September is one of my favorite months to travel. Summer crowds have thinned, the mercury has dropped, slightly, and there is a hint of autumn in the air. It is a time of transitions, and what better way to celebrate change than to take a vacation!

Monterey Public Library has lots of materials to help you plan your next trip from travel magazines like National Geographic Traveler, and Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel to travel guides by Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Fodors, and more. We also offer travel DVDs, a language instruction database, Mango Languages, and language instruction audio books in several formats, so that you can brush up on your language skills.

Thanks to the generous support of the Friends of Monterey Public Library, we are launching a new travel planning resource this month – Travel Bags! Each sturdy blue tote bag contains an assortment of books, maps, and other resources for a destination in the United States, Europe, and beyond. Each bag also contains a travel journal for you to jot down a favorite destination, and an envelope for you to add (or take) a brochure for a location you’ve enjoyed. Click Travel Bag for a list of available destinations in the Library catalog.

Whether you are planning a quick jaunt down to Southern California, a vacance en France or a ‘stay-cation’ right here in Monterey, make sure to include a stop at Monterey Public Library in your travel plans.