The Art of Place: Notes from Where You’ll Love beautifully ruminates on the essence of 92 places in 9 regions across Northern Europe, the United States, and México. Wayne Gafford’s contemplative touch unveils a “terroir” of place, but not the physical attributes of land that produce excellent wines. Instead, Gafford cultivates and insightfully recognizes a deep sense of personal meaning about a place by connecting to the stories of architecture, people, history, geography, and nature that influence our experiences, emotions, and perspectives while being in a distinct location.

Wayne Gafford’s debut book stems from a travel bug he caught at age 10 on a hot summer afternoon in his native San Diego. Standing barefoot on hot street asphalt in front of his home, a moment of accidental meditation led to an internal inquiry with closed eyes and his face lifting up to the sun: Is time standing still? Am I growing older at this very moment? How long have I been standing here? This departure from the conventional perception of time connected to travel evolved into a philosophy capturing the essence of place. This passion is reflected in personal narratives of Gafford’s journeys with his wife Jeanne, the power of such places influencing the trajectory of their initial years together—from their meeting and marriage to the places they now experience together.

The Art of Place: Notes from Where You’ll Love stands apart from typical travel guides; it favors exploration and introspection of a place over bucket lists. The narratives, paired with a local photo taken by Wayne and a satellite map, are of places you will love, but also are of places to be in love. Gafford asks the reader to fall into a deeper perspective of place…and see what it reveals.