You may have heard me complain about travel writing before – I’m not the biggest fan. I’d rather travel than read about traveling. That said, I ran across Mark Twain’s Hawaii yesterday (it originally appeared in the New York Times), and I think it represents the best sort of travel writing that’s out there. In the story, author Lawrence Downes looks at Twain’s letters and other writing done during a four-month stint on the islands in 1866. He uses these tidbits from Twain’s experiences to chart a new route around Hawaii, one that puts more weight in history than in tropical cocktails and hotel perks. It’s a great story – one any avid traveler should check out – and it represents a great way to look at a familiar destination anew.