On the Road Again
Dispatches and Travel Tips + BWTW Events & News
I recently returned from Alberta, Canada, and as I was strolling through the Calgary Airport, past shops filled with cowboy hats and Coffee Crisps and every conceivable maple-themed souvenir, it occurred to me that I’ve been so focused on editing and launching The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Volume 13 (which just turned a month old) that I’ve written nothing about my own travels this year. That seemed a little pathetic. Not only because I call myself a travel writer, but because in these times that are so muddled with fear and distrust and despair, I still believe travel is one of the things that can save us. Or, as I said in the intro to a previous edition of The Best Women’s Travel Writing:
“I believe in travel. I believe that by disorienting us, it rearranges us. Travel builds character and ignites imagination, nurtures independence and humility, catalyzes curiosity and self-examination. It can be a bulwark against stagnation, and a call to action. It widens our worldview and brings us face-to-face with our privilege, as it forces us to reassess entrenched beliefs and long-held concepts.”
This of course applies to domestic travel, too, which I bring up because with the exception of Canada, my recent travels have been entirely domestic—and dazzling. I’ll admit to a slight degree of surprise there. Though I love my country, it is (as we know) a real mess right now. Plus, I’m an international traveler through and through, so domestic jaunts have rarely wowed me the same way. But my trips this year have brought me delight and reminded me that it’s important to keep finding new reasons to love the US at a time when I’m feeling so dismayed and disgusted by the fascists running it. Holding my heart open as I pass through blue and red states alike has been a way of sustaining a dialogue with the country that raised me—the same country that first introduced me (at age ten, on a cross-country family roadtrip) to the joys of travel. And more than anything, these past months have revealed how much there is in the US to appreciate—and save.
So, with that, I thought I’d do a month-to-month montage of the places I’ve been in 2026, with some photos and travel tips.
*But also, if you’re mostly here for BWTW-related news and upcoming events and writing classes, you can skip ahead to just after the photo of me sitting on the grass!
January: The Beehive State
I kicked off 2026 in my favorite place on earth, Boulder, Utah, population 230-ish, where my sister Blake and soul-sister Jen have lived and worked for twenty-five years. Boulder (again, Utah—not Colorado) is so remote that it was the last community in the US to receive its mail delivered by pack mule, and it didn’t have electricity until 1947. In winter, the tiny town is a masterpiece of stillness and quietude. There’s no traffic, no noise—nothing to separate you from nature. You almost become nature. My husband and son and I spent two weeks there with Blake, playing in the snow on Boulder Mountain and hiking in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument—a wild and spectacular pocket of the planet that claims roughly 1.9 million acres of my heart. And so, here’s Tip #1: Summers are equally blissful in Boulder because it’s high desert and relatively cool—and you can have a meal (or five) at my sisters’ exceptional, seven-times James Beard recognized restaurant, Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm—and book a night (or five) at Boulder Mountain Lodge. Order the meatloaf, don’t skip the biscuits, save room for the dark magic gingerbread, and pack your best hiking shoes.
February: The Sunshine State
Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” For me, that thing was rollercoasters. But in February in Florida, I quashed my lifelong fear for the sake of my son. We rode the Barnstormer at Disney World, billed as a “short, beginner-friendly junior coaster” that scared the bejesus out of me. Still, I pretended to love it for my kid, which made my kid love it, which somehow, incredibly, made me love it, too. Then, because (1) I’m determined to be a good mom and (2) we can do hard things, I rode two more rollercoasters at Universal Studios (Harry Potter-themed and even scarier). Trust that you’ll never see me in one of those hellish loop de loop rollercoasters where people scream upside down, but I’m proud that now, at age 56, I am capable of a kiddie coaster. Tip #2: It’s astonishing what the mind can overcome when you’re faking bravery.
Even more astonishing in Florida, though, was seeing Artemis II up close before it launched to the moon! The photo below was taken at Kennedy Space Center by my husband, who had the window seat when our bus driver slowed down in a restricted area within about 500 feet of the launch site. Later, when we watched the launch and landing on TV, it felt like seeing a friend. Tip #3: KSC’s “Fly with an Astronaut” program is 100 percent worth the splurge.
March: The Pelican State
It’s not really travel since I live in Louisiana, so I’ll keep this one brief: Spring in New Orleans is heaven, with the jasmine and dreamy weather and all the unending festivals. Tip #4: One of my favorites is The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane, which is intimate and well-organized, filled with literary celebrities, and completely free. Check it out, and mark your calendars for March 11-14, 2027!
