Staycation Recreations: Escape with Sagas, Day Trips, and Genealogy
25 Books To Entertain Yourself Close to Home
By Margaret Heilbrun -- Library Journal, 06/08/2009
At the height of the Great Depression 75 years ago, Ira Gershwin and E.Y. Harburg's lyrics to the Harold Arlen song "Let's Take a Walk Around the Block" presented Broadway audiences with a couple who faced the fact that they'd have to take their vacation close to home, affected as they were by tough economic times.
Sound familiar? For "walk around the block," read "staycation." It's a portmanteau word that moved into the branding lexicon last summer, when high gas prices were putting a crimp in many a family's vacation plans. I first heard it myself when passing into the radio range of northwestern Connecticut. I figured if the state with the highest per capita income was getting in on the staycation game, the word was bound to stick around for a while.
Think of the list below as suggestions to help you in defining your own staycation, one that doesn't depend on deep pockets but simply deepening experiences. You'll cross thresholds—maybe without leaving the house. Or maybe you'll just go as far as your local library. Perhaps, who knows, whatever prosperity comes your way in the future, you'll stay with staycations. You take a vacation, but you make a staycation, and therein lies the fun!
Local Journeys | History in Your Backyard | Natural & Backroad Wonders | Adventures at Home | Epistolary Getaways | Diversion by Saga | Genealogy
LOCAL JOURNEYS
Jones, Drew. Five Miles from Home: And Other Exotic Travel Destinations. Lulu.com. 2009. 131p. illus. ISBN 978-0-557-02170-3. pap. $10.98. TRAV
Jones, who describes himself as "a geeky NASA engineer and a geeky writer," self-published this inspiring rumination-cum-memoir about the many varieties and pleasures of travel close to home. With your hometown as your center, your five-mile radius will produce a circle encompassing 78.5 square miles (over 50,000 acres) of possibilities. No, Jones is not offering vacation by geometry; he shares his own discoveries of the wonders of local journeys, both the inward and the outbound kind, both for individuals and for families. Full of suggestions and questions designed to stimulate your own planning, but not with specific web resources or location information, Jones succeeds at getting you thinking in new ways about the possibilities lurking just beyond your door. Regrettably, he notes that "the obvious place to start research is no longer the library, but on-line." Libraries, prove him wrong by adding this book to your collections! Readers, consider purchasing it yourself as a keeper.
Tocknell, Paul. 101 Great Staycations: How To Have a Great Time Without Leaving Home. www.staycationidea.com. 2009. 109p. illus. $9.95. TRAV
Tocknell, based in Dayton, OH, married with two young kids, used to take family vacations to Florida, but the sinking economy and rising gas and airline ticket prices led him to come up with many options for hometown vacations that would inspire full family enthusiasm. His 101 staycation ideas (one per page) are grouped by season, with each idea (anything from geocaching to making a chalk labyrinth to apple picking) described and contextualized briefly, followed by short paragraphs on "How To Make It Happen," often referring to a useful web site. Each idea includes suggestions for a few related activities. Most helpful for those with children living in nonurban environments. Only available as a download from the author's web site.
Wixon, Matt. The Great American Staycation: How To Make a Vacation at Home Fun for the Whole Family (and Your Wallet!). Adams Media. 2009. 197p. index. ISBN 978-1-60550-656-2. pap. $9.95. TRAV
An affordable little volume packed with several staycations' worth of ideas for planning and implementing a great time in and near your home, this book gets down to brass tacks. Wixon sets up rules to guarantee that your time is a break from the usual—even if you're simply staying at home—and then organizes the possibilities by theme, including amusement parks, outdoor adventures, educational alternatives, pampering, sports, and entertainment. For each, he provides "Help on the Net" resources. Whether to find hometown volunteer opportunities or ingredients for a home spa treatment, his book is invaluable.
HISTORY IN YOUR BACKYARD
American Indian Places: A Historical Guidebook. Houghton. 2008. 368p. photogs. bibliog. index. ed. by Frances H. Kennedy. ISBN 978-0-395-63336-6. $29.95. TRAV
Arranged by region, this guide provides expert historical and archaeological information about 366 sites, each host to native peoples prior to 1900 and open to the public. You'll need other sources to help with the specifics of directions, hours, amenities, etc., but this will show you how much there is in your own region to learn about Native American history—on the spot. (See LJ's original review.)
