You know how every traveler has that confession that makes people look at him or her sideways? Their “I thought Paris was overrated” or “I went to China and didn’t see the Great Wall” or even “I’m terrified of flying”? Mine is, I’m not much a beach person. Even when I’m so lucky as to find myself on one of world’s best beaches, I become more preoccupied with sun poisoning, sharks, and sand in the pants than with soothing waves.

So one of my favorite types of discoveries is the beach destination for non-beach lovers. And I don’t know how it took me so long to “discover” Cape Cod, because it’s the perfect place to visit if you’re looking for a picturesque beach town with much, much more to offer.

Ever since I got my Kindle, I’ve been plowing through books, yet somehow I’ve been remiss this year about getting my summer reading list out in time. So, here it is! You’ve still got the rest of July and all of August to get in some of these reads on your next beach vacation. Just grab a folding chair and stick your toes in the sand… And, please don’t forget to leave your own beach-read recommendations in the comments section!

My dream trip changes according to my mood. Sometimes I dream of seeing the Northern Lights—from a hot tub near the Arctic Circle. Other times, I imagine myself staying in one of those glass-bottomed bungalows in Tahiti, a giant sunset touching upon the waves in front of me and a school of fish swimming beneath my feet. But I’ve got to admit, once I saw the five amazing dream trips that Travelocity is giving away right now, I’m considering changing my mind to riding a wine train through Chile, exploring New Zealand’s fjords, shopping atop the Alps in Switzerland, taking photographs along the beaches of Cape Town in South Africa, and experiencing what a space shuttle launch might be like at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

I ended up in Pécs because its dot on the map was rather large and well located between Budapest and Sarajevo; I ended up loving Pécs because it’s a wonderful surprise in southern Hungary—a stunningly beautiful city full of fascinating attractions.

The European Union agrees, because Pécs is one of the organization’s Capitals of Culture for 2010. And with a calendar packed with related events and festivals this summer and fall, there’s never been a better time to score a Central Europe travel deal and discover Pécs.

I realize this is a rather grand statement but...Queenstown, New Zealand, just might be the world’s most perfect vacation destination. Though it hangs its tourism hat on its reputation as the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown has a surplus of diverse attractions for every type of traveler—including those of us who would sooner give up an entire year’s worth of vacation days than jump off a bridge with only rubber bands to break our free fall.

Sure, bungy jumping is a huge draw for some. Skiing, too, and paragliding, skydiving, and white water rafting. But for everyone else—foodies and shoppers, wine connoisseurs and birders, historians and culture hounds—Queenstown boasts an equal embarrassment of riches.

Right now, there are a whole bunch of nervous tourists on Gulf Coast beaches ready to twitch away at the first sight of black oil washing onto those pristine white sands. Parents are expressing concern about having their children swim in Florida's western waters, diving and fishing charters are being called off in the Keys, birds and turtles crying tears of oil are washing up on shore in Mississippi, no one's ordering the N'awlins oysters, and many regional Gulf Coast resorts, hotels, and vacation rentals are fielding cancellation calls for as far away as August. But are the worries to tourists overblown?

Last week, we celebrated Earth Week on the blog. Pamela Wolff, the Director of Strategic Alliances and Industry Partnerships for the Motorcoach Council, reached out to share the environmental benefits of traveling by motorcoach.

Today she's stopping by our blog to answer a few questions about motorcoach travel and how to go green on the road.

1)    What’s the environmental impact of traveling by motorcoach?

Motorcoach travel is the most environmentally friendly form of transportation available, the greenest way to travel in North America.  Motorcoaches currently provide over 206 passenger miles per gallon of fuel compared to 92 passenger MPG for commuter rail, 44 passenger MPG for domestic air carrier, and 27 MPG for single passenger automobiles.  Each motorcoach has the potential to take 55 cars from the road reducing congestion, saving fuel, and cutting emissions.

Editor's Note: It's Earth Week on the blog! In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, The Window Seat editors are blogging about our favorite ways to go green while globetrotting. Ask us your eco-questions, join in the green conversation, and help us celebrate Mother Earth.

Hoorah for carbon offsets and yay for eco-friendly hotels--but booking a flight, hotel room, and rental car only marks the start of your vacation, so why let it be the end of your eco-friendly efforts?

To keep greening your travels after you book, there are loads of easy things you can do during your vacation. Here are six favorites.

Imagine you’re planning a trip with your best friend/sweetie/cousin/pen-pal and you’re on a limited budget. You know the city you want to go to, but don’t particularly care where you stay as long as it’s nice. So where to go to make your booking? Now you go to Travelocity, which is introducing the perfect, easy hotel solution for your scenario: Top Secret Hotels.

Like you, I'm sure, I have a HUGE list of places to see and things to do before I die. And every trip, I try to cross one off my list. So when I found out that I'd be going to Maui with my husband's family, I immediately began to research surfing lessons. For years and years I have wanted to give this sport a whirl and finally I would have my chance.