1 comments about Compass American Guides: New Hampshire, 1st Edition (Compass American Guides).

1. I was totally unfamiliar with New Hampshire and what it had to offfer me as a visiter and I found this guide to be an engaging way to learn about the state. Each part of the state has different things to offer, and Mr. Binder's style of writing was both intelligent and witty and never condensended. It's concise yet comprehensive, lacking the excess verbage some guides include to "fill a place out." If you like to "get a sense of place" before you visit it, this book delivers the state of New Hampshire.

No comments about Frommer's Comprehensive Travel Guide: New York State.

4 comments about Discover America Diaries. 50 States, 50 States of Mind. Volume 1: East Coast to West Coast. New England, New York, and the Great Northern States.

1. Back in the 1980s, there was an Albert Brooks movie about a couple of Yuppies who ditched the high-paced rat race, cashed in their nest egg, bought an RV and decided to discover America and themselves through a year-long road trip. They got as far as Las Vegas where the wife gambled away all their money. Later on, they ended up in some boring town with low-grade jobs. Nobody liked the ending.
   
   A much happier ending has befallen Priscilla Rhodes and her husband Ken. Having quit their jobs in 1998 they bought a red truck and an attached trailer and set out for a few years of nomadic existence to discover the country. The result was a website devoted to postcards from the road called www.postcardsfrom.com which later led to this book. The couple actually sent e-mail postcards to people on their subscription list. The postcards became popular, as did the thumbnail sketches of the places they visited. After USA Today and The Christian Science Monitor lauded the website, their subscription base skyrocketed. Eventually this book evolved from their first trip: one that covered the northern route.
   
   The diaries switch back and forth between personal accounts of their life on the road (and before), musings about society and deft descriptions of the monuments, towns, events and byways they encounter. Luckily for the reader, most of the personal accounts are very funny, and the descriptions are right on the money. Priscilla writes the diaries and the postcards while Ken takes the photographs and designs and emails the cards.
   
   It seems Priscilla has the perfect husband. Not only can he handle a truck with a trailer weaving behind it (I personally avoid those things like the plague when I see them on the highway) he can also photograph,create a website, do professional book layout and fashion a very handsome book without benefit of high-price book designers.
   
   So whether they are shivering in the cold, waiting for the sun to rise on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, baking in the heat when caught in Chicago traffic in their truck (which apparently is not air-conditioned) or climbing over buffalo dung in the Badlands, you will enjoy their journey and learn a lot about America, trailer parks, state capitols and various monuments. A very enjoyable read.



2. I'm in awe of Priscilla Rhodes's ability to describe not only the sights, sounds and adventures she and husband Ken experienced as they traveled America, but also the refreshing spontaneity and honesty of her emotions and reactions to each place and person along the path. Her accounting of sidetrips and highlights is delightful: From museums, landmark buildings and historical state capitols to deep dark fir forests, spectacularly colored mesas, sparkling, snowy mountains and brilliant sunsets. Who can forget the candy-colored lady in the laundry room or the seven-year-old boy who survived an accidental trip over Horsehoe Falls? The book is a joy ride with moments of surprise and even heart-gripping suspense (such as that at the Gates of the Mountains at Helena). Reading the Discover America Diaries is like happily stealing away in Priscilla's pocket for the entire length of the journey, through all its hills and valleys. Thank you, Priscill Rhodes, for an unexpectedly delightful trip.



3. 
   Hop in the passenger seat and bounce along the open road with Priscilla and Ken as they cover 15 states in a 30-foot RV. This personal journal proves to be a descriptive, easy-to-read travelogue that takes the reader across America from sea to shining sea. If you live in one of the states, have visited these states or long to see the beauty of the American countryside this is sure to inspire a sense of wanderlust. The authors venture off the tourist trap route and focus more on the obscure claims to fame of each of the states they visit. A unique look at each of the state capitals also makes this a great classroom supplement for U.S. Geography or History classes. For anyone who loves road trips, this travel essay is sure to bring about stories of "remember when." Review by JoAnna Carey, Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life



4. I'm guessing that there are many Americans who would enjoy and long for a trip to every state. Most of us will never do it in which case, it's fun to read about another's adventure. Priscilla Rhodes' book, Discover America Diaries, Vol. 1, is an armchair traveler's delight. Not only is the book fun to read, but it provides a real education about what this country holds. It is a uniquely personal account, as it should be, but it also mirrors the ups and downs of all our lives and especially I would think, the lives of anyone who takes to the road in search of education, adventure and themselves. If you do decide to hit the road, read this book first. It will give you hope that you can have a great time even if, like Priscilla and her husband, you know absolutely nothing about what you are about to do.

