No comments about Waterway Mid-Atlantic 2003: Chesapeake Bay and the Icw to Florida (Waterway Guide Mid Atlantic Edition).

No comments about Walt Disney World & Orlando Pocket Guide.

No comments about Boosting Sarasota's heartbeat: a new heart-pumping program helps a Florida community walk for weight loss.(Sarasota County has started a 'Start Your Heart' ... An article from: Parks & Recreation.

No comments about More customs inspectors in Florida.(BoatU.S.reports): An article from: BOAT/U.S. Magazine.

No comments about It's not what you think. (St. Petersburg, Florida): An article from: The Masthead.

No comments about Rand Mcnally PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA (Rand McNally Streets Of...).

No comments about Ready ... aim ... paintball! The city of Palm Bay turned a community paintballing problem into a major park money-maker.: An article from: Parks & Recreation.

2 comments about Fodor's Florida 2003.

1. Tourism generates over $41 Billion annually for the Florida economy, which is more than twice the entire GNP for Cuba. That is why there is a fierce fight for the Florida travel guide market. Fodor's Florida Travel Guide is one of the three guides that I reviewed during my two week driving vacation through Florida, and it came in second (Frommer's #1, Fodor's #2 and Mobil Travel Guide #3 [see my other reviews]).

   UPFRONT: Fodor's publications tend to be for the more affluent travelers and, though Florida excels in great bargain restaurants, few are listed. That said, Fodor's dining recommendations are VERY GOOD and this guide lists some of the best restaurants that South Florida has to offer.. You won't be disappointed by any of these restaurant listings. .

   I was disappointed by SOME of the accommodations listings. One especially stands out. Fodor's profiles and recommends a major name Resort and Spa Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. I stayed there and it was such a run down "has been" of a hotel (Bad Service, dirty building, rotted wood railings, refrigerator door broken, hole in blanket, housekeeping did not clean counters or empty trash), that I wrote the company and to their credit got a full refund.

   BOTTOM LINE: Some (more than one) of the recommendations regarding accommodations in guide were off...thus, I have to question if each property is checked by Fodor's before issuing their next edition.

   NOTE: a lodging and restaurant index would be a big plus for this guide. As it stands now, if you have a restaurant you want to look up, you have to go through all the listings in the city you are in until you stumble across the name you seek or miss seeing it completely.

   Fodor's is catching up to other guides regarding website and email addresses, however website/email addresses are restricted to the lodging listings, even though many of the restaurant now have their own websites with photos and menus and email to make reservations.

   I am a firm believer that any guide book worth its salt has to guide you with quality maps. This guide has very good dining and lodging maps. The few regional maps that are included are very helpful, and the maps clearly show you sites to visit, but with maps, more is better, and this guide begs for MORE specific area maps.

   This would be a great guide to have for those that live in the area. The restaurant suggestions are solid. Also, for those traveling to South Florida, this guide would be good and is recommended. 3.5 stars




2. I recently used this book on a trip to Florida. On the trip, my family and I visited Orlando, Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, the Everglades, and the Keys.

   With regards to the non-Everglades parts of the trip, the book was fairly useful. It pointed out the major highlights in each place, some nice "on the way" stops (such as the Lion Safari outside of Palm Beach), and was a decent Disney reference. However, it also focused a lot on various dining and lodging choices, which I didn't really find that useful. In fact, we used the free AAA guidebook more frequently when making reservations or dining choices. However, I give Fodors the benefit of the doubt here -- it's targeting a class of travelers that spend a bit more than I care to when traveling. It also contains a lot of nice information on good city walks to take, which I liked. For its non-Everglades coverage, I give it between 3.5 and 4 stars.

   However, its Everglades coverage was not good. We found the park information and the AAA guide to be much better. In fact, the Fodors book threw us off completely when it suggested what to do if you only have 1 day to spend at the park. It suggested essentially that we choose Big Cypress if we enjoyed seeing the wilderness or the main part of the park if we enjoyed seeing "exhibits". After choosing our own path (and being very happy that we did), we can confidently suggest that you ignore choosing what to see based on the Fodor's characterization.

   Given only one day to see the park, everyone should drive the road from the main park entrance to Flamingo. You get to see a lot of wilderness (35 mile drive), a lot of wildlife (the short hike in the back of Royal Palm Visitor center comes to mind), and you will also get the chance to do some canoeing (at Flamingo) or a boat tour. In short, the Flamingo road drive has something for everyone and it's too bad that Fodors doesn't do a better job of communicating this. For that, I give the book 1 star.

   Overall, I suggest that you only buy this book if you typically stay at 3-star or higher hotels at every stop and if a fairly expensive dinner (admittedly at what is often a nice place) is very important to you along the way. Personally, I don't mind eating a bit cheaper, staying in the occasional motel (or using PriceLine to get a better deal on 3-star hotels), and focusing more on things like national parks.

   I think with a little bit of effort, Fodors could make their books more well-rounded. Cut out some of the dining/lodging and unrealistic itinerary stuff -- most people do not spend 5 days in Miami, for example. Replace that with more information about acquariums, national parks, snorkeling tours, etc. Also, try to include itineraries for people that have less than 3 days. Florida is a big state and it is rare that most people will have enough vacation time (and desire) to spend 2 weeks or more traveling there.

No comments about Fodor's Citypack Miami, 1st Edition (Fodors Miamis 25 Best).

No comments about Where to Take the Kids: The Parents' Field Guide to 500 Florida Adventures.