Would you quit your job to travel the world?

I'm back from Florence and eager to begin responding to the questions you posted before my trip. First off, Joe Routon asked about gelato, and readers Nancy and Christy chimed in to suggest Vivoli. While I agree Vivoli's a great choice, my vote goes to nearby Gelateria dei Neri (via dei Neri 26r), where the wide selection includes unusual flavors such as croccantino (a crunchy mix of caramel, almonds, and hazelnuts), pignolo (pine nut, available only in summertime), ricotta con figo (ricotta with figs), and a few soy milk-based products. A friend who grew up in Florence steered me to Badiani, a five-minute walk from the soccer stadium. It's worth the trek! Badiani made its reputation with the one-of-a-kind, creamy Buontalenti flavor; chocoholics like me will be drawn instead to the dark, rich dolce vita, mixed with hazelnuts. Joe also asked where locals go for ribollita, a hearty Tuscan bean soup (the name literally means "reboiled"). It's a staple on many restaurant menus in Florence, along with pappa al pomodoro, a bread-and-tomato soup. Da Sergio (piazza San Lorenzo, 8r, open for lunch only), Trattoria Mario, and Zaza are long-standing, reliable places to sample these soups. All are centrally located near San Lorenzo market, so brace yourself for some fellow tourists. One of my favorite go-to restaurants in Florence—for classics and inventive dishes like fiochetti di pera—is Quattro Leoni in the Oltrarno. But I stuck with my goal of trying new places this time and wound up at Trattoria del Carmine, where I tried both soups and traditional crostini misti (toasted bread slices with toppings like liver pate). It's got an appealing location in the Oltrarno's Piazza del Carmine, complete with outdoor seating, and attracts mostly locals. But I came away feeling that the atmosphere was more memorable than the meal. I was more excited by Zeb Gastronomia, a combination food shop and trattoria that has racked up praise since opening in 2008. Zeb plans to launch a cooking program, so Jennifer, who inquired about local classes, might want to follow up as her trip her family's April 2011 trip approaches. The restaurant and food shop Olio & Convivium hosts customizable cooking classes for groups of up to 12 (call Massimo, 011-39/055-265-7639), and we've previously recommended Toscana Mia, a school run by two sisters with locations in Florence and at a 13th-century villa in Chianti. Our recent column Trip Coach: Cooking Schools provides a sense of what to expect and the issues to consider before booking. Check back for future posts about Florence's wine and aperitivo bars, advice for renting a car or an apartment, and fun stuff to do with kids and teens. RELATED: Having trouble distinguishing crema from panna at the gelateria? We've got a handy guide to decoding gelato flavors and pizza toppings in Italy.

Castro Street Fair Founded by Harvey Milk in 1974, the Castro Street Fair is an excellent place to celebrate the neighborhood's culture, with dancing, food, live shows, and some of the city's biggest personalities. This year's theatrical highlights include live performances of the award-winning musicals Pearls Over Shanghai and Jerry Springer The Opera. Get ready to party with sword swallowers and contortionists, comedians, and burlesque and cabaret troupes, among other local characters. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., $5. Intersection of Castro and Market, from 16th to 19th Streets. See map. LitQuake This weeklong literary celebration features readings and other events around the city. While there are big-name headliners like Jonathan Lethem and Daniel Handler, the festival is a great chance to discover local authors. The grand finale is a "lit crawl" through the Mission District, sort of a bar crawl/book reading, featuring some 300 authors doing five-minute readings at bars, shops, art galleries and even an alleyway. The event always draws huge crowds, filled with revelry, drinks, and literary inspiration. Most events are either free or cost around $10, but some, including Lawrence Ferlinghetti's night top off at $30. Full disclosure: I will be reading from my new book, Tortured, during the Oct. 9 Lit Crawl at the Elbow Room (647 Valencia St.) at 7:15 p.m. Stop by and say hi! Oct. 1-9. Check the website for full schedule and venues. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Crowds of locals will be heading to Golden Gate Park this weekend to catch the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, an annual favorite. It's one of the largest free music festivals in the country, with six stages and more than 350 musicians. Highlights for the 10th anniversary of the festival include Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith, the Indigo Girls, Elvis Costello, and many more. Food and drink is available, but I think bluegrass is best enjoyed with a picnic. Friday 2-7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park. Valet bike parking available. "Japanesque" exhibit at the de Young To accompany the amazing Impressionism and Post-Impressionism exhibits on loan from the Museum D'Orsey, the de Young is also showing Japanese prints from 1700 to 1900. Many Impressionist artists, including Edouard Manet and Vincent van Gogh, were heavily influenced by the prints of this time, and the exhibit, The Japanese Print in the Era of Impressionism at the Legion of Honor is a rare opportunity to see the little-known Japanese artists who had a huge impact on their Western contemporaries. And remember, admission is free the first Tuesday of each month. $10 for adults. Tuesdays-Sundays, 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m.; closed on Mondays Happy Hour at the Beach and Park Chalets "Where the park meets the Pacific" is how locals know the historic Beach Chalet and small-plate sister restaurant Park Chalet. Both are popular for amazing views of the park and the ocean and are now hosting the new 3-6-9 happy hour. The menu has items priced at-$3, $6 and $9 (easy to remember, eh?). Try the house-brewed chalet beer ($3) or a $6 glass of wine, or the cevice ($6), fish and chips ($9), or sweet-potato fries ($3). Monday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. and 9 p.m.–close, free parking, 1000 Great Highway at Ocean Beach.

It's prime time for leaf peeping! Get inspired to plot your own fall drive or boat trip after viewing these 19 shots of brilliant red and yellow foliage. Settings include the buttes of Colorado, New York's Central Park, and California's wine country. See the slide show. RECENT READER SLIDE SHOWS Bridges | National Parks | Reflections | Doorways NOW IN SEARCH OF... We're looking for your photos of skylines. Upload them through myBudgetTravel, tag them, and check back in the coming weeks for a slide show of the best submissions.

Head out to Treasure Island for a prime vantage point as 80 teams of paddlers—each moving to the beat of the boat's drummer—face off at San Francisco's International Dragon Boat Festival, September 25-26. The free festival also includes aiko drumming, lion dancing, acrobatic martial arts, and dance performances. International food stands will keep crowds sated with a choice of Thai, Vietnamese, Hawaiian, barbecue, and seafood options. Sunday is family day, with magicians, dragon puppeteers, and Chinese stilt walkers roaming throughout the area. The kids' Dragon Land area will host arts and crafts activities like creating dancing dragons out of chopsticks, bracelet making, and face painting. Snoopy and Nickelodeon's Kai-lan costumed character from TV show Ni Hao, Kai-lan will both be on hand for photo ops. Treasure Island, California Ave. and Ave. D., free parking. Free shuttle buses leave from Chinatown (Kearny and Jackson Sts.) and downtown (San Francisco Marriott, 55 4th St., at Mission St.) every 15 to 20 minutes between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.