Travel writing isn't a lucrative gig, but when the National Geographic Society gives you an excuse to bum around the countryside with family and friends, it's hard to turn them down.

I wrote three chapters for this 2002 book: a guide to Revolutionary War sites in and around Philadelphia; suggestions for things to see and do in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; and an overview of cultural attractions in the Brandywine Valley.

The era of the travel guidebook may be over, but Guide to Weekend Getaways is still useful for brainstorming a road trip to the Philadelphia area. If, like me, you gravitate toward eccentric characters, be sure to check out the Christian Sanderson Museum in Chadds Ford and Fonthill Castle in Doylestown.