No comments about The Ritz Hotel London.

2 comments about Fifty Hikes in Massachusetts: Hikes and Walks from the Top of the Berkshires to the Tip of Cape Cod.

1. This book is great, especially for a beginner at hiking (which I am). It gives you great spots to check out, lets you know how long the distance is and about how long it will take to hike it. You can find hikes from .6 of a mile to 8.5 miles. There are plenty of hikes for every level. The only thing I wish the book had slightly more detailed trail maps, but usually you can get them easily enough.



2. This book, like others in this series, is really a set of easy walks, not hikes. Admittedly, I am an avid hiker, but nothing longer than 8 miles is present (not a single overnight hike). Also, many of these hikes are somewhat roundabout. While I'm all for loops, these are on not-too-clearly labelled areas with quite a few road walks. It seems like there must be more in Massachusetts than this.

No comments about London: A Literary Companion.

3 comments about Exploring in and Around Boston on Bike and Foot.

1. Right from the get go I found this hiking and biking guide to be a miracle of organization and indispensable information. This book not only groups locations by geographical location, but also with respect to hiking, road biking and mountain biking. I found the handy reference guide towards the beginning of the book extremely useful while including not only difficulty ratings, but also mileage for each trip, something not always available in one specific location in a guide book. The maps accompanying each site are extremely easy to follow and the descriptions really do fit the terrain perfectly, whether or not you chose to take the book along on your journeys. I found the directions to each location to be extremely useful and especially appreciated the public transportation options that help those city dwellers who lack automobiles. Other handy features include locations and descriptions of local restaurants, attractions and even restrooms. This book included an very helpful mix of locations both in the greater Boston area, as well as highlighting several gems in the neighboring suburbs. I especially appreciated the handy reference map showing the location of all the spots, as well as the ever present tips to find geater enjoyment in your outdoor adventures!



2. Lee Sinai has taken a group of varied and unusual hikes and trails around Boston and compiled them into an informative and accessible guide. We refer to her book often when looking for interesting, new places to explore, and have found it invaluable in "rediscovering" Boston.



3. Want to get outdoors and be active in the Boston area? Start by buying this book. Lee Sinai describes, in wonderful detail, many of the rides and hikes one can take within a thirty-five-mile radius of Boston. The author has organized the forty trips around geographical areas, north, south or west of Boston, so selecting one is easy. Maps of each destination are included. Each trip description includes what's important to an outdoor enthusiast.... availability of restrooms, closest access to food, degree of difficulty, directions for getting there, and a historical background of the area.
   Using this book, I discovered Dogtown, a mountain biking haven in Gloucester. I also experienced Cameron's, home to the best lobster roll in Massachusetts. The author led me to Great Brook Farm in Carlisle for cycling and then to Kimball's for a memorable ice cream treat.
   As a guidebook, I give Exploring In and Around Boston on Bike and Foot the highest rating.

No comments about Short Nature Walks on Cape Cod, Nantucket, and the Vineyard, 7th (Short Nature Walks Series).

1 comments about The Spirit of the Cotswolds.

1. I usually buy a picture book solely for its pictures---and I must say that the photography in this book REALLY captures the essence of this lovely part of the world---however, the text is enchanting, revealing, and has the ability to transport the reader in a way no other (in my experience) travel-ish book has ever done before. I am so sorry the book is out of print. If you have a chance to ever find a copy, buy it! You won't be disappointed.

No comments about England by Bike: 18 Tours Geared for Discovery (By Bike).