April: The Golden State
A quick spring-break jaunt to San Francisco brings us to Tip #5: The “Monet and Venice” exhibition at the DeYoung Museum is the first exhibition dedicated to Monet’s Venice pieces since their debut over a century ago, and the show is moody and mesmerizing, and runs till July 26th. And Tip #6: I lived in San Francisco for ten years but somehow never made it to Sutro Heights. I’d be embarrassed by this except that my husband lived in SF for twenty-five years and never made it there. But we found ourselves in that Outer Richmond park one dusk, gobsmacked by the longest views and the twistiest trees—and freshly in love with the city where we met 17 years ago. So, next time you’re in the Bay Area, I suggest you go straight to Sutro Heights. Pack a picnic and a case of wonder.
May: The Beaver State
I met up with some of my favorite people in May in Southern Oregon, and we sipped our way around the wineries of the Applegate Valley, nibbled our way around the estimable local cheese and charcuterie, talked and dined around a twilight picnic table, and sang around a crackling backyard campfire. There’s so much to say about this idyllic region (and I will—I’m already planning a return trip), but for now, Tip #7 is stay in Jacksonville (I fell hard for that meticulously preserved mining town) and Tip #8 is stay at Kubli Haus, which landed on my favorite-hotels list the minute I sank into this bathtub.
June: The Bay State
When my son’s school ended, we fled the heat of New Orleans for Cape Cod, where my husband grew up and where we’re fortunate to have a little cottage. I could exhaust you with Cape Cod tips, but instead I’ll offer just a few favorites. Tip #9: Four Seas Ice Cream has been in business for almost a century, and it’s the oldest and tastiest ice cream shop on the Cape. (Fun facts: Jacqueline Kennedy was a devotee, and my sister-in-law once stood in line there next to Taylor Swift.) I’ve also been pounding oysters, lobster rolls, and whole belly fried clams while here, so Tip #10: There’s no better seafood shack than Sesuit Harbor Cafe. Trust me on this one. Go in the late afternoon, before the line forms. And it’s BYOB, so BYO chilled bottle of rosé. (And then sneak down for a walk on the beach.)
Also June: The Empire State
I dashed to New York City for a weekend in June to join the first in-person event for The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Volume 13. (Tip #11: P&T Knitwear is a great indie bookshop!) Our event was fun and well-attended—and made even better by sharing the night with the Knicks as they won the championship. Around midnight, my friend Marcia rallied us both from our cozy digs so we could join the crowds and cacophony on the street. We watched a guy in Union Square scale a streetlight, we crossed paths with a shirtless bro carrying a bar stool like it was a beer, and we chanted and cheered with everyone we encountered. I am, forgive me, so completely not into sports, but I’m a lifelong fan of irrepressible joy and collective effervescence, so I adored every minute of it.
More June: The Constitution State
Though I spent only one night in Connecticut, I didn’t want to leave. It’s a bucolic dreamscape, with all those winding roads and farmhouses, ponds and wildlife—and dinner was spectacular. Tip #12: Treat yourself to a meal at Belden House & Mews in Litchfield. I recommend the pasta!
Still June: The Treasure State
I feel like I have to apologize to Great Falls, Montana, because for no discernible reason (and having done zero research), I expected a somewhat dreary and rundown town. I have no idea why, honestly. In any case, I was mistaken—and instantly enchanted by Great Falls’ historic downtown area, excellent coffee scene, well-curated boutiques and bookstores, top-notch Mexican food, and…
I need to preface Tip #13 by saying this was one of my favorite travel experiences of 2026—if not my lifetime. For any of my college friends reading this, it will come as no surprise that it’s a dive bar. Or more specifically, a tiki dive bar. The surprising part is it has …
mermaids!
Introducing The Sip & Dip Lounge. You’re welcome.
End of June: Wild Rose Country
Finally, Alberta, Canada.
My best friend, Erin, and I drove from Great Falls to Alberta (while still talking about the Sip & Dip and listening to my BWTW playlist, which I can’t stop tinkering with—it’s at 6+ hours now). Erin and I have been best friends for forty years, and she’s lived in Alberta for twenty-five of those, so you might assume I’ve spent a lot of time in Canada. I haven’t. Erin always comes to me, wherever I am, because wherever I am is warmer. (Or we meet in other warm destinations.) But this time I went to her, for my first visit to Canada in two decades—and not only was it warm, it was perfect. Alberta is another place I’ll write more about (I intend to spend much more time there—even if I have to go when it’s cold), so for now I’ll say only that I won’t forget gazing up at the Canadian Rockies with my best friend, the two of us uncharacteristically reverent, all but undone by the grandeur and sublimity of those mountains. Tip #14: Visit Glacier International Peace Park in Waterton (on the border of the US and Canada) and Tip #15, treat yourself to a stay at Kananaskis Mountain Lodge and Nordic Spa in Canmore.
