Wide World Books & Maps

Local Seattle guy, world traveler, frequent KUOW contributor and avid recycler Willie Weir joins us to celebrate his latest book, Travels with Willie. It is a book is about finding adventure & facing fear, embarrassing blunders & language barriers, ice cream & kindness, the world’s steepest street & the world’s cheapes...t engagement ring, catching a thief & losing a zebra, a father’s touch & a farmer’s embrace, buying time & spending another night. And, of course, it’s about bicycles. Please join us tonight when we listen, learn, and laugh with the energetic and entertaining Willie Weir as he performs his stories from the road.Read More

Yes, tonight we wrap up our 10th season of WWB presentations and that means it’s time for Slides & Tell, where YOU get to be the star of the show. We invite customers to bring in five slides or digital images in a projectable format and the story that goes with them. We’ll also have our annual geography quiz complete w...ith BIG prizes. Just call ahead so we know how many to plan for and where you’ll be taking us. We can answer any questions about using our digital projector. 206-634-3453 or email us at travel@speakeasy.net. Come, be part of the fun!Read More

Matt Harding, the YouTube sensation with more than 20,000,000 views, has just published a book of the story behind his dancing/traveling phenomenon. Dancing Matt Around the World, a celebration of his arm- swinging, knee-pumping, infectious dance of joy, is a full-color travelogue with a behind the scenes look at the p...laces and people he has met and its affect on him. Put on your happy feet, come travel the world and leave touched by Matt’s zest for life.Read More

Discover the mountains of northern Greece! In the “hidden” region of Zagori you’ll find a landscape filled with lovely mountain villages connected by a network of stone-tiled pathways and bridges. Here also you’ll see high country meadows ablaze with crocus and ringed by towering limestone peaks along with one of the d...eepest gorges in the world. Thrill to the spectacle of the monasteries of Meteora perched precariously atop towering sandstone pinnacles. You’ll also have an opportunity to climb to the summit of Mount Olympus, legendary home of the Greek gods and the highest point in Greece. Your guides tonight are John and Amy Osaki, founders of Walking Softly Tours.Read More

Roughly half of China—the western half— seems to bear about as much resemblance to classic China as Chicago does to Santa Fe. The fascination and mystery that drew the adventurers of old still attracts modern-day travelers to these far-flung regions of China. We’ll journey from Xian to Kashgar to explore the ancient Si...lk Road; see the relics and remnants of the past; and capture the breath-taking views of the remote deserts and mountains. Join Lisa Song from Red Lantern Journeys to share enchanting stories and sceneries of the legendary Silk Road.Read More

Join Sandra Braun, seasoned travel guide and founder of Adventure Associates, for a special visual presentation on one of the world's smallest and most extraordinary countries...the Dragon Kingdom of Bhutan, in the great Himalayas. Explore breathtaking countryside full of thick pine forests, raging wild rivers, and mos...aics of rich cultivated fields. See crafted Bhutanese style farmhouses, traditional prayer flags, monasteries and fortress-like Dzongs. Imagine the sounds of dance rituals as they are performed in colorful traditional dress and masks. Sandy will also offer tips on when to travel, festival schedules, and trekking opportunities.Read More

The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St James) is a glorious walk across the north of Spain, following an ancient pilgrimage route west to the magnificent cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. This pilgrimage is much more then a single 750km route across Spain. Along the way there are many forks in the road that offer the... pilgrim the choice of diversions off the beaten path. Not all these digressions are well known and most don’t appear in other guidebooks. In this slideshow Ben Cole, the co-author of Pili Pala Press’s Walking the Camino de Santiago, highlights some of the lesser-known detours that can lead to unexpected delights and brushes with fate.Read More

Traveling with your kids can be a fun-filled, transformational experience for the whole family, especially if you are well prepared. Tonight, experienced traveling moms and co-authors of Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids, Leslie Forsberg and Michelle Duffy, will speak on turning possible roadblocks into oppo...rtunities for stretching your family’s travel wings. You’ll laugh at their lively anecdotes, be inspired by their visuals, and get insightful tips to help with your own family journeys, whether on a long weekend or a months-long round-the-world trip.Read More

Are you planning a trip to Machu Picchu or Nepal or the high Rockies? Then don’t miss local physician Andy Luks’ very informative presentation on travel at extreme altitudes. We’ll focus on how to recognize, prevent and treat the various forms of altitude illness and other problems that can affect a trip to high elevat...ions. Andy has loads of experience trekking in Nepal and has worked with the Himalayan Rescue Association. Don’t let your high altitude trip be ruined by the physical stresses of these fabulous destinations. Get the information you need for a problem free trip from Dr. Luks!Read More