Civil War Preservation Trust. Civil War Sites: The Official Guide to the Civil War Discovery Trail. 2d ed. Globe Pequot. 2007. 352p. ISBN 978-0-7627-4435-0. pap. $17.95. TRAV
Thirty-one of our states, plus the District of Columbia (not to mention three other countries), have sites relating to the American Civil War. Over 600 of them are listed here, organized by state, and within state by city, with maps of the sites and driving directions. The Civil War Preservation Trust's web site describes the trust's ongoing initiatives and shows how you can get involved. Michael Weeks's recent The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide: Ten Weekend Tours and More Than 400 Sites, from Antietam to Zagonyi's Charge (Countryman, dist. by Norton. ISBN 978-0-88150-860-4. $19.95) is more extensive, organized by region, with maps, site details, and recommendations on where to stay nearby, but it's not formatted for easy access.
Cobb, Charles E., Jr. On the Road to Freedom: A Guided Tour of the Civil Rights Trail. Algonquin. 2008. 416p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-56512-439-4. pap. $18.95. TRAV
Cobb, a journalist and veteran of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, takes readers from Maryland and Washington, DC, southward, visiting the major emblematic sites as well as those off the beaten path, where the struggle was engaged and pressed in the segregated South. This isn't a travel guide with phone numbers and web site addresses, but readers can seek such information online themselves while reading this book and planning their trips. (See LJ's original review.)
Desmarais, Norman. Battlegrounds of Freedom: A Historical Guide to the Battlefields of the War of American Independence. BUSCA. 2005. 308p. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-9666-1967-6. pap. $26.95. TRAV
Librarian Desmarais is an experienced Continental Army re-enactor with a prodigious knowledge of the battles of the American Revolution—and the skill to propel you out the door and to the sites of those battlefields of yore that may be not far from where you live. Chapter by chapter he'll give you the history of battles from Maine to Georgia, as well as westward to what are now Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. Who knows: his final chapter, "(Re) Living History," may inspire you to join a unit of Revolutionary re-enactors; he explains how to go about it and includes many photographs of re-enactments. Featuring both road maps and battlefield maps, plus information on maintained historic sites, related museums, and nearby towns. (See LJ's original review.)
NATURAL & BACKROAD WONDERS
Hinckley, Jim (text) & James Kerrick & others (photographs). Route 66 Backroads: Your Guide to Scenic Side Trips & Adventures from the Mother Road. Voyageur. 2008. 208p. photogs. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-7603-2817-0. pap. $24.99. TRAV
Route 66 winds in a great big S—albeit now with breaks in its formerly continuous path—from Chicago to Los Angeles, taking in eight states in the process. If you're lucky enough to live nearby it (which means you're not so close to many of the areas in the books in the category above), look here and turn some remarkable backstories into the main plot of your staycation. Organized by state, with 50 different suggested "routes" off the "mother road," and enhanced by color road maps at the state (not local) level and fabulous color photographs of backroad wonders, animal, vegetable, and man-made; there are no web addresses listed, but then isn't that the point of most of these places?
National Geographic Society. National Geographic Guide to the State Parks of the United States. 3d ed. National Geographic, dist. by Random. 2008. 384p. photogs. maps. index. ISBN 978-1-4262-0251-3. pap. $25. TRAV
Wherever you live, you've got state parks that have been beckoning to you. This book will make you sit up and take note. From Smugglers' Notch to Cloudland Canyon, from DeSoto to Backbone to Kodachrome, from natural wonders to historic villages, there's something pretty—and pretty near you—in every state. Including full contextual information, lovely color photographs, and good maps, this one is a must-have.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Rail-Trails: Midwest Great Lakes. Wilderness. 2009. 400p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-89997-467-5. pap. $18.95. TRAV
Thank the not-for-profit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy for the hundreds of miles of railroad corridors that have now been converted to multi-use trails. They are marvelously graded pathways for walking, running, or biking, not to mention equestrian and wheelchair access (in many instances). Because these were once railway lines, they traverse urban, rural, and suburban regions. The conservancy has produced seven Rails-to-Trails guidebooks so far, covering New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, and now the Midwest Great Lakes region. Each has an accessible layout, offering precise access and contact information, with clear maps for each rail-trail, and descriptors for trail surface and roughness. Sites, attractions, and landmarks along the way are covered succinctly. A great resource that will invigorate staycation readers in the 23 states covered (plus Washington, DC).
Rogers, Barbara Radcliffe & Stillman Rogers. New Hampshire, Off the Beaten Path. 8th ed. Globe Pequot. Sept. 2009. 256p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-76275-048-1. pap. $14.95. TRAV
This more-than-dependable series of paperbacks now offers a volume for every single state, plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico (the Dakotas share a guide, as do Maryland and Delaware). The series is kept up-to-date, with many volumes in their eighth or ninth editions. The detailed and well–laid out texts are studded with sidebars giving personal faves from the author and a range of fun and informative details. The assumption is unquestionably that you will be driving wherever you go (the "road signs to watch for" are useful in this context); it's too bad that updated editions have not incorporated more information on using public transportation. References to locally available adventures such as bike tours can refer to expensive endeavors that assume you're flush with disposable income. No matter: the local possibilities presented in these guides are priceless.
