I never realized what a fan of summer I was until I didn’t have it anymore. I mean it’s still hotter than hades outside, but I’m stuck inside all day locked into a day job and 10 measly vacation days a year. Still I can’t help but get excited about all the travel-inspired magazines and features that come out every summer (but if you ask me, travel should still be a year-round sport). GOOD – From the magazine that “gives a damn,” I love the line “Certainly, we would all be better off right now if a few people in the Pentagon had spent a little more time drinking tea with the locals in Iraq” [in reference to reaching beyond travel that includes an umbrella in your drink] . . . and if you liked my journal pages, you’ll LOVE these travel sketches.

READYMADE – LOVE that Ellen Lupton has a new column (“The EL Word” all about graphic design in everyday life), good lists for summer [skill] “camps,” an inspiring house in Hawaii and great ideas for an alternative staycation. . . I’m a sucker for print, but you can find the entire issue online here. While these days I tend to lean towards the exotic, sometimes it’s nice to stay closer to home. The New York Times has compiled a great list of The 31 Places to Go this Summer.

And while on the topic of travel, the June issue of Budget Travel is worth checking out- it also serves as their anniversary issue featuring all sorts of reader contributions.