4 comments about Seasons of Real Florida (Florida History and Culture).

1. The book's editors (Mormino & Arsenault) invite us to sit down with Florida delectables, like orange juice, to read this book. My plan was to snag some recipes from Randy Wayne White's "The Fishing Guide's Guide to Tropical Cooking." Alas, Klinkenberg's book was in my custody for only a day when relatives spotted it on my table top and hauled it away for their reading pleasure. My half-a-book review: gimme my book back, I love this author!
   "Seasons" real value is in the future when we read its stories of people and places and look back wistfully at Florida as it was. And it reminds me that Florida today is still full of charm. And charming writers like Jeff Klinkenberg.



2. If you want to know what real Florida is like, what it looks like, feels like, smells like and even tastes like -- fall through summer -- this is the book for you. Klinkenberg is a true original, a natural resource as valuable as the panther, manatee and black bear.



3. Jeff Klinkenberg has been out in his car on the back roads and he's found the reason everyone moved to Florida in the first place. When my great aunt moved to North Miami in 1927 her house was on stilts (floods and alligators); now it is surrounded by 6 foot chainlink fence topped with barbed wire (urban animals!). Jeff talks to people who tell him the stories in between those extremes. Excellent read for anyone who wonders what was there besides the weather.



4. I spent Winter '08 visiting my dad in urban Tampa, and looking for Old Florida, decidedly hard to find. Jeff's terrific narratives about so many interesting people and places augmented and often replaced my futile search.
   I'm a hard-to-please reader, and this one completely satisfied.

4 comments about So You Want to Move to Florida: How to Save Time and Money in Becoming a Resident and Exploring Florida's Treasures Your Guide to Securing Your Dreams in Florida.

1. I read the book. I've been to Florida. This book has great information.



2. The contents of Farnham's guide is essential for anyone seriously considering relocation. The invaluable information he provides gives the positives and negatives of living in Florida. Read this practical book about day-to-day life in Florida if you're thinking of moving to paradise. Many helpful pointers which has already made my life simpler. Jam-packed with simple, crisp declarative sentences that makes reading the book both interesting and easy.



3. I read this book and liked it. There is a lot of stuff about Florida that I wouldn't have thought to consider when making a decision to move there. There are many differences than other areas of the U.S. For example, most houses don't have a basement, so you better keep that in mind if you need the space. In addition to the practical move information, there is a number of chapters on recreation (Weekend trips, Key West, Parks, Beaches etc). This would probably also be useful to current residents.



4. What a terrific resource. Lots of useful and practical information about relocating to Florida, all in one place. It includes lots of personal observations and enough anecdotes to keep the reading breezy and enjoyable. I will refer to this before AND after the move!

3 comments about Tropical Deco: The Architecture and Design of Old Miami Beach.

1. Open the pages of this book to feel the heat on your face and sand between your toes. You're looking at some of the most whimsical and delightful architecture in the world. Imagine approaching this country for the first time from the water and being greeted by these buildings. They are a testament to this country's creativity, humor and ability to dream into the future. And the best part is that they are so well preserved so that you can experience them in person inside and out.



2. This book has been around for 20+ years and is mostly photographs taken in late 1970's and early 1980's. Much has changed in the ensuing 25 years. Many of the buildings have since been repainted, as in the Carlyle featured on the cover. Some, as with the graceful St Moritz, have been restored (today it looks much different, and better, then in this book's photograph). Best of all this book documents some things that are no longer there as in the wonderful photos of the Tiffany murals, the old Cinema Theatre interior. and the demolished Sands Hotel.
   
   The book is broken up into chapters based on architectural details (Facades, Doorways, Materials, etc). The text is well written and gives one a good grounding in the Miami Beach Deco architectural style. Best of all it is filled with wonderful photographs. A great historical record of a time when the Art Deco District had just been formed.



3. I found this book years ago at the Delray Beach library. It had been checked out so many times that it was in pretty ragtag shape. I decided to order my own copy just so I could gaze at deco whenever I wanted to. This book is a fantastic primer for anyone interested in Miami. Read this book and then take it with you on the Miami art deco tour; you will be that much more prepared to appreciate the tour and prepared to ask questions to your knowledgeable tour guide.

No comments about The Unofficial Guide to South Florida including Miami & the Keys (Unofficial Guides).

1 comments about Streetwise Miami Map - Laminated City Street Map of Miami, Florida -with integrated metrorail and metromover lines and stations.

1. I have used Streetwise Maps alll over the world -- literally -- and they have NEVER disappointed me. Super, super accurate. Whether I plan to drive or to be on foot, I would not visit any new city (including Miami) without my Streetwise Map.

2 comments about The Young Naturalist's Guide to Florida.

1. My family really enjoyed this book because we learned more about what we see every day here in Florida. Since I am not a Florida native, I often had a hard time helping my young naturalists identify the plants and "creatures" they saw on our outings. This book has really helped! It covers a wide spectrum of topics: from weather patterns to Florida habitats to Florida endangered species. It also covered each (Florida) geographic region separately, and provided some interesting history too. I highly recommend this book!



2. This is a very helpful and well written guide to introducing Florida nature to young children.
   
   General Topics include:
   -Florida's symbols
   -Keeping a nature journal
   -Florida's special places (everglades, salt marshes etc.)
   -Flora and Fauna (plants, birds, insects, reptiles, exotics etc.)
   -Florida's skies
   -your part in Florida's future (careers, spaceship earth crew etc.)
   
   Within each section you will find interesting facts and useful information (complete with clear illustrations), websites you can visit for more info, projects to do with children pertaining to that subject/section, and review of vocabulary words from that section.
   
