Good Travel Stories, Books, Blogs

This list has a great selection. But I would say that.

ps. Thanks Claire and Darcy, you'll make the man-you-can't-see blush : )

I'm gonna agree with Fwoggie, I think TravelPod.com probably has the most selection out of any of the travel blog sites, but I'm a little biased since I work there.

word, i'm finally on my way so while these blogs have kept me entertained, it's time to start my own :)

This doesn't really match the other suggestions you have, but I think the most inspiring travel stories are NOT ones by typical backpackers, and probably will not give you the clearest idea of exact budget and how to get from point A to B...but they are books written by writers who travel, not travelers who decided to write a blog.

Ones I've particularly liked are "Dark Star Safari" by Paul Theroux (not young anymore, but there's much "younger" books of his out there), "Motoring with Mohammed" by Erik Hansen, and "In the Empire of Genghis Khan" by Stanley Stewart. All these writers write with humor, but I found Stanley Stewart particularly funny.

"Ghost Train To The Eastern Star" by Paul Theroux is also very good.

Check out this link too, it's an awesome list of good reads and views by established travel bloggers.