ADVENTURES AT HOME
Woginrich, Jenna. Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life. Storey. 2008. 192p. illus. ISBN 978-1-60342-086-0. $20.95. DIY
Woginrich is a charmer. And intrepid! Even if she doesn't actually charm you into raising chickens or learning to play dulcimer or undertaking new dimensions of recycling, you will admire her many expressions of self-reliance in this combination memoir and how-to manual. It's not all cheerfulness and light—in raising Angora rabbits, she had to kill one to end its misery after severe injury—but it's full of lovely insights and wisdom. I want to found my own Order of the Peculiar Materialists: in her description of it, Woginrich distills eloquently the potent value of shared experiences, humble objects, and friendship. Woginrich is only in her mid-twenties. It's a joy to look forward to her future!
Liebreich, Karen & others. The Family Kitchen Garden: How To Plant, Grow, and Cook Together. Timber. 2009. 224p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-60469-050-7. pap. $24.95. GARDENING
Obviously, you can't plant, raise, harvest, and cook from a kitchen garden during a brief time staying around the house, but you can use time off during the spring and early summer to embark on a family kitchen garden project that you can maintain along with other obligations. The garden will reap more than edibles; it will bring you and yours together on several interdependent chores that evolve with the garden's growth. Children have responsibilities here; they aren't shunted off to garden games. The authors, gardeners and organized educators, include an extensive introduction to the basics; a month-by-month section of what to plant, do, and harvest; and an A-Z listing of ideal kitchen garden varieties, including fruits, flowers, herbs, and vegetables. The lovely color photos throughout; clear, bold-faced subheadings; and helpful appendixes all contribute to the book's value. (See LJ's original review.)
Gray, Michael E. & Linda E. Gray. Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care, Maintenance, and Repair. rev. ed. 2007. Rolling Hills Pub. 192p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-97407-921-9. pap. $34.95. DIY
If you have a car that's a source of financial stress, this book will at least enable you to gain a greater understanding of its inner workings. The Grays embark chapter by chapter on automotive systems and how to keep them well maintained, indicating when and what you may be able to fix yourself and when you should head to the repair shop. Although primarily intended as a textbook, this is an unusually good source for most of us, with all kinds of tips, systematic icons and pointers, servicing guidelines, web site references, and a glossary. For all car owners, but maybe don't share it with the teens in your household, or they'll be pushing you to get them a car so they can really use the book! (See LJ's original review.)
EPISTOLARY GETAWAYS
Shaffer, Mary Ann & Annie Barrows. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Dial Pr. 2009. 304p. ISBN 978-0-38534-100-4. pap. $14. F
A lovely novel consisting entirely of letters between Juliet Ashton, a youngish author, and her friends, old and new. Set in post–World War II London and the Channel Island of Guernsey, recovering from great hardship during wartime Nazi occupation, the plot reveals the life-changing power of the written word. There is intrigue, romance, and much good humor. The unabridged audio version is read—performed—by several marvelous British actors and is a real treasure as well. (See LJ's original review.)
Wilde, Oscar. The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde. Holt. 2000. 1408p. illus. index. ed. by Merlin Holland & Rupert Hart-Davis. ISBN 978-0-80505-915-1. LIT
The moving plot of Oscar Wilde's life, one of deep good humor, great wit, marvelous spirit, generous friendship, and tragic end, is vividly on display in his letters, whether he's attending Oxford University or visiting America and writing from a silver mining camp out West or traveling in France. You'll come away breathless at his gift for living and at the fatal choices—his own and others' who sought his ruin—that cut his life short. Not to be missed. Unfortunately, currently not available from the publisher, but available in used copies. Listed as out of stock indefinitely on Books In Print, but used copies can be found online. (See LJ's original review.)
Galsworthy, John. The Forsyte Saga. Wordsworth Editions. 2001. 736p. ISBN 978-1-84022-438-2. pap. $5.99. F
This is the uniform title for Galsworthy's The Man of Property, In Chancery, and To Let, available as a Forsyte Saga threesome in several paperback editions, of which this one is the cheapest. Galsworthy wrote the The Man of Property in 1906, looking back from his Edwardian desk at a thriving upper-middle class London family in full Victorian flower. Character, the choices the Forsytes make in seeking to rule their destinies, the consequences that unfold , the power—or failure—of an individual to change, are at the heart of this saga, although the first novel stood alone until after World War I, when the prolific Galsworthy returned to the Forsytes for the subsequent five volumes, all published in the 1920s. My favorite saga.
Galsworthy, John. The White Monkey. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-75534-088-0.
