It starts. Or, ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh.

This is going to be my first winter living in lake effect snow country. I got my first tiny dose of it this morning driving to work, repeating the mantra in my head “I’m going to be ok, I’m going to be ok, I’m going to be ok.” When I started here in June I tried asking people about what it’s like. Most people stay pretty quiet. Maybe they don’t want to think about it. I guess it doesn’t need to push its way into our daily lives any more than it already does. Even so, I’m expecting the worst. So while we wait to see how many inches accumulate this week, I’ve compiled a list of armchair travel books to get your mind off the slippery white stuff and on to warmer, happier things. Enjoy!

Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams
Learn about some of the most interesting animals in the world who all happen to be endangered.

No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach by Anthony Bourdain
Celebrity chef Bourdain travels the world and talks about the interesting local fare he finds.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
Two friends decide to walk the 2100 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

The Cave Painters: Probing the Mysteries of the World’s First Artists by Gregory Curtis
A look at 30,000 year old paintings in France and Spain.

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
The story of a Danish woman running a plantation in British East Africa before World War II.

The 8:55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames
A man takes the same train ride that inspired Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.

Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook has Gone Before by Tony Horwitz
A man retraces the travels of Captain James Cook, the explorer who, in the 18th century, explored the Pacific ocean

Roads: Driving America’s Great Highways by Larry McMurtry
A humorously wry journey on the highways of the U.S.A.

Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach
Pulitzer prize-winning author Steinbach takes a trip around Europe to see how independent she really is.

Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story by Tony and Maureen Wheeler
How two backpackers trekked across Asia—and revolutionized the world of independent travel.