by Ashley Wilson

There are a million good reasons to go on an armchair adventure. You probably already travel in your armchair a few or more times a week without even thinking about it! Maybe it’s armchair dining with your favorite food channel, space exploration with the latest issue of “National Geographic,” or revisiting your favorite trip with a photo album. All of these are great ways to explore from—and with—the comforts of home. However, if you're like me and have found yourself wanting to explore something new, be sure to stop by the Ames Public Library as there is plenty more to discover!

If you’re ready to head to the outback, pick up one of my favorite books, “In a Sunburned Country” by Bill Bryson. This Iowa native was the writer who made me adore adult non-fiction. Bryson travels across the country that is also a continent armed with wry humor, insatiable curiosity, and a well-founded fear of most insects and wildlife. While he is most famous for “A Walk in the Woods”—his journey on the Appalachian Trail—“The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid” is also worth a visit to experience his version of 1950’s-1960’s Des Moines. His latest release, “The Body: A Guide for Occupants,” can take you on a journey of the cellular level to discover what we are made up of and what can go wrong and right.

One of my fellow armchair explorers, Anastasia from Resource Services, is currently experiencing 1950’s Moscow with a book club favorite, Amor Towles’ “A Gentleman In Moscow.” She waxed poetic about the writer’s sense of place and the food descriptions, which in turn reminded me of a book called “Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Love and Longing” by Anya Von Bremsen. Why not pick up both for a long weekend and dive into 20th century Russia? Best paired with Okroshka, a Russian summer soup that highlights the best of the early garden season.

Film is also a wonderful way to explore! I recently armchair visited The Villages Retirement Community in central Florida through the film “Some Kind of Heaven” and can’t wait to visit Istanbul from a dog’s-eye-view in the film “Stray.” All seven continents await through “Seven Worlds, One Planet,” an Attenborough narrated BBC special that has an accompanying book by John Keeling. If you’re curious to learn about animals a little closer to home, check out “The Guide to Birding in North America,” a Great Courses selection that will help you identify those friendly visitors to your backyard. Or maybe you have a little patch of wild hiding around the side of your shed? Check out “Midwest Foraging: 115 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Burdock to Wild Peach” and see if anything can be brewed, stewed, or nibbled!

If you feel that you’re ready to venture farther than the comforts of the yard and home, we have you covered there too. If you’ve never checked out an Adventure Pass, there is no time like the present! With the support of the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation, patrons can check out a free Adventure Pass to the Blank Park Zoo, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Reiman Gardens, or the Science Center of Iowa, with more destinations coming soon. Each pass supports at least two adults and two children. Reserve yours online or give us a call to book your adventure.

Whatever or wherever your adventure needs lie, we’re sure to have something to please! There is also nothing we love more than a challenge, so if you’re not sure where you’d like armchair travel next, stop by a reference desk for a guide.