A Virtual Bookstore Tour Courtesy of Lonely Planet

From May 8 to June 3, 2004, the Lonely Planet Independent Bookstore Tour traveled to 26 states, visiting more than 100 independent bookstores. During the trip, which began in New York and ended in Chicago at this year's BookExpo America, the Lonely Planet crew amassed hundreds of great photos of the interiors and exteriors of stores situated up and down the east coast, in the southeast and central U.S. The photos, which were part of Lonely Planet's exhibit at BEA, were a big draw, as independents took in what other booksellers were doing in other regions.

Now, courtesy of Lonely Planet, BTW presents more than 230 photos from the Lonely Planet Independent Bookstore Tour at www.bookweb.org/gallery/LonelyPlanet/. (Each photo can be enlarged by a single click, and pages can be scrolled through using the arrows at the top of each page. All captions are from Lonely Planet's intrepid travelers.)

Our thanks to the entire Lonely Planet crew for the photos and for allowing BTW to travel along for part of the trip. Special thanks to Gary Todoroff, Lonely Planet's U.S. trade sales director, for organizing the tour and for allowing us to share these photos with our readers.

Jump aboard "Myles," the Lonely Planet RV, for a bookstore lover's dream.

(To read BTW's coverage of the beginning of the tour, click here.)