Shambhala? Still a Secret.

WORTH A TRIP: In October's Outside, Patrick Symmes is repeatedly told that his quest is a fool's errand. There is no physical city of Shambhala, they tell him -- it is merely an idea, "a promise of eternity, and the return of hope." It doesn't help that those who do believe in the existence of Shambhala (which has been written about for more than two millenniums) put it in various places: Nepal, Tibet, western China.

But with the guidance of ancient writings -- and Google Earth -- Symmes sets out on a miserable seven-week trek through the Himalayas and across China's Taklimakan, "by reputation the fiercest desert on Earth," whose name means "Go in, don't come out." And then to Shambhala. Yes, Symmes says, he found it. Once the richest city in Asia, it was abandoned after "sailing ships made the Silk Road irrelevant." But he won't tell us where it is. So . . . where do you suppose Symmes actually spent those seven weeks?

WORTH A FLIP: In Smithsonian, John Darnton, eager to learn more about the war correspondent father he never knew, finds another story in the country where Byron Darnton was killed in 1942. Papua New Guinea today is "a hunting ground for 'warbird' enthusiasts looking for missing plane wrecks." An iconic wrecked B-17 now called the "Swamp Ghost" has mystified American vets, salvagers, the Papua New Guinea government and natives (some of whom can be seen paddling dugout canoes while wearing Bucky Badger University of Wisconsin T-shirts). They've argued for years over who has the rights to it. Ironically, the author's father wrote only a perfunctory sentence in his notebook after interviewing the pilot, who survived with all his crew. "What a story he missed." . . . Skittish about travel to North Africa? Transitions Abroad suggests Tunisia, which, unlike its neighbors, offers "a moderate Muslim regime with an open door to European influences." It is "quintessentially Mediterranean," showing traces of the many cultures and religions that have passed through. Shop in the ancient medina of Tunis, visit the ruins of Carthage or just gaze out at the Bay of Tunis from the cliffs of Sidi Bou Said. . . .

Chesapeake Bay, which usually fills its pages with stories of sailing on the bay's waters, questions what lies beneath the surface. What holds the charming hexagonal Thomas Point lighthouse in place, you may have wondered. Or, why doesn't the Chesapeake Bay Bridge sink into the mud (preferably after we're off it)? Answers can be found in the helpful drawings and discussions of screwpiles, caissons and cofferdams. Amaze your (nerdy) friends and maybe win a few bar bets with this info. . . . In Ecuador is "the only place in the world where both the temperature and latitude reach zero degrees." Or so says Am¿ricas. (Doesn't Kenya have equatorial mountains, too?) Ecuador's historic manor houses (haciendas) are finding new roles as home bases for travelers exploring the country's "Avenue of the Volcanoes" or enjoying its eco- and agro-tourism. History pervades everything, especially the inns boasting "Sim¿n Bol¿var slept here." (What, you think George Washington was the only historic figure who ever slept?)

WORTH A CLIP: National Geographic Traveler's lead article names "50 Tours of a Lifetime," with not one "If it's Tuesday this must be Belgium" among them. Focusing particularly on small group tours that let visitors interact with local people, NGT can take you to Tanzania, Montenegro, Yellowstone or Siberia (and back again, one hopes). . . . In Travel + Leisure, Gini Alhadeff explains sprezzatura, the Italian "belief that style must be unconscious and that talent must appear effortless." She selects eight "style insiders" to list their favorite hotels and restaurants in Milan, Florence, Positano and other style centers. Oddly, what is listed isn't all that expensive. Perhaps that's merely part of the definition of true sprezzatura.

WORTH A NOSH: Budget Travel has "25 Reasons We Love Charleston," and -- no surprise -- many of them concern food and drink: poblano-and-mozzarella fried chicken; ginger mojitos; chocolate pomegranate barbecue sauce. If that doesn't mesh with your image of that coastal South Carolina city, consider that you still can tour plantations, visit historic forts and sleep in a grand hotel. And eat grits, of course. . . . In their eternal search for a good rib joint, barbecue lovers are a notoriously determined bunch. Gourmet has a recommendation for them: "Red Hot Sizzlin'." One catch, though: It's in Kabul. Gourmet here deals primarily with the problems of running a westernized (definition: offering pork and/or alcohol) restaurant in the Afghan capital. Electric power is capriciously intermittent; local meat suppliers are oblivious to concepts of sanitation. And who's that stranger in the kitchen? Not one of the guards whom restaurateurs are obliged to hire. Rather, because of high unemployment, "locals desperate for a job will simply start working and hope someone decides to pay them."

-- Jerry V. Haines