You want a summer to remember, but it will be different from the others. You might be a snob, but you don't want to put your few years at the English Department to waste. You don't have time to read those travel blogs, where the authors claim that they seek inspiration through traveling. And their description of the field of lavender in Provence prompt you to search for the seaside. It turns out that literary tours cater to the elite few. Not that you're a member of the privileged class, who have been to hundred countries or more. You fancy how your favorite authors describe a place, and how their surrounding influenced their imagination.
Here's a short list:
Jane Austen's Hampshire Museum. This 18th-century house happens to be the place where Jane Austen would spend the last eight years of her life. This three-story building will excite those who know her too well. It seemed to be an elevated place, which could reflect the type of characters that the author mingled during her lifetime. It won't be democratic as it appeared to be, as Austen described it in an incisive manner. But the exterior would tell a different story. Glistening green leaves, all lacy cow-parsley, and tangles of blackberry flowers. Romantic, isn't it? Keep in mind that you didn't go there to look for a future spouse.
Edith Wharton's New York. Those who read Edith Wharton's novels would scratch their heads when they walk on 5th and 23rd Streets. The modern buildings could lure anyone, and it would be from different walks of life. And there's a good chance of passing by a Starbucks. The author of "The Age of Innocence" might fancy this modern look of the Big Apple, as her writings hinted her dislike for the New York. Her neighbors were descendants of Dutch merchants or English immigrants, who would become the members of the elite class. And they imposed their Old World rules on the rest of the populace. Wharton might be thinking of Lily Bart, her tragic heroine in "The House of Mirth". She happened to be the good neighbor of Henry James, who shared the same sentiment. He would have hated it, as his most celebrated works were set in Europe. But not Wharton. She could have seen some good things. They would have survived the elements. And they were restored. If you can manage to walk around for a few days, then you'll have a good chance of stumbling into this gem.
The Oregon high desert. If you're a fan of Ursula K. Le Guin's works, then you know that the setting of her Earthsea series is a product of her imagination. Except the Oregon high desert. It's located near the Cascade Range and the Blue Mountains, which would be the stage for "The Tombs of Atuan". It seemed surreal after reading hundreds of pages that described the rugged isles and the cold sea surrounding it, but you would find an arid landscape. And the intense heat could play tricks on your mind. You would suspect the American to have set foot in the isles off Scotland. It would resemble the (isolated) world of Earthsea.
