3 comments about Florida Off the Beaten Path, 7th: A Guide to Unique Places.

1. This book is almost as good as a similar book on "out of the way" Florida places. I was raised in Fla. and have discovered some places that I had never heard of.



2. We have OTBP books for many of the states. If you want to experience the unusual, this book is it. Maybe it's a funky place to dine or a place to get to know the locals. There's a great deal to explore Off the Beaten Path.



3. This book delivered a big bunch of idiotic information serving no purpose exept to point out a restaurant or maybe two.

No comments about Walt Disney World.

No comments about Guide to Florida's Trees (Anderson, Robert. Guide to Florida Wildlife and Nature.).

No comments about Travel Smart: South Florida and the Keys.

No comments about Greetings from St. Augustine.

No comments about Insight Fleximap Florida.

No comments about Princess Diana, The House of Windsor and Palm Beach: America's Fascination With "The Touch of Royalty".

4 comments about From the Swamp to the Keys: A Paddle through Florida History.

1. This is a great book for anyone wishing a glimpse of what Florida was really like a generation ago. The descriptions of the trip down the Suwannee River in the book match the vivid memories I have of my childhood playgrounds....don't miss it!



2. this was a terrific adventure as you take the turns of the river, ride the currents, buck the winds, weather the storms and sense the beauty of Fla. as you cast eyes on development only to imagine what parts of it would have looked like back 50 years ago. You are brought closer to nature and experience adventure that you only wish you would dare to attempt. A great story and a great enduring ride. thanks for sharing.



3. This is a fun read. Anyone interested in the history of Florida's waterways or paddling (canoe or kayak) will enjoy this book. Mr. Molloy captures the essence of solo paddling and the adventure of long distance travel in small muscle-powered vessels. Day paddling a canoe or kayak is one thing; Johnny colorfully tells of the ups and (sometimes upside-) downs of traveling through one of Florida's oldest routes of travel, the Suwannee River and the west coast, and camping in undeveloped areas and camp sites. Visit the wilds of Florida's coast and the historic Suwannee River without leaving your chair (or dealing with mud flats, storms, mosquitoes, no-seeums, etc.).



4. This is the telling of a personal adventure story. It is a mix of Florida history in bits and pieces, some personal history (how Johnny Molloy got into outdoor writing--to make a living enjoying the outdoors), and some personal philosophy: "I had come to believe, as I still do, that time, not money, is the most valuable commodity on earth." It is NOT a "how to" book. Perhaps, with his 4 other books on hiking, camping, and paddling in Florida, he felt no need to elaborate on how to prepare and execute such a trip. It is a book about what he saw along the way, of his conversations with locals and travelers he met, of his love for the outdoors and dissatisfaction with urban life. His writing is somewhat routine as he paddles down the Suwannee River and out onto the Gulf coast, then to Cedar Key, and past Tampa (where he encounters the most dangerous conditions of the trip as he crosses the mouth of Tampa Bay). He seems to relish paddling by "the seat of his pants." He goes up/down rivers against the tide--a tough paddle. He arrives at Graveyard campsite in the Everglades after dark and swarms of no-see-ums threaten to eat him alive. After donning protective clothes and a head net, he finds the head net is for mosquitoes but no defense against the much smaller no-see-ums. It is clear you will never see Johnny Molloy use a modern convenience like a GPS. Johnny's writing becomes much more interesting the further south he travels and reaches its best in the Everglades, an area which he has paddled and written about extensively. If you enjoy the outdoors and paddling, it is a good read.

1 comments about Fodor's Gay Guide to South Florida, 1st Edition: With South Beach and Key West (Fodor's Gay Guide to South Florida).

1. There are two problems with gay travel guides -- usually.

   First, they are often sponsored by advertising, which means that every review is a rave. Every club is suddenly "friendly," and "the place to be." That doesn't help much,and it makes for grimacing reading.

   Second, they are often sketchy. Some guidebooks are little more than a group of symbols and maybe a few phrases if we're lucky like, "Crowded. Dark."

   Thankfully, this book is honest, fun and descriptive. Here, you'll find an unvarnished description of the major restaurants, accommodations and bars in South Florida. Most are accompanied by at least a paragraph that seeks to *show* the reader what it's like, rather than *telling*. I'm especially proud of the fact that in several places, the author isn't afraid to call a place a dump if it warrants it. That kind of honesty is refreshing.

   My only complaint is that the author admits that some places are omitted because are so bad they don't meet the standards of the book. I would like to see those places reviewed anyway so the reader can determine for himself.

   All in all, this is a compact, descriptive, helpful guide for the gay traveler who is new to the area.

No comments about Unofficial Guide to Disneyland (Frommer's Unofficial Guides).