2 comments about The Spiritual Traveler Boston and New England: A Guide to Sacred Sites and Peaceful Places (Spiritual Traveler).

1. I bought 2 copies, one for myself and one for my sister-in-law who lives in the Northeast. This is a great present. Jana does a great job! I can't wait for her next publication.



2. The Spiritual Traveler: Boston and New England provides peaceful, restful places so that you have a balance between hectic and serene on your trip. The author has divided the book into chapters for each of the New England states, as well as Boston and Cape Cod. She provides a comprehensive index and glossary. The author's writing style makes New England's spiritual past come alive, and the present intriguing. Bottom Line: If you are visiting New England, make sure you have a copy of this book!

5 comments about How to Stay in London for Less: Short-Term Apartments Ideal for All Travelers (Capital Travels).

1. This is the right book for so many of us who want to get to know London well. Live there for a few days, a week, or more in an apartment, with all the amenities. Surprisingly affordable. This book is full of the details you need, right down to what furniture is in the room. Photos, too. Lots of information about food and sights in the neighborhoods. You can't miss with this book - Buy it!



2. This is a book that all tourists would find helpful, especially those who are ready to really explore and get to know the city. It provides the insights of seasoned travelers on not only lodging (an extensive and varied collection of apartments), but the life of the city as well. Extremely well researched, well laid out - a wealth of information in accessible and very readable form. I highly recommend it and hope the authors are researching other cities while we're reading "London."



3. The collaborative effort of Diana and Ronald Jensen, How To Stay In London For Less: Short-Term Apartments Ideal For All Travelers is a unique travel planning resource that will help the business or vacation traveler in London avoid the expensive and restrictions of hotel lodging by renting one of the hundreds of apartments available for rent or lease, either short term or long term. An average of 25% less expensive than hotel accommodations and offering a larger living area, apartments can be available for stays as short as a single evening! Each of seven major London neighborhoods are featured complete with a description of each block of apartments, the facilities available in each, the prices for rentals in American dollars, instructions on making reservations, a "traveler friendly" rating system, an historical sketch and map of each neighborhood, and recommendations for pubs, restaurants, and area shops combine to make How To Stay In London For Less an invaluable, "must have" planning guide for a truly memorable London experience.



4. This is an excellent book, but some of these buildings are going by different names or have been sold since publication. There are many newcomers with beautifully designed serviced apartments that are not included in this book. My wife and I just spent 2 weeks at 49 Lancaster Gate which was an unforgettable, luxurious and affordable experience. They have a great website which really got our attention. There apartments are even better when you stay in them. Ours had a huge marble bathroom and jacuzzi bath and was very well equipped. The location was could not have been more perfect. We have also stayed at Mayfair House which was wonderful and 130 Queensgate which was smelly (our flat stank of cigarette smoke on arrival) and very badly furnished. Stay away from 130 Queensgate. Another excellent building is Somerset Bayswater, although Lancaster Gate is our favorite by far.



5. The book has some basic information on the neighborhoods of London, but I bought it for the information on specific lodging, which was outdated. I am going to return this book.

5 comments about A Tramp Abroad.

1. A Tramp Abroad, Mark Twain's tongue-in-cheek, semi-fictionalized account of his second European trek, is, despite it's 600+ pages, a lightning quick read. Twain's singular wit is on full display engaging the reader to such an extent that pages swiftly fly by. Though not his best piece of travel writing (see Innocents Abroad), I devoured this book in large chunks eager to see where Twain wandered next. When he arrives in the Alps, A Tramp Abroad vaults from an amusing piece of travel writing to a supremely satisfying form of entertainment.
   
   If there was any disappointment it occured with Twain's unexpected exit from the stage. A Tramp Abroad covers Twain's travels in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, but concludes quite suddenly with mere mention that the Netherlands are next on the docket. Yet, wishing a book to continue confers no blackmark on an author. It is further confirmation that A Tramp Abroad easily merits 5 stars.