The Road Ahead
That’s where I’ve been. Here’s where I’ll be…
July 24 at 4 pm: I’ll be on Martha’s Vineyard at the Vineyard Haven Library, in conversation with my dear friend Natalie Baszille, author of Queen Sugar. We’ll be talking about the Best Women’s Travel Writing, and about writing craft and process and editing, and the value of travel.
July 25, 1-4 pm: I’m teaching a Writing in Place Workshop at Featherstone Center for the Arts on Martha’s Vineyard, focusing on literary techniques to make a place come to life. It’s almost sold out! Register here.
July 31, 5-8 pm: I’ll be at Cross Street Flower Farm in Norwell, Massachusetts for a Best Women’s Travel Writing reading/discussion and “Petals & Pours.” Kind of like a Sip & Dip but instead of tiki drinks, it’s wine, and instead of mermaids, you learn to make a bouquet and then go out into the fields to cut your own bouquet. I’ll be there with a contributor or two! You can learn more and buy a ticket here!
August 6 at 6 pm at Book Passage in Corte Madera, California. I’ll be on stage presenting The Best Women’s Travel Writing, introduced by the great Don George and joined by contributors Faith Adiele, Marcia DeSanctis, Lisa VanderVeen, and Emma Morrell, who will read from their stories (and you’ll meet several more contributors). This event is open to the public, but if you’re attending the conference, RSVP to have your seat saved.
August 7-9: I’m on faculty for my eleventh year at the extraordinary Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference in Corte Madera. This conference changed my life and the lives of so many writers I know and admire. If you’re interested in (or even curious about) travel writing or photography, it may be the best money you’ll spend this year.
And a few more summer and fall events are in the works—including a November writing and painting retreat in magical Yelapa, Mexico, with Colette Hannahan! This dreamy retreat is filling up, so reserve your spot soon!
In other news:
I was honored that Longreads published an interview with me by Cheri Lucas Rowlands. I shared with Cheri the somewhat complex process of selecting 27 essays from 1,600 submissions. And LitHub linked to my interview in their weekly “Best of the Literary Internet” newsletter! Be still my heart!
The Best Women’s Travel Writing also made it onto a few book lists, including Sari Botton’s Oldster Magazine Bookshelf, huzzaaaaah! (If you don’t follow Sari, here’s another tip: You should.)
On pub day, we held a Zoom Launch Party with 140 guests and 20 contributors. Five contributors shared snippets of their essays and others popped in to say hello—from tents and airports and homes and porches and patios around the globe. Here’s the recording if you’d like to watch it!
And…we already ran through our first print run! What! Books will be back in stock very soon.
A friendly reminder that if BWTW, Vol. 13 isn’t available at your favorite indie bookshop, you can request it! And if you’re inspired, please leave a good review somewhere. You can also request that your local library stock it. (I’d be grateful!) Indie authors, bookshops, and publishers need all the support we can get.
And I’ll leave you, as always, with…
A Prompt
Set a timer for one minute and close your eyes. Now think of a summer montage. It can be of your childhood or a past summer—or this one. It can be international or domestic. Focus on one scene or place at a time, luxuriating in a few revelatory details—what was most distinct, surprising, memorable? What curious details inexplicably stand out? Relax into each scene, summoning the non-sight sensory details of sound, smell, taste, and touch. Focus also on emotion and people. How did you feel? Who was with you? When the timer goes off, set another timer for five or ten minutes and begin writing, attending deeply and lovingly to each of your memories.
Keep writing away!
Lavinia
See you at Book Passage in August!
A super fun post Lavinia. Sadly I can’t join you at BP this year. I broke my arm near the shoulder a month ago and had surgery on it a week ago. It’s my right arm, so am typing with one finger on my phone.
We had a great trip to Milan and around northern Italy, then to Provence, Normandy for D-Day and Paris in May and early June. Luckily I was in SF when I tripped and fell on my arm. It’s been a slog. So it was fun to read about your travels. Looking forward to reading the ew book.