The summer travel season is in full swing, and today I’m excited to share with you some of the best travel writing around the web in the 7th Byteful Travel Blog Carnival.

As I’ve said before, blog carnivals are one of the best ways to discover new quality content you never would have discovered otherwise, and this carnival is no exception.

Since I’m currently on the road as you read this, I’ll make the intro to this carnival brief; however, I should point out some of the more surprising submissions I received this time, such as Michelle’s Why Not Walk to Arizona? which features some stunning Utah geology that I never even knew existed (and I’ve been to Utah more than once.) I should also point out Jo Bryant’s The Gorillas of Virunga National Park, Rwanda which features some gorgeous gorilla photos, as well as a great story of her personal experience with these often misunderstood primates.

And please remember: if one of your articles is in this month’s edition, please be sure to retweet, stumble, and “Like” this article because spreading the word multiplies the reaching-power of this blog carnival very much which in turn helps more people discover your article and grows your site! (And if you aren’t a submitter, find out how you too can submit to this carnival farther down.)

Reaching Power

There’s so much I could say about this edition’s submissions. But said I’d keep this intro brief, so I’d just like to say a big thank you to everyone who submitted, especially the ones who submit time and again. You all continually inspire me. 🙂

Blog carnivals have a reaching power that continually surprises me, and through this carnival, you reach people who may have never even seen your site before. It’s a win-win-win situation, and aren’t those wonderful? So take a deep breath and remember to blink, because we’re about to go on a journey…

Travel Destinations

Beth Blair presents:
Averill’s Flathead Lake Lodge: A Family-Friendly Montana Dude Ranch posted at The Vacation Gals, saying,

“Flathead lake Lodge in Montana has something for everyone who seeks a dude ranch experience. Families come back year after year.”

Michelle presents:
Why Not Walk to Arizona? posted at A Local Wander.

Quiet Wanderings presents:
North to Alaska posted at Quiet Wanderings.

Travel Stories

Dean Grassie presents:
Have You Ever…? posted at Greendockin’ and Full-Time RV Living, saying,

“My wife and I write this blog together. We find it works for us. I’m more informative and she is the funny one. This blog was about an adventure that we had fishing at a remote lake on the Nevada/Utah border. It reminded us of how small and simple things can bring happiness to those around us, and, in turn, brings joy to ourselves.”

Fleonard presents:
A Fork in the Road: 20 Random Things I Like About Ghana: #5 Goats posted at A Fork in the Road, saying,

“Relocating to new countries leads you to appreciate things you would have never given much attention to before — like goats…”

Nine presents:
Everywhere and all over posted at Abyssinia, Henry.

Brendon presents:
Sleeping on the Great Wall of China posted at ChinaTravelGo.

Laura Burnett presents:
The Germany I Saw posted at Living the Clever Life.

Jo Bryant presents:
The Gorillas of Virunga National Park, Rwanda posted at Chronicles of Illusions.

Travel Tips

Jennifer Miner presents:
Best Gelato Shops in Rome, Italy posted at The Vacation Gals, saying,

“Sure, all gelato seems pretty great when it’s around 95 degrees F., but these are the 3 best gelato shops my family found in Rome during our summer vacation there.”

Zhu presents:
It’s A Mall World posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying,

“I’m pretty sure people in Bangkok suffer from a hoarding problem. How else can you explain the dozens of malls and markets, scattered across the city?”

Care to grow your blog’s audience?

If you write well (and you’ve written something that relates to travel), and you haven’t submitted to the BTBC before, what the heck are you waiting for? Blog Carnivals are an amazing and free way to get more exposure to your work, so you’d be silly not to take advantage of this opportunity.

I know this from firsthand experience because blog carnivals have been incredibly helpful in spreading the word about Byteful Travel. So if you’re a writer, and you’ve written something that relates to travel, submit a piece you’re proud of.

To submit an article you wrote so it can be considered for inclusion next time, please submit your article (and no more than 3 of them, please) to the next edition of the Byteful Travel carnival using the submission form. And remember to read the rules. (To see past posts and future hosts, check the blog carnival index.)

Are you ready to become a force for positive connections?

So far BTBC has only been hosted on Byteful Travel, but I’d like to change that. BTBC is a travelling blog carnival, which means it’s meant to be hosted by multiple blogs, not just Byteful Travel. So if you have a travel-related blog and you’re interested in hosting the BTBC, please contact me via the contact page. Not only will hosting attract more attention to your blog, it will help bring the travel writing community together too, because whenever you host a carnival, you become a force that allows positive connections to manifest.

If you’re interested, please contact me. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

BTBC #8 arrives in September, will you be the one?

The next carnival is in late September. Will you be the one to have the gumption to step forward and be the first writer to host the BTBC outside this site? Do you want to become a force for creating positive connections? After all, this carnival wants to travel, and it can’t do that without you.

In conclusion, a big thanks goes out to everyone who submitted! Not only have you helped grow your audience, but you’re also inspiring people from across the globe to get out there and explore for themselves. And that, my friends, is beautiful.

Bookmark & stay tuned: Coming up soon is an interview with a veteran hitchhiker who has been hitching over 60 years. And, now that we’ve explored Google’s headquarters (not to mention the breathtaking McWay Falls in Big Sur before that), we’ll soon continue our exploration of Silicon Valley with a spotlight on Intel’s headquarters (and free museum) in Santa Clara, California! So there’s lots coming up that I’m very excited to share with you.

Until next time, may your travels enlighten your soul and renew your mind.