2 comments about Frommer's Portable Acapulco, Ixtapa & Zihuatanejo (Frommer's Portable).

1. I plan to bring this book along with us on our upcoming trip to Mexico. It is a quick read, and will be easy to flip to the section I need when out and about. I like it's portability and straight-forward reviews, however I have read similar desciptions in other books on the market covering this part of Mexico. So, based on some lack of originality, I've given it 4 stars instead of 5.



2. Wish there was more info on Ixtapa and Zihuat. Only 23 of the 170 pages covers this area.

No comments about Oaxaca City Map.

No comments about American Map 2009 Road Atlas Midsize: United States, Canada, Mexico (Road Atlas: United States, Canada, Mexico).

4 comments about Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico: The Diary of Susan Shelby Magoffin, 1846-1847 (Yale Western Americana Paperbound, Yw-3.).

1. Magoffin was a name familiar to the Mexicans who had trading relations with Susan's husband for years before he married her and took her with him from the states on an expedition to Chihuahua, Mexico. She kept a diary from which she drew her information for the only book I know written by a woman, young and pregnant, whose fate it was to die in her 26th year, at home. Accounts from her perspective at such a crucial time in relations between the United States and Mexico, in a venacular peculiarly her own, make her work one of considerable importance to the serious student of the time. Revealing also are individual encounters with men, some from her own country, and her opinion of Gen. Stephen Watts Kearny, commander of the U.S. Army of the West stationed in Sante Fe. Susan was a young lady of class the exercise of which makes the reader proud, and whose elegance charmed all who came to know her.



2. 
   Many journals of travelers along the Santa Fe (and Oregon and California) Trail have been published, but Susan Magoffin's ranks among the best of them. Susan Magoffin was born of a wealthy family in Kentucky and had recently married the successful Santa Fe trader Samuel Magoffin. They had spent six months on a honeymoon trip to New York and Philadelphia (about which Susan also kept a journal, though to my knowledge it has not been published), and now, two months after their return to Independence, Missouri, she was to accompany her husband on a caravan transporting goods along the Santa Fe Trail to northern Mexico. She was 18 years old.
   
   Magoffin is as charming as any 18 year old could be, and it's a joy for the reader to share her sense of adventure. She is obviously having the time of her life, despite the inconveniences of broken wagon bows and stormy weather. We also get a view of what life was like for typical travelers on the trail. There is also intrigue to a degree: Samuel's older brother James was on a mission for President Polk preceding Stephen Kearny's troops during the initial stages of the Mexican War, and news about James enters the journal at certain points, including once where he was robbed by the Apaches but somehow escaped with his life. After the trading caravan reached Santa Fe, the Magoffins contined on into Mexico, spending time at Chihuahua. The journal ends on September 8, 1847, and does not include her contracting yellow fever at Matamoras where she also gave birth to a son (he died a few days later). The couple then sailed across the Gulf of Mexico to the Mississippi River and to Susan's family in Kentucky. (Susan would live only another eight years, dying of childbirth at age 27.)
   
   It's a wonderful first-hand account. My only complaint is that I wish editor Stella Drumm had identified locations (camping sites, geographic sites, etc.) mentioned by Magoffin in the journal. Other than that, it's a chronicle that can be read often and always seem fresh and exciting. A must-read record of an important and lively adventure.



3. I am an author. I am writing a novel based on my grandmother's life. I'm using this book as a guide to writing her story. She was born in 1863 in Clinton, Iowa and traveled west. The route she took is not know but this book gives a vivid account of the trail and its tribulations and high points.



4. It is with some awe in my own breast that I write a review for this remarkable little book, which is a "Historical Diary" and therefore of importance to those who would study history from the human element rather than strictly through footnotes. I offer a quote taken from her that struck me as one of the most unique I have heard uttered - flowing from the mind through the pen and on to posterity from of one of the Pioneers; the raw honesty springing from the personal epic she never designed for others other than family to ever see:
   
   "There is such Independence, so much free, uncontaminated air, which impregnates the mind, the feelings, nay, every thought, with purity. I breathe free without that oppression and uneasiness felt in the gossiping circles felt in the settled home."
   
