Tired of travel guides that paint everything in glowing sunset colors? Check out "Cheap Hotels and a Hot Plate: An Economist's Travelogue," by Michael D. Yates (Monthly Review Press, paper, $15.95). Yates and his wife spent a whole lot of time on the road, living real life side by side with Americans in cities and towns in more than 30 states around the country, working various jobs, living in motels and inexpensive apartments. Here he reflects on the experience, which was carried out over the course of several years. And this book is about much more than the scenery. Yates uses his economist's understanding and outsider's perspective to reflect on regional differences, inequality in the workplace, the tourism industry — in short, he goes beyond the typical tourist experience to reveal the real America.

SAN FRANCISCO

EXPERIENCE THE ART AND THE ARTIST

Remember those courses in art history at college? The professor would interpret a piece; the students would nod in agreement. But what was really in the mind of Picasso or Van Gogh as they created their masterpieces? At Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, the hotel offers an artwork podcast to guide visitors through its impressive collection of contemporary art. The best part: The artists do the talking. Such as painter Deborah Oropallo, who describes the way everyday occurrences come together in her large-scale compositions. Or Darren Waterston, who explains how his abstract paintings are influenced by traditional Chinese ceramics. Too bad we couldn't download Leonardo da Vinci deconstructing Mona Lisa's smile. See more at www.fourseasons.com, or see it the old fashioned way: in person.

ONE LAST FLING

Trips to take before you have kids, from www.TravelPost.com:

1. Run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

2. March to New York City for St. Patrick's Day.

3. Let loose in Amsterdam.

4. Trek Thailand's Golden Triangle.

5. Visit the exit row on a plane one last time.

6. See an opera in London.

7. See a comedy show in Los Angeles.

8. Spend the weekend in Las Vegas.

9. Shack up in the South Pacific.

10. Raft the white waters of Costa Rica.

— Chicago Tribune