2. A Tramp Abroad is the third and least successful of the travel books written by the pen of Mark Twain.
   In this book we follow Twain as he tours Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland. I found the early chapters chronicling his visit to Heidelburg University; hilarious visits to opera houses and tale tales such as the Blue Jay yarn to be well done.
   The longest section of the book deals with Twain's alpine climbing adventures in Switzerland. This material is interesting but goes on a bit too long for the modern reader.
   This is a fine book and deserves to be read and enjoyed by a wider readership that better known but lesser Twain novels and
   travel writing,
   I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys listening to a great author recount his peregrinations through Europe in a leisurely and informative manner.



3. It's fascinating to compare my own experiences, having lived now 3 years in Germany, to those of an American from 125 years earlier. I've been learning to speak German, and his Appendix on the "awful" German language was hilarious. In poking fun at German grammar (e.g., long sentences), he purposely commits the same errors in his own writing. The scene "riding" the glacier down the Alps was so funny I had tears running down my face. It's amazing to think that it was written in 1879, when America was barely a century old, and the insights and perceptions then can be incredibly, eerily similar to either my or "typical" American's attitudes today.
   
   I'd recommend it to anyone, but particularly to anyone visiting or living in Europe. It's way funnier than his "Innocents Abroad", which is also a good read on travel in Europe.



4. This is a single book, not the whole set and the book is in less then usable quality. The seller was to send return address materials and has not as of 12/19.



5. I listened to the audio version of both books, and will admit up front that the narrator for this one is not one of my favorites, but I got past that after a while.
   Twain seemed to be "padding" the narrative with an awful lot of folktales and legend, rather than his own experience. There's a lengthy (and highly annoying) "fantasy" sequence - I suppose he was trying for parody - as well. I found myself fast-forwarding through almost a full cassette of a gory description of two deuls (near the beginning); he delights in recounting grisly mountaineering stories later on during the novel. The storyline ended abruptly at the end of cassette 11 of 13; the last two were the appendix, which I skipped.
   I really liked "Innocents" and am planning on purchasing "Following the Equator" (I looked through it at a bookstore and it seemed pretty interesting), but I wish I'd skipped this one. Three stars for the humor when he actually describes his own experiences.

No comments about Insiders' Guide to the Berkshires (Insiders' Guide Series).

2 comments about Fodor's The Thirteen Colonies, 1st Edition: Relive America's First Days---Explore Revolutionary War Sites, Colonial Homesteads, 18th-Century Seaports, and More (Travel Historic America).

1. This is an excellent guide for those wanting to visit places associated with the events of the American Revolution. It is divided into sections by state with a brief overview of the state. Each state is divided into sub-sections by city/town/village (depending on the size of the site). Under each sub-section is an overview of the area's history and the role it played in the revolution, plus a comprehensive listing of colonial era houses, museums, monuments, battle fields, etc. Each listing includes a description and some history (for the most important ones), plus contact information, hours of operation, etc. Most of the town/city sections have a listing of historic eateries and lodgings.
   We have used this book throughout this summer, and we have had one of the best vacations ever! We were thrilled to find many Revolutionary War sites throughout our state which we did not know about. We even visited some Dutch Colonial houses in the heart of New York City! We had no idea that such things could survive in New York. It was truly amazing to see these houses, and that alone would have made it worthwile to purchase this book. We recommend that anyone wanting to visit any of the sites listed, calls ahead to confirm the hours, etc. We run into several places that were being restored and were closed to the public. Not a fun thing to find out, after traveling any length of time to get there. Also, as some of these sites are quite small and run by very small staff, their hours of operation can be by appointment, again good reason to call ahead.



