No comments about AAA Florida: Daytona Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Ft. Myers, Naples Area, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Miami, Miami Beach, Ocala, Orlando Vicinity, Pensacola, Sarasota, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Tampa... (West Palm Beach, Gold Coast, Space Coast, Sun Coast: Plus Florida Driving Distance Chart, Toll Bridge & Ferry Information: State Series 2007, 2007 Printing, 2007-511006).

No comments about American Map City Slicker Miami, Fl (City Slicker).

No comments about Hidden Miami: Including Miami Beach, South Beach, Little Havana, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach.

No comments about Time Out Miami: And the Florida Keys (Time Out Guides).

3 comments about Miami: A Backward Glance.

1. I really really enjoyed this book. Ms. Murrell delves into the past of the places and people that make Miami so fascinating, uncovering much non-residents (or even current ones) may not know.

   She grew up during an interesting time in the city and knows her subject well. She takes you along with all the characters and events from Miami's earliest days to the present, and as they say, "it's all about the journey".

   A really great "retro" read!

   Loved the photographs as well.




2. Even if you're not from Miami (and I'm not), Miami: A Backward Glance is fascinating. It paints an insider's picture of a place and a lifestyle that are, sadly, now gone. The architecture, the way of life are vividly portrayed -- they come to life and make you long to visit, if only to see the remnants of what once was. Highly recommended.



3. This is a very charming book. Captures a slice of life that is long gone but defined the present-- made Miami and the Grove into the special places they still are-- but in glimmers of what once was. Now these places are choked with traffic and condos. But this book allows you to go back to what once was.

No comments about Everything Family Guide to Coastal Florida: St. Augustine, Miami, the Keys, Panama City--and all the hot spots in between! (Everything: Travel and History).

No comments about Coral Gables: Miami Riviera : An Architectural Guide.

5 comments about Frommer's South Florida: With the Best of Miami & the Keys (Frommer's Complete).

1. Wow. I used to think that South Florida just meant Miami and palm trees. This book proved to me and my husband that South Florida is much, much more. I got the book on a bet with my husband, who insisted that So Flo was a lot of fun and not just laying out at a pool kind of fun. This book proved me wrong and I lost the bet, but boy was I glad to be a loser in this wager! This book is a must have for anyone who thinks that a trip to Florida can be hot and boring. Quite the contrary!! Thanks, Frommer's. We'll be back to So Flo very soon.



2. This is probably the best guidebook I ever read. The author has a really good writing style and it is genuinely interesting and fun to read (not that I'm suggesting you pick it over Fitzgerald or anything, just that it's a really well-written book). Her restaurant reviews are really excellent--just reading some of them made me start to drool. And while many of the restaurant listings are for priceyish places, she does list some great, fun, authentic, and in some cases, way off the beaten track yummy places to try. I trust her opinion completely!

   This is a really thorough guidebook, with good and honest hotel listings (one of the only people to vocalize what we all know--the Delano IS overrated!) and a great chapter on what to do and see if you want to do and see more than just the beaches of South Florida. The Miami coverage is awesome-- good tips on shopping, a really knowledgeable chapter on nighlife, and more.

   The Everglades chapter has a hilarious essay about how the author was reluctant to go the first time, and the coverage of the Keys, Palm Beaches, Boca, etc. are just as good. I usually expect a Frommer's guidebook to be a bit stuffier than this, but as soon as I read the intro, I knew I had to try this book, and I'm so happy I did. You will be too. It rocks!




3. Tourism generates over {$$$$} 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. Frommer's is one of the best guides available.

   This South Florida guide is somewhat more expanded than "Frommer's Florida" Guide (see my review). If you are going to visit just MIAMI, the EVERGLADES, PALM BEACH, FT. LAUDERDALE or the KEYS, then you will find this guide more compact, lighter and a bit cheaper.

   The same great writing style that is in the Frommer's state guide is found in this more compact companion. The accommodation and dining recommendations are reliable and on the money. This guide lists the best restaurants that South Florida has to offer. A lodging and restaurant index would be a definite 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.

   The rating system is labored and difficult to understand. The explanation of the "new star rating system" is buried in the book and not indexed. It was by quirk that I found it. Strange.

   The Internet web site addresses provided for hotels could be more comprehensive considering that this is a 2003 guide. In today's world of "connectivity" you can visit the hotel sites and see the accommodations and rates prior to making reservations. And, website/email addresses are restricted to the lodging listings even though many of the restaurants now have their own websites with photos and menus and email to makes reservations.

   However, there are two significant areas in this guide that could use improvement: maps and hotels/restaurants.

   Regarding the maps: the maps in the guide are lackluster. More and better maps would greatly help the user.

   What put this guide on top of the competing guides is the clear and enjoyable writing style of the review. The introductions of the regional areas are the best of the guides I reviewed. You will do well if you have to chose just one South Florida guide and you select Frommer's.




4. Well, not really, but i've lived in south florida for 13 years and this book is a must have for anyone who lives down here or is thinking about visiting. Everyone thinks they have a true grasp of the miami scene, but this author actually does.



5. I work and travel to Miami. I think the book
   is a good guide but is insulting to adults.
   In the night life section, it is o.k. to be gay
   or lesbian but when you are an older adult the
   author will dog you and tell you that it is past
   your bed time for a good Latin music club. Hey,
   be nice and "inclusive."

1 comments about MapEasy's Guidemap to Miami & Key West.

1. I have about a dozen of these maps and have used them to get a round NYC, Washington,D.C. and Barcelona, Spain. It's the ONLY map I would recommend as a frequent traveler. It has all the points of interest in a simple format. apart from my Garmin GPS, it's my best resource.

No comments about Ride With Me: South Florida : Titusville to Miami.