Galsworthy, John. The Silver Spoon. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-75534-089-7.
Galsworthy, John. Swan Song. 2009. 352p. ISBN 978-0-75534-090-3.
ea. vol: Headline Pub. pap. $9.95. F
The second Forsyte trio—made up of The White Monkey, The Silver Spoon, and Swan Song—are collectively known as A Modern Comedy, but are now only in print separately, available in these new editions ("Drama. Passion. Scandal," each cover declares). Most critics may regret Galsworthy's increasingly benign portrait of the man of property, Soames Forsyte, as he ages through the six books, but it works for me—perhaps more confoundingly, it worked for the Nobel Prize committee for 1932. As Soames ages, the narrative is filled with more of his observations in rumination of all that time takes away. There are many elegantly spun set scenes. Note: Don't let anyone tell you that the Forsyte chronicle has nine novels in it. A further three novels have the Forsytes only at the perimeters. I'm not listing them here.
The Forsyte Saga: The Complete Series. 7 discs. b/w. 1300 min. BBC, dist. by Acorn Media. 888-870-8047; www.acornonline.com. 2003. $99.98. F
The six Forsyte novels were made into a 26-part series by the BBC in 1967. They were shown on American public television in 1969, inspiring the phenomenon of the literate British import television series and the coining of "Masterpiece Theater." The anticipation, week to week, to be absorbed again in another hour of the saga was a deliciously trying experience for millions of viewers. Later, all 26 episodes were broadcast one after the other during one weekend. Enjoy the series at your own pace now on DVD. And, mind you, the more recent remake is not recommended. It does not capture a trace of the original novels or of their era. The older dramatization was made on a shoestring (you'll hear occasional off-set bangs and crashes and start to recognize props being re-used in separate scenes, including a coat rack that drops coats without any retakes); it's in black and white, but it's much the richer offering.
Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia. The Foreign Field. Trafalgar Square. (Morland Dynasty, Bk. 31). 2009. 516p. ISBN 978-1-84744-093-8. $34.95. F
The longest multivolume saga that I am aware of is by UK-published Harrod-Eagles. The Foreign Field is the latest in her "Morland Dynasty" historical fiction series, now available in the States. Volume 1, The Founding, took us to Yorkshire in 1434 as the Wars of the Roses were underway. Will quiet sheep farmer Robert Morland make his new wife, Eleanor, who has previously met and been entranced by Richard, Duke of York, happy in their arranged marriage? In Volume 31, the Morland descendants are mired in World War I, where they remain apparently for much of the next volume, The Fallen Kings, due in November. The series has a slowish sweep, with the occasionally syncopated rhythm, or else Harrod-Eagles would now be on Volume 484. I sorely wanted to be swallowed up by this saga, knowing that I'd have tons more to read. Alas, those pesky Morlands failed to captivate me. That doesn't mean that others won't love them.
GENEALOGY
Morgan, George G. The Official Guide to Ancestry.com. 2d ed. Ancestry. 2008. 302p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-59331-319-7. pap. $24.95. GENEALOGY
Ancestry.com is the world's largest online collection of genealogy databases, census and family history records, and digitized newspapers and genealogical volumes. There are also message boards. It's operated on a subscription basis by the for-profit Generations Network. This second edition of the authorized guide includes introductions and accessible guidance through the site, the kinds of records you can access there, and how best to search them. With screenshots on almost every page and an accessible layout, this book offers lots of value both for novice and veteran genealogists. You can learn here about ancestry.com's new features, including its DNA Ancestry testing service. While you can search ancestry.com for free, you need a subscription to access the document images. Many libraries have subscriptions to the site. 
Pedersen, Tana L. The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker 2009. Ancestry. 2008. 368p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-59331-320-3. pap. $24.95. GENEALOGY
Once you've embarked on your genealogical research, you may well want to record your family history in systematic and genealogically codified fashion. As the genealogy software made by the Generations Network, Family Tree Maker is the best seller in genealogy applications. I have not tried it myself!
Schepp, Brad & Debra Schepp. The Online Genealogy Handbook. Sterling. 2009. 256p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-4027-5255-1. pap. $14.95. GENEALOGY
If you'd rather embark on a genealogical adventure not immediately tied to ancestry.com and its many related packages, turn to this book. Brad Schepp (former editorial director, AmericaOnline) and Debra Schepp (former editor, McGraw-Hill), a librarian, write on e-commerce and e-research, and Debra has done genealogy since childhood. They share their evaluations of lots of online genealogical resources, some quite obscure; offer sound suggestions on how to tailor your research; the use of alternative routes when your first approach doesn't lead to family information; and ways to offer the fruits of your work to the next generation. Have you considered scrapbooking?
Happy journeying, wherever you go—or stay!