   The writer is not polished; but her work was never intended to be published. What makes it so intriguing is that she managed to capture the moment, the time, complete with names, descriptions of the country and the peoples as she was thoughtfully living it, something most of us would either not think of doing, or be distracted in the monumental tasks of everyday work in such an environment. Which brings me to the crux of the matter in a hurry: this woman, though very young, was educated, had married a mature, much older man man who had a thriving, though fraught with danger Trade business established on the fringes of the frontiers. She was pampered throughout the journey; yet never seemed to take it for granted. As a result, she could write enthusiastically of events and gather wildflowers at will, almost as a scientific mode arising unintentioned from the moment; this free, unencumbered freedom from heavy responsibility obviously was one of the things that allowed her to devote her time, energy and full attention to matters of the day that were happening around her, while her servants did the mundane work. This alertness is felt throughout the book, even in the midst of the terror of Mexican and Indian attacks that came within miles of their supply train. I don't know how much of this she went back and wrote with a steadier hand, but it appears that she was in full self-control at all times, even during these times of high stress.
   
   Her devotion to her husband is genuine, and is felt in a way much different than many diaries I have read. It seems as though their union was one of love, companionship; yet comprised of a strong sense of individualism, another idea that was rare within that era of female domination. She describes the grass, the cold, sweet limestone water, the suffering of the animals when lack of feed and water arose - it made no difference - the wagons must travel on.
   
   In short, she wrote what is possibly one of the most accurate, historical accountings, unembellished of the Santa Fe Trail at that time simply because she didn't know she was doing it.
   
   If you love old Southwest history, American Frontier History of any kind, you will enjoy this book.

2 comments about Frommer's Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque (Frommer's Complete).

1. This book arrived very fast, was new, and the price was very good.



2. This guide has everything you need to know to discover and enjoy Northern New Mexico.

5 comments about Frommer's New Mexico (Frommer's Complete).

1. I browsed many guidebooks in bookstores and read several from the library before settling on this book to take with me to the Southwest.

   The writer writes well and she is not afraid to offer candid opinions of hotels and tourist sites. She's a New Mexico native and shares her passion for the state with the reader.

   ** I especially liked the lists of top attractions by type in the front of the book: Best of Natural New Mexico, Best Scenic and Historic Drives, Best Outdoor Activities, Best Family Experiences, Best Historic Hotels, etc. (there are 12 of these lists).

   These lists helped my companion (my 13 year old son) and I get our hands around the diversity of this state and plan just what we most wanted to do during our one week in the Southwest.

   Once we narrowed down what we wanted to do, the book was arranged by region, listing all the other things we could do while in that area.

   Other good companion books for this trip were Tony Hillerman's novels set in Navajo country and the book, Roadside Geology of New Mexico.

   The Frommers book for Arizona has the same organization and is very good, but not quite as good as this book.




2. I just took a week-long trip to New Mexico and gave up using this book after the first day. I found my free AAA New Mexico Tourbook far more complete and informative.



3. Well researched and plenty of information. Gives details on what to expect, how much you may pay, when to go etc. I hope that it had more pictures but other than that, this is the only book you'll need.



4. The picture on the cover is from Utah! New Mexico abounds with beautiful scenic vistas. Putting a picture from Utah on the cover of a New Mexico guidebook is really sloppy work. That makes all of the information inside very questionable.



5. I was disappointed with this book and don't think I'll buy another Frommer's guide again. Restaurants that had rave reviews were mediocre at best. I like these reference books to find the hidden treasures of an region but Frommer's just skims the well known and obvious choices for travel. Save the money and do your own research online.

5 comments about The Cruising Guide to Central and Southern California: Golden Gate to Ensenada, Mexico, Including the Offshore Islands.

