Some of our best trips have been to places we were specifically instructed not to go. That's a valuable lesson for travelers, and as a guidebook author I am very reluctant to steer travelers away from places; rather I prefer to just provide the information and let the facts speak for themselves.

San Marino was a vivid example of this experience. Our guidebook described a silly village, overrun with tourists, pretentious, and best avoided. But we visited on a cold day in February and found instead empty, cobbled streets, gorgeous vistas of snowy hillsides, abandoned stone towers, and an enjoyable glimpse of how hard life in the Middle Ages must have been during times of inclement weather.

As the wind picked up from the valley and chilled us through our winter coats we retreated to a meal of warm minestrone and whole grain bread, and I found myself wishing for the comfort of a roaring wood fire (we enjoyed this experience again, fire and all, on another trip in Rocca Calascio). I went home with a narrow, brass hilt pocket knife, and an appreciation for a lifestyle long forgotten.

The simplest pleasures are unpredictable. As a result, I say to guidebook authors everywhere, "let the traveler decide."