2. This is an excellent guide for those wanting to visit places associated with the events of the American Revolution. It is divided into sections by state with a brief overview of the state. Each state is divided into sub-sections by city/town/village (depending on the size of the site). Under each sub-section is an overview of the area's history and the role it played in the revolution, plus a comprehensive listing of colonial era houses, museums, monuments, battle fields, etc. Each listing includes a description and some history (for the most important ones), plus contact information, hours of operation, etc. Most of the town/city sections have a listing of historic eateries and lodgings.
   We have used this book throughout this summer, and we have had one of the best vacations ever! We were thrilled to find many Revolutionary War sites throughout our state which we did not know about. We even visited some Dutch Colonial houses in the heart of New York City! We had no idea that such things could survive in New York. It was truly amazing to see these houses, and that alone would have made it worthwile to purchase this book. We recommend that anyone wanting to visit any of the sites listed, calls ahead to confirm the hours, etc. We run into several places that were being restored and were closed to the public. Not a fun thing to find out, after traveling any length of time to get there. Also, as some of these sites are quite small and run by very small staff, their hours of operation can be by appointment, again good reason to call ahead.

No comments about Guide for Local Authorities on Developing Sustainable Tourism (Tourism & Environment Publication).

2 comments about City of Trees: The Complete Field Guide to the Trees of Washington, D.C..

1. This is a very readable and extensively researched look at the trees of Washington D.C. It's an excellent field guide for identifying trees, but the thing I like most about it is that it tells the fascinating stories behind so many of the trees planted in D.C. If you live near D.C. and have even a mild interest in its history, I strongly recommend this book!



2. I originally bought Melanie Choukas-Bradley's CITY OF TREES in its hardcover coffee-table edition and have followed its evolution since. As a Washingtonian of some thirty years' standing, I was originally unaware that this beautiful city was ever known as the City of Trees, but now that I've read Melanie's book, I've looked at the city through different eyes. Though the cherry blossoms are the best-known trees of the city, there's so much more, from the sights in every neighborhood through the rich diversity of our parks. DC is a beautiful city, and there's not nearly enough in print to show and share that beauty. Get this book.

1 comments about Museums of Boston: A Guide for Residents and Visitors (Westholme Museum Guides).

1. Great book for anyone interested in Boston Museums. They're all here. Including those you never knew about. I've been visiting Boston museums regularly for years and learned about places I never even knew existed.
   If you have even an ounce of curiosity you'll never be bored on a rainy Sunday again.

3 comments about The Old Man of the Mountain.

1. Last May, after the New York Times reported--on its front page, no less!--that the Old Man of the Mountain was no more, I was as dismayed as if an old family friend had died. My wife has family in southeast New Hampshire, and during several visits we and our two young children had oohed and ahhed over the Old Man's craggy profile, which I found remarkably similar to that of the Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots of my youth. My family's sorrow over the gruff bluff's collapse has been ameliorated by this splendid tribute. I can't imagine a more apt eulogizer than Robert Hutchinson, a geologist and historian who has literally imagined himself into the Old Man's head, creating a narrative in which heaps of geological and historical arcana are lashed together with turnbuckles of wit and sympathy. The photographs, both archival and contemporary, are also superb, and captioned with fascinating mini-essays by Mr. Hutchinson. (One beneath a reproduction of the first known photograph of the Old Man notes that it was taken in 1841 by an eccentric, reclusive dentist named Samuel Bemis, once described as "not as odd as might be expected, yet sufficiently so to distinguish him from other men.") If only we all could be so fondly and entertainingly memorialized!



2. As a native of New Hampshire, I grew up with the "Old Man" and enjoyed our visits throughout the changing seasons. I bought this book because of the beautiful photography. As a trained geologist, I am absolutely delighted with the geological information presented, and the detailed descriptions of the efforts made to preserve him. I truly had no idea. Thank you for this book.



3. This was of interest to me, but of super importance to my mom who lived back in MA when she was young. Because this feature of geography doesn't exist any longer it is significant to remember how it really was..
   
   Nice bit of background information with lots of really nice color photos.
   After reading it I felt like it was a real personal loss. Created by nature and removed by erosion. Sad fate, but inevitable.

No comments about Insight Compact Guide Cambridge and East Anglia (Insight Compact Guides).