1. From a recent sailing trip out of Santa Barbara through the channel islands I can tell you that this book is invaluable. His treatment of safe ports and refuges (arranged very well but conditions) was fantastic and kept us out of danger.



2. We have used Brian Fagans guidebooks from SD to SF for many years, but this is the best of the lot. We recently led a cruise to the Channel Islands, and made this a "must" for the cruisers, all of whom praised it highly. Really THE guidebook to coastal cruising in Central-Southern California---and a bargain!



3. This is a good book for those interested in cruising the west coast, you can always get something out of the book if you plan to make that trip up the coast, lots of good information to research and make plans from.



4. After cruising in the Pacific NW for the past two years using the Douglass and Hemingway guides and the Waggoner Guide, we were admittedly spoiled. If that's the quality you expect, you won't get it here. On the other hand, we couldn't find an alternative, and this is better than nothing. The harbor diagrams were nice, but there aren't enough of them and what there are don't provide enough detail. The landmarks mentioned in the text often don't appear in the diagrams. We also noticed inaccuracies, but this could be due to time. For example, the fuel dock in Morro Bay wasn't where the guide said it was. However, the woman at the Visitor Information Center also thought it was in the direction indicated in the book. (For others looking for it, it's across from marker 12, not beyond 18.)



5. I found this book to contain many useful tidbits of information, especially about prevailing weather conditions. The author gives insightful and non obvious ways for determining the approach of Santa Ana's which itself is probably worth the price of the book

5 comments about Traveler's Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America (Traveler's Tool Kit).

1. I chose Traveler's Tool Kit because I wanted to learn what Mexico and Central America have to offer, beyond their world class beaches. I am currently looking for other kinds of adventures when I travel.
   
   After reading this book, I can't wait to get to Chichen Itza on the Yucatán Peninsula and other Maya sites in Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. I also read about zip-lining among orchids and scarlet macaws in a cloud forest - and added Costa Rica to my list.
   
   The authors are so enthusiastic about rafting, kayaking, snorkeling and scuba diving in Belize and the Bay Islands off Honduras that I'm up for trying that too, at least some of it. After reading about deep sea fishing, jaguars, giant anteaters, incredible birding, and pristine lakes surrounded by extinct volcanoes, I'm completely hooked. Though I have traveled in this region before, this book has given me the master key to really experience the places and the people as I never have before. It contains so much information that no other guides do, information that has shown me the way to the kind of travel experience I am looking for. Can't wait to get going!



2. This trove of invaluable information will inspire you! The authors are passionate about the impact travel can have--on the traveler as well as the places visited. They provide perspectives that will make yours the most fun, gratifying visit to Mexico and Central America. Unlike typical guidebooks that just summarize "what to see and where to stay," this book tells you how to plan and enjoy.
   
   It contains up-to-the-minute facts other books skip (such as 2008 prices for bottled water and internet access)--and resources others lack (want to volunteer, work or retire in one of these eight countries?)--it's all there. Check the table of contents.
   
   The Traveler's Tool Kit goes well beyond the eight countries the title describes, and helps you get the most from any international trip. There are criteria for selecting everything from a guidebook to a travel partner; there are practical, checklists to help prepare.
   
   The Traveler's Tool Kit has the BEST information I've ever read about how to travel alone as a woman (even though it was written by two men), and the ONLY information I've ever read, about how to spend the first few days after you've arrived home.
   
   Best, it's fun to read: its 550 pages will make you smile. Frankly, I was dazzled.



3. I've read Leffel's other travel books and know that I can always count on him for solid, no-b.s. travel advice. Chapter 1's "How Travel Will Change Your Life" is right on the money and (in this reviewers opinion)is worth the price of admission alone for explaining why one should travel. This hefty reference guide answers every possible question I would have about traveling to Mexico or Central America: how to get around, safety, food, highlights, etc. across the whole region. It gives the kind of cost comparisons that you can't find in individual guidebooks and isn't afraid to point out the bad with the good. Now when I cross the border and head south, I'll be really ready.



