“I want to take a year off to travel the world.” You might have pondered yourself plenty of times. Perhaps you finally saved enough money and were just about ready to set forth into the world. Unfortunately, covid travel restrictions made the world of travel come to a halt. However, these travel books are your savior. They take you on a virtual journey through the United States to quench your travel thirst.
Instead of staring at travel photos on Instagram or moping about the pandemic, pop open any of these travel books. They offer an alternative for you to enter the beautiful world of wanderers through a virtual journey.
A picture is worth a thousand words. However, the virtual journey of vivid stories in travel books is the much-needed stimulation your brain could use.
Fear not. Roomi compiles this list of top travel books that take you on a virtual journey of the United States without even leaving the house!
1. On The Road by Jack Kerouac: An explorative travel book set in the United States
“The air was soft, the stars so fine, the promise of every cobbled alley so great that I thought I was in a dream.”
Allow yourself to dream of your travels in this travel book written by Jack Kerouac. The book contains his most well-known and marvelous journey through the United States.
Additionally, the book particularly encapsulates Kerouac’s travels with his friend through North America. Follow him around the country to acquire self-knowledge through experiences. Delight the explorers in all of us with a colorful virtual journey through words. In short, let this inspiring work make you fall in love with the United States all over again.
2. Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon: Travel book for a tiny town tour of the United States
“If a man can keep alert and imaginative, an error is a possibility, a chance at something new; to him, wandering and wondering are part of the same process, and he is most mistaken, most in error, whenever he quits exploring.”
You may not have the chance to wander right now, but there’s no limit when it comes to mentally weaving a virtual journey through travel books. Through this travel book, explore the wonders of the little towns of the United States. The stories showcase William Heat’s search for meaning in tiny spaces on the map of America. Additionally, meet the extraordinary people he encounters in his adventures.
3. Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck: A travel book for lovers of dogs and the United States
“A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker, than a germ.”
While you stay indoors to stay away from the germ, you don’t need to be sad about the postponement of your travels. Go on a remarkable virtual journey with California native Steinback and his sweet little poodle in this travel book as he sets out to rediscover the United States at the age of 58.
4. A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson: Travel book for a virtual journey of the Appalachian Trail
“Life takes on a neat simplicity, too. Time ceases to have any meaning. When it is dark, you go to bed, and when it is light again you get up, and everything in between is just in between. It’s quite wonderful, really.”
Seeing the beauty in the timelessness that surrounds life in quarantine is our best option!
Take a virtual hike with Bill Bryson while he covers the Appalachian trail, getting lost in the wonder of the silent forests, sparkling lakes, and majestic mountains. Moreover, learn about the history and ecology of the Appalachian trail, the people, and the BEARS he meets along the way!
5. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey: Travel book for a virtual journey of the American wilderness
“So I lived alone. The first thing I did was take off my pants. Naturally.”
We can all relate to this!
Edward Abbey wrote this monumental travel book while working as a ranger at the Arches National Park in Utah, United States. Allow this book to take you on a prose-filled virtual journey of reflection on the human condition and its relationship to wilderness.
6. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts: Travel book for world travelers beyond the United States
“For all the amazing experiences that await you in distant lands, the “meaningful” part of travel always starts at home, with a personal investment in the wonders to come.”
This travel book shows you how it is the best time to start that meaningful part of your virtual journey at home! To sum up, Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding will teach you how to discover and experience the world on your own terms. Leave behind the excuses and timelines you give yourself. Above all, this book prepares you for all your future adventures. Be it financing travel time with a steady job to fitting back into ordinary life, it offers excellent travel advice. Basically, an outlook emphasizing creativity, discovery, and the growth of the spirit is sure to come upon reading this treasure.
D’you know what else Roomi does outside of helping its readers take a virtual journey through the United States with travel books? With our ever-increasing lists of rooms and roommates across the world, we help you find your perfect match! Download the app here and hop on the easiest ride home, ever!