   Floridians will appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the nature around us that we often overlook, while Florida homeschoolers will be excited to have an extensive field trip lesson plan right at their fingertips!
   
   This book is a find! I highly recommend it.

2 comments about Hidden Florida: Including Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa Bay, the Everglades, and the Keys (Hidden Travel).

1. I used this book for planning a quick trip to Everglades, Miami and Key Largo. I found it to have a good mix of history, attactions and restaurant reviews. We ate at several places recommended by the book.
   
   One thing that would make it much more useful would be to include a fold out map so that you can see more detail of a larger area. I found I had to keep flipping back and forth between maps in the book.



2. We have used the guide on every Florida trip we take. Living in Orlando, we pretty much know the ropes here in town. We, as a couple, visit other Florida towns (areas) at least twice per month searching for the perfect beach, event, restaurant or attraction. It is great to use the book to find quirkly places to eat and visit. It's been 100% accurate in it's estimations of quality and pricing. We make notes in ours if we find new spots. One day we'll send our comments to the authors!
   
   When traveling to Savannah recently, we bought the Hidden Savannah book and were just as satified!
   
   I cannot recommend a book any higher! No Chamber or tour guide has been able to top the info in this wonderful guide.

5 comments about Cruising Guide to Western Florida.

1. This much-needed guide provide a wealth of useful information for the cruising sailor. Written in an enthusiastic and readable style, the author invites the reader to explore the varied cruising grounds of Western Florida. Of great value in this coastline of difficult channels is the detailed information given for each approach, including low water depths in shoal channels. Another feature is a listing of the charts (by number) to cover each area. Photographs and non-navigational charts are also shown throughout the book. Altogether, an informative and useful guide.



2. CLaiborne, like all his books, does an outstanding job. There is little to guess at, and he takes no chances in describing areas. If he says it is shallow, it is shallow. If he says do not go there without risk taking, then heed his advice. It would be nice if this book covered all of west FLA, but you have to buy another to cover the upper part.



3. Claiborne Young is his usual, informative self in compiling this excellent guide to cruising the Western Florida Region. He provides ample information including photos, detailed descriptions, waypoints and specifics useful to both sailors and power boaters. I highly recommend this book to anyone planning to cruise the beautiful Western Florida waters.



4. We picked this up for a week-long sailing charter out of Tampa. There is way too much information in here and no really good maps. (Certainly not any larger maps.) We wanted to locate good anchorages for day-fun and overnights.... This caters mostly to people who are looking to dock at a marina. I found the book confusing and not well indexed.... I was hoping for a bareboat charterer's guide like we have found for the Virgin Islands -- This is not it.



5. Mr. Young's cruising guides continue to impress us as the most useful and comprehensive available, particularly when linked with his excellent web-site.

5 comments about Moon Handbooks Florida Gulf Coast (Moon Handbooks).

1. One of the newest additions to the justifiably acclaimed Moon Handbooks series of "user friendly" travel guides, Florida Gulf Coast by local travel writer Laura Reiley is a blend of in-depth regional and local information, along with strategic advice for the traveler. Complete with suggested routes, activities, and a wealth of practical, accessible, up-to-date information arranged by those counties located along the gulf coast of Florida, this handy and highly portable little compendium offers things to see and do from birding, to parks, to museums, to emergency resources, to nightlife entertainments, to food and lodging ideas. Especially in the wake of the worst hurricane season in recorded history, those traveling to and through the gulf coast region of Florida will appreciate what Moon Handbooks: Florida Gulf Coast can offer them to help make their trip successful and memorable.



2. Here are the people who will love this book: Those who think Florida is paradise and those who are dubious about the whole Florida thing. People who live in the Florida Gulf Coast region and those who have never been there. People whose passion is watching birds or catching fish and those who prefer indoor activities. People planning a vacation and those looking for a great gift. Adventurous types and those who enjoy reading about far-away places from the couch. People traveling with kids. Couples. People traveling alone. This travel guide starts like a novel and is way better written, much more opinionated, and has lots more personality than any other travel series I've used. It's a really fun book to read.



3. Having lived for 6 years on the Florida Gulf Coast, I find Ms Reiley's Guide is something of a delight to one plagued with what to show the next out-of-towner, or what to see myself that might be new and refreshing. The book is admirably terse, factually impeccable, and covers in good detail a considerable portion of the Paradise of the West Coast of Florida. The clear prose is peppered with Ms Reiley's reactions to people, places, and things, some which she clearly enjoyed, others of which failed to meet her mark. Her language delights this aging Sophist, while staying within the bounds of good taste. The black and white photos well illustrate the text. The maps are too small for driving, but large enough to help find the desired location.
   A simply delightful guide to Paradise



4. recommended for families with children, snappy writing and comprehensive accurate info. not aimed at east german backpackers, or the senior set. hard to fault and up to date.
   a little easy on the sprawl and excesses of naples, and not enuf cautions about the 3 main hazards of florida vacations,
   which are in no particular order : 1. heat/humidity/storms and heat related problems 2. it is gonna be expensive 3. take your brain along and think about crime, crowds and traffic hazards.
   otherwise hard to fault an excellent very valuable up to date work written by a real grown up with verve and snap
   buy this and not the brand name stuff



5. I've always enjoyed the eclectic nature of Moon guides and the Florida Gulf Coast guide is no exception. In hind sight I should have looked for an everglades guide but this one sufficed. A lot of the information is now dated because the last year's hurricane season. the biggest problem I ran into was places either being closed or having reduced hours. I also found the organization of the Everglades informations a bit scattered. Still I'd recommend this guide.

No comments about Florida Keys Map (Street Map).