I’m guessing there is a certain segment of travelers out there that would not find it odd at all to mention “books” or “bookstores” in the same sentences with the words “travel planning” or “itinerary.” If you are like me, you’ve got the souvenir T-shirts in your closet from stops at The Strand in New York and the Beat Generation landmark City Lights in San Francisco. Or perhaps you scheduled your visit to our nation’s capital with last month’s National Book Festival. If so, you may suffer from the affliction the title of this post describes; you know what I’m talking about.
Bookish tourists will have an event to enjoy this weekend: the 12th annual Twin Cities Book Festival. The event takes place this Saturday, October 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Historic Progress Building at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Attend readings from world-renown authors and local writers; peruse the various books and other items on display by publishers, authors, and other exhibitors; and take part in the children’s pavilion with storytelling, crafts, and other activities. Mingle with literati such as William Souder, Richard Russo, or Cheryl Strayed, author of the current best seller Wild. Admission is free, as is the parking.
For bibliophiles, the feel of a fine binding or the patina of a well-aged paper can be just as enjoyable as the ideas and words on the page. So let the Kindle sit on the shelf awhile and peruse some old-school dead-tree tomes for a day. To me, a day filled with books is a good day.
