2024 was the year of travel. From my first time abroad to visiting a new state, I was so fortunate to be able to explore new places with my family and friends. And whenever I travel, I try to go to as many bookstores as I can. While I already discussed how this year was not a stellar year for reading for me, I did manage to squeeze in some bookish nonsense while I was out and about.
Colorado
In April, my boyfriend and I traveled to Estes Park in Colorado to attend my best friends’ wedding! It was a gorgeous ceremony during a wonderfully snowy weekend. While I didn’t visit any bookstores or libraries, we got to visit the Stanley Hotel for an afternoon. Nicknamed the “Shining Hotel” and purported to be the inspiration for Stephen King’s novel, this hotel is visited by King fans and ghost hunters alike.
While we didn’t see any ghosts, it was fun to walk around, learn about the history, and see the decked out gift shop capitalizing off it’s spooky reputation.
Switzerland
My biggest trip by far was going to Switzerland. This was a two week trip that I took with my sister, mom, and aunt, and we had the best time. Switzerland is a gorgeous country filled with such rich history and breathtaking views. And this was my first time out of the country. The funniest part was that every bookshop I tried to visit was closed, but I managed to check out one in the train station.
From the hours-long plane rides to the winding train trips, bringing my Kindle was the best decision I could have made. I ended up finishing about four books during my trip: my friend’s manuscript, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, The Alps: A Human History from Hannibal to Heidi and Beyond, and The Blue Zones: Lessons For Living Longer From The People Who’ve Lived The Longest.
Two of these picks involved food and wellness, which wasn’t an accident. This was my first time in Europe, and it was fascinating to see how others lived. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Lake Geneva was full of people off of work chatting with friends, sharing a drink, or taking a stroll. And I loved looking at the grocery stores to see what people were eating. From the relaxed lifestyle to the amazing new food, this atmosphere had me thinking more about my health and how I live back at home, which inspired these two health picks.
(Although a lot of people have researched it, and Blue Zones might not be as accurate as it was reported.)
Seattle
This was my biggest bookish travel trip. I traveled with my sister and boyfriend to Seattle and we had the best time exploring the city. Seattle has such a lively feel, and one of the highlights was Pike Place Market. The food was amazing and we could have spent hours and hours exploring every stall and store. But I managed to check out two awesome bookstores: BLMF Literary Saloon and Lion Heart Bookstore.
The biggest bookstore I visited was Elliot Bay Book Company. They had a huge collection of new and used books, with shelves towering up to the ceiling. They even has a Short Story Dispenser, which I’ve always wanted to try. But the hardest part was having to pick only one book to stuff in my carry-on.
Idyllwind
For our five year anniversary, my boyfriend and I visited Idyllwild in California. This was the most adorable mountain town, and they had the cutest bookstore called Speakeasy Bookmart. Located right next to Raven Hill Bagels (which was amazing), this small bookstore was filled with new books and a small collection of used books in the back.
I found myself dreaming of owning a little cabin up here and getting to live in the town. Although living in a place with a bookstore right next to a bagel place would be absolutely detrimental to my wallet.
2024 was a great year of traveling and exploring new places for me, and I am beyond excited to see what 2025 has in store. If you are every in Seattle or Idyllwild, I highly recommend checking out the bookstores.
The Library Mouse's Book Nook 