Image courtesy of Random House

If the recession has sidelined plans for a summer trip this year, the next best thing to traveling is a compelling read about traveling – and no one does it better than Bill Bryson.

The American author can seemingly take anything, or anywhere, and make it engaging and humorous.

Whether writing about the Appalachian Trail, Australia, Europe or small town America, Bryson finds wit and insight in even the trivial.

Reading one of his books, you’ll certainly discover something new about the world and undoubtedly laugh in the process. Our pick: “In a Sunburned Country“.

The internet is full of travel sites, some more helpful than others. Here are a few of our editors’ favorites – great for traditional Web surfing or to use as Blackberry and iPhone apps:

* Unlike most fare-finding sites, Kayak doesn’t sell tickets through this portal. It is simply a search engine fine-tuned to find flights, hotels, cruises and rental cars. Kayak has been lauded by Forbes, Business Week, Travel + Leisure and Time.

* National Geographic, the quintessential guide to travel and global perspective, offers readers time-tested travel advice here. The 49 tips include what essentials to pack, how to make the most of frequent flier miles, and even playlist suggestions for various international destinations.

* At VirtualTourist, social networking meets travel. The site, which offers unbiased tips on 25,000 destinations, from locals as well as recent tourists, helps users plan trips with print-and-go travel guides, share travel deals and search photos.

* Another gem from National Geographic – the magazine’s list of favorite travel Web sites, from GasBuddy to Points.com, where users can trade hotel points for airline miles.

* LuxuryLink is the elite travelers’ eBay. The auction site allows users to get great deals on lush accommodations and travel packages, and filters its destinations by location, tourists’ interests and property type. Consumers can also sometimes find great deals with the site’s Buy-it-Now option.

One Flew South’s modern appointments (Cherokee marble, Georgia pine, white leather seating) create an atmosphere much like what one would find in Midtown Atlanta, making it a great choice for en route business meetings or pre-honeymoon cocktails. Located in Concourse E, where most International flights depart, One Flew South does require an airline ticket for entry, but anyone with a long layover or a delayed flight can tram over for a healthier, and arguably tastier, meal than anything else the airport has the offer. One Flew South

• Is This Love – Bob Marley
• Don’t Forget The Sun – The Explorers Club
• Wash Away – Joe Purdy
• Summer Breeze – Jason Mraz
• Breakdown – Jack Johnson
• Into The Mystic – Van Morrison
• If I Had A Boat – Lyle Lovett
• Soul And The Sea – Joshua James
• All At Sea – Jamie Cullum
• The Summer – Coconut Records
• Getaway – Stereophonics
• Seaside – The Kooks
• Ships – Tyler Ramsey
• Swim – Jeremy Larson
• Looks Just Like The Sun – Broken Social Scene
• Beach Baby – Bon Iver
• Summersong – The Decemberists
• Under The Moonlight – Travis
• Island In The Sun – Weezer
• Sunsets – Powderfinger

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