you create the most breathtaking shots of D.C. With its special coverage of D.C.-specific topics, such as the easiest ways to navigate the city and how to get the photos you want while observing the city’s security restrictions, this book is the ultimate resource for any traveler to and/or photographer of D.C.  Read more »

Posted: February 23rd, 2009 under Travel.
Comments: 2

Coming soon from The Countryman Press is a new title: The Cheeses of California: A Culinary Travel Guide. Written by Jeanette Hurt, author of The Cheeses of Wisconsin: A Culinary Travel Guide (June 2008) and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Cheeses of the World, this book brings a renowned expert’s eye to some of the best nationally-produced cheeses while also serving as a tour guide to The Golden State.

From February 21st to February 24th, Hurt will be making an appearance in California, Read more »

Posted: February 11th, 2009 under Cooking, Travel.
Comments: 3

Travelocity released its forecast for the Top 10 Spring Break Destinations this year. Florida cleaned up the competition, with Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, and Ft. Myers figuring into this list.

If you’re considering venturing South to the Sunshine State to soak up the rays, Trish Riley’s green-focused guide to Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami & the Florida Keys will cover the details and help you focus on relaxing and finding your own adventures. Trish includes tales from travelers, her own personal anecdotes, and profiles of green businesses, hotels, and restaurants in the region.

The following is a taste of Trish’s time on an Everglades “Swamp Walk:”

Swamp Walk: Our “Muckabout”
I lay awake all night the night before, worrying about encountering snakes and gators on my walk through the Everglades swamps with Clyde and Niki Butcher, who hold an annual “Muckabout” Swamp Walk, a three-day event held over Labor Day weekend at their Big Cypress Gallery, located about 30 miles west of Miami on the Old Tamiami Trail, US 41. The gallery is set on a 10-acre piece of swamp where the Butchers live and work. Clyde’s black-and-white photos of the Everglades are internationally famous, and he lends them to help raise awareness of the dire environmental issues facing the River of Grass. During the Swamp Walk you venture into water up to your waist or higher, knowing full well that alligators and snakes live in these parts and that you’re invading their territory. It sounds crazy, but the proceeds of the Swamp Walk go to charity. The real purpose, the Butchers say, is to raise awareness of the delicate Everglades ecosystem and to inspire its preservation. Read more »

Posted: January 26th, 2009 under Travel.
Comments: none

Great Escapes: Southern California author Donna Wares chats with LAist to offer her recommendations for the best short getaways for those sticking around SoCal this holiday season. You’ll find the full interview at LAist.com and some of her top recommendations after the jump. Read more »

Posted: November 27th, 2008 under Great Escapes, Travel.
Comments: none

Sheryl Kayne’s recommendations for her top 10 volunteer vacations appeared in USA Today over the weekend. Her first book with Countryman, Immersion Travel USA came out this fall, and her new book Volunteer Vacations Across America is due out in Spring 2009. Her top ten includes:

Heifer Ranch, Perryville, Ark
Fur Seal Rookery, St. George Island, AK, Earthwatch
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Ashford, CT
Navajo Nation, Tuba City, AZ, Amizade
Continental Divide Trail, CO
Big Dipper Eco Farm, Kingsley, Michigan, WWOOF USA
Restoring Shotgun Houses, Cairo, Illinois, Heritage Conservation Network
The Elephant Sanctuary, Hohenwald, TN
Heron Lake State Park’s Osprey Festival
Louisiana Children’s Museum’s Learning is Playing, New Orleans, Relief Spark.Org

You can check out the full piece here.

Posted: November 25th, 2008 under Travel.
Comments: none

We’d like to offer our congratulations to Sally Moore, whose Backroads & Byways of New Mexico (2007, The Countryman Press) won a 2008 New Mexico Book Award in the Travel category. For more information on the ceremony and the other winners, visit the site here. For more information on the book and Sally’s other projects, you can visit her website at www.sallymoore.com.

Posted: November 24th, 2008 under Travel.
Comments: none

Two events are scheduled in support of John Villani’s Art Towns California in SoCal this next week. Learn more about the book and California’s unique arts communities at:

Laguna Beach Books, Sunday November 23rd @ 3pm

Carmel Art Association, Wednesday November 26th 11am-2pm

There will also be a book release party for Michele Bigley’s Kauai: Great Destinations Hawaii in December. Michele will present on the book and show slides from her travels. Wine and snacks will be provided.

Red Hill Books, San Francisco, CA Friday December 5th @ 7pm

Posted: November 20th, 2008 under Travel.
Comments: none

Our congratulations go out to Christopher Baker, the author of Palm Springs & Desert Resorts: Great Destinations (November 2008, The Countryman Press). Baker was named Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year in 2008 by the Society of American Travel Writers. More on this prestigious award here.

Posted: November 7th, 2008 under Great Destinations, Travel.
Comments: none