Today is Tourism Day and here are a few books on 'destinations' ... some within driving distance of this reader. :-)

In the middle of an amazing city is an amazing park ... that would be Central Park in New York City! Not only was the park established more than a century ago, but it's still there, no 'wise' (or greedy?) decisions were made to convert the space into office and/or residential space. While a bit dry in places, Central Park: the History of New York City's Most Unique Landmark, by Charles Rivers Editors is a nice overview of the early days of the park, who designed it (including Frederick Law Olmsted) some of the problems encountered (lots of gneiss rock), where pathways, trails and bridges would go to make for pleasing walks, landscaping and so on. Don't miss the pictures of Sheep Meadow from 1899 and 2014!

I picked up this book because of the title (it fits the quirky side of my nature): Visit Sunny Chernobyl and Other Adventures in the World's Most Polluted Places, by Andrew Blackwell and it became one of the most interesting books I've read on travel! Granted, most people would not want to go to these places, but that's exactly why the author went. Sobering, depressing, yes, but Blackwell has a nice, easy to read style of writing so it was as enjoyable as the subject would allow. :-)

In my mind a ghost town is much more abandoned and empty than the ones found in Ghost Towns of the Pacific Northwest: Your Guide to the Hidden History of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia, by Philip Varney, so I am putting this with other travel books instead of history. There is history here, wonderful pictures, and some great anecdotes about what happened when and where, as well as directions. I especially enjoyed the entry on Roslyn, which became the town of Cicely, Alaska in the TV show Northern Exposure.

Humans have always traveled, but travel has not always been an industry. When and how that happened (and continues) is explained in Overbooked: the Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, by Elizabeth Becker. While it can bring lots of money in, there are all kinds of problems ... wear and tear on roads, environmental concerns, and locals forced out for businesses that will cater to tourists. (Movie 'destinations' are big these days). Wages are low, especially on those big cruise lines. What is the U.S. take on tourism? (Probably not what you think). Two ideas did come from us: National Parks and theme parks. A most interesting read, but I still don't want to travel! ;-)

Reading Hermit With Dog