4. This is an ideal planning tool for a trip to Central America. The authors have thoroughly researched the region and provide a compendium of ideas for places to see and activities for the adventurous traveler. I appreciate the progressive approach that encourages interaction with local people and traveling in a way that benefits, rather than exploits, them.
   
   The earlier negative review from Dan Watts doesn't understand that this is not a guidebook - it's a tool for planning and research that complements a good guidebook. I would, however, have appreciated seeing this book come out in a smaller format -- it would be good to take on an extended trip to Central America. Its heft makes it too big to easily carry on the road, which is too bad because it could be as valuable on the road as it is at home. With smaller format and type, and thinner paper, the publisher could have gotten the same amount of advice into a more portable book.
   
   But don't let that deter you from buying this Traveler's Tool Kit. The book lives up to its name with hundreds of handy nuggets of info ranging from advice on preparing a savvy budget to suggested itineraries like "If you have a week in Guatemala." This itinerary recommends highlights such as Lake Atitlan and the colonial town of Antigua, places travelers won't want to miss. And the trip planning chapters will be especially valuable for first-time visitors to the region.
   
   I also like the chapter titled "The Day You Get There" with advice such as don't joke with immigration officials, and take buses not taxis to have more interaction with local people. I've ridden buses throughout Guatemala and can attest that cramming five to a seat with local families might not be the most comfortable way to travel but it will be the most memorable.
   
   Tool Kit is a $15 investment in your most precious commodity: your vacation time. It will pay off many times over, even if you just use some of the many great suggestions in the book.



5. I bought Traveler's Tool Kit because I loved Guatemala and am considering a trip to other countries in the region. The book told me everything I wished I'd known on my Guatemala venture and I need to know to choose which other countries I want to see. It's specific about itineraries, costs, food, health, safety and available adventures.
   
   This is really two books for the price of one. Beyond Central America, it contains comprehensive information and advice that I can use to travel anywhere in the world and deals with the obstacles that keep many people from enjoying the rest of the world - like money, time, safety, and health. For example, instead of listing a few of the "best" hotels in some city (advice that can become outdated almost overnight), the authors explain how to find good lodging anywhere, anytime. Since knowledge is power, this book makes the reader king.

5 comments about Midlife Mavericks: Women reinventing their lives in Mexico.

1. I read this book in one day, didn't want to put it down because I love Mexico and love reading anything I can about living there. I just wish I wasn't so tied down to my life, business and home here and could pack and move next week !! Really good book, realistic description of what life is like in Mexico.



2. I could not put this book down. Even though I am 35 years old and don't consider myself yet in "midlife" I can relate to the women in this book. I am a professional who works in a high-rise and longs for more fulfillment. I hope to move south of the border someday myself, it gives me hope that it is possible when I read these stories. Thanks Blue! I would love to read the sequel :-)



3. Well written...author develops a good position on opening ones opportunities......Both the positive and the negative are explored.



4. The title of the book should be "Midlife Mavericks WHY Women Reinvent Their Lives in Mexico". This poorly written book does little to describe women reinventing their lives IN Mexico. Most of their stories dwell on why they moved to Mexico, the typical; divorce, retirement, adventure. I think most "Midlife Mavericks" can already relate to this and would like to read more about what actually happened once these women moved to Mexico. The stories are confusing and not well written. The author jumps between her move to Mexico and that of the person she is interviewing without making much distinction. In nearly every story she spends several lines describing the smoking habits of the women and how the smoke swirls around in the air or they tap their cigarette to the ashtray, please spare us. One of the women the author inteviewed moved to Mexico due to the health problems she suffered while living in Texas. Now this peaked my interest as I wondered what kind of health care she received in Mexico, did her health improve, etc but alas none of these questions were answered.
   
   If you want a light read with not much substance then this book would be fine. On the other hand if you have ever considered relocating in "midlife", especially to another country, I think you will find this book disappointing.



5. Practical and entertaining, the advice-filled stories in this book will encourage lady Boomers to follow their dreams.

No comments about Fodor's Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque, 1st Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).