No comments about Boston's Freedom Trail a Souvenir Guide.

2 comments about New England: A Pictorial Souvenir.

1. Masterfully photographed, and printed on high quality paper, this book is a must have for any armchair traveller.
   The book provides a map of the region on the inside cover, and then follows a brief and informative historical overview, which introduces the region to the reader. From that point onwards the book consists of one splendid photograph after the other, very often on a full page, or even spread over double pages, all with short descriptions to accompany them.
   I am also the proud owner of Ireland (Photographic Tour) by the same author and photographer and as such, I can highly recommend any one of the books in this series.



2. I expected this book to be filled with beautiful shots of the New England countryside, scenic lighthouses, and historic sites. While there are certainly some fine photos here, there are way too many shots which are nondescript at best. The first twenty pages are devoted to brief history and old b/w photos from from 1890's and this section is enjoyable. Unfortunately, its downhill from there. I was not looking for photos of the Kennedy birth home, a full page devoted to an 8-yr-old girl sunning on the beach, a two-page spread of a rusty "junk shop", a full page showing only a boat shed with buoys hanging off it, single photo spread of a barge on the river (yuk), two pages allocated to a diner in RI, etc. The photography is sharp and colorful and the few photos of the NE countryside, Sturbridge Village, and the like are stunning. Unfortunately the less interesting subjects prevail.

No comments about The Ancient Mayas: Adventures in the Jungles of Yucatan 1934.

5 comments about The Unofficial Guide to Florida With Kids (Frommer's Unofficial Guides Travel Series).

1. Ms. Brandon takes the guesswork out of vacationing in Florida, with her common sense approach to this book. Information is organized in a user-friendly fashion that makes it easy and fun to include the whole family in the planning process! Her vast knowledge of the subject matter is apparent; she has given clear and concise descriptions of specific attractions throughout Florida, from a perspective rich with personal experience and humor. Indeed, it is an enjoyable book to read, even if a trip to Florida is not on the horizon!



2. I live in Central Florida, so I can say first-hand what an amazing book this really is. It has so many fabulous ideas and great vacation strategies. As a mother of 5, I know how hard it it to plan a well-rounded vacation. This book gives an outstanding variety of suggestions on places to go for kids ages 1 to 100! Give this book a read if you're going to Florida--you'll have the best vacation possible.



3. After our family's great success with The Unofficial Guide to Disney World, we eagerly snapped up The Unofficial Guide to Florida With Kids when the 2nd Edition was published in January, 2001. What a terrific book!

   We decided to take a weekend trip to St. Augustine, FL this past Wednesday, and left after work on Friday. With very little time to plan, I dug out this book and quickly flipped to the chapter dedicated to St. Augustine. There, the author gives a quick and interesting history of the city, as well as a map with recommended family resorts, attractions, and restaurants clearly marked. This section is followed by impartial reviews of each.

   The family resorts section goes over a number of cozy historical hand-picked bed & breakfasts and inns, with an eye towards children. It is very helpful in telling you what aged children are welcome, whether breakfast (and what type) is included, accurate rates, distance to nearby attractions, etc.

   The restaurant section focuses on dependable family-friendly local restaurants. This list is a godsend when you cannot stand the sight of another fast food restaurant, yet are afraid to try anything else.

   The place where this book really shines, however, is in the attractions section. Here the author and actual readers list and rate each attraction's appeal by age group! This feature is extremely handy in trying to sort through Florida's myriad of attractions with limited time on your hands and with an even smaller budget! We really liked the fact that the author points out lesser-known and less crowded attractions that are often overlooked by unprepared families.

   For instance, although we normally would never have stopped at anything called the St. Augustine Alligator Farm (I still grin at the name :)), we took the advice of the book and gave it a chance. It turned out to be terrific, one of my 3 1/2 year old's favorite parts of the trip! Another attraction that we would have certainly overlooked was Marineland, listed at the end of the chapter under side trips. Normally we wouldn't have given the park a second look, but we followed the book anyway and spent a fantastic Sunday afternoon there. Much smaller crowds meant that we got great seats at all of the shows, and we also got to spend a good bit of time talking with the animal trainers. My daughter even got to pet, feed, help train, and have her picture taken with a live dolphin! She was ecstatic, and I quietly whispered a thank you to author Pam Brandon for sending us here instead of the ultra-crowded Sea World where we could never have gotten that much time so close to the animals.

   I overrode the book's warnings about taking a preschooler to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum (rated in the book as 1 star out of 5 for that age group, although higher for older kids and adults). Sure enough, Ripley's was way too scary for my daughter, and I regretted not listening to the author's good advice. We could have saved $20 right there - more than I paid for the book!

   The Unofficial Guide to Florida With Kids saved us so much time and money in one weekend that it has already more than paid for itself. We are currently pouring through our copy working on our next trip. We spend a lot of time and effort on our family vacations, and we want to get our money's worth. We won't go back to Florida without this book. Highly recommended.




4. The book provides a very thorough representation of what there is to do in Florida with children, but I found a couple of things with which I take issue. First, on page 176, Brandon's advice for Waiting Line Strategies for Theme Parks suggests to use "elevator shoes for the short and the brave." Maybe Brandon doesn't understand that the height restrictions for theme park rides is for the protection and safety of kids and small adults, and legal liability of the theme parks! Getting your kids to stand up straighter, or putting heel lifts in their shoes (Brandon's advice) just so they will be permitted to ride an attraction is pretty lame, not to mention dangerous.

   In addition, I was shocked to visit St. Augustine Beach and see cars driving on the beach. I thought I had thoroughly read the St. Augustine chapter of the book. Guess not. The only mention of cars on the beach is on page 78, listed under Northeast Florida's Best Beaches, NOT in the St. Augustine chapter. I was very disappointed and felt that the driving on the beach is a hazard for young families, and is obviously downplayed both in this book and by the proprietors of beachside motels (particularly the author-recommended LaFiesta Oceanside Inn). All in all, a disappointing book which I feel I can't trust for further Florida adventures with my children.




5. We used this book on our trip to Florida this August and was a great buy. It is not a book that lists ALL there is in Florida, but what is BEST to see if you travel with kids. It gives insights that are a rarity in books of this type and it proved good both for things to do and for restaurants that pleased both kids and adults (from diner to real restaurants). We spared a lot of time and, consequentially, money.
   We used it together with a traditional guide book for reference, but we learned to trust the 'Unofficial' advice better.

No comments about The Smithsonian Guides to Natural America: The Southern Rockies: Colorado and Utah (Smithsonian Guides to Natural America).

2 comments about A Journal of Travels into the Arkansas Territory During the Year 1819 (Arkansas Classics).

1. Thomas Nuttall traveled through Arkansas on the White river and described what he saw in great detail. He actually named many of the plants that he found on the trip. The drawings in the book depict landscapes that anyone from Arkansas would recognize yet devoid of all the manmade features.



2. This is the journal of Thomas Nuttall who, in 1819, with $200 and a residual case of malaria,traveled from Philadelphia down the Ohio and the Mississippi to the Arkansas River and various of its tributaries. His journey extended as far west as the current site of Oklahoma City. His account of the plant and animal life, the geology and the streams of Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma are accurate, jargon-free and, in many cases, still definitive. His portrayals of the European and Native Americans he met are objective, unsentimental and unprejudiced. Througout the considerable dangers and difficulties he faced, he maintained, and conveyed, a refreshing sense of wonder at the natural world he explored, an attitude of realistic compassion for the people he encountered and a sense of the historical significance of what he witnessed. The journals are well-edited by Prof. Lottinville whose notes identify sites described by Mr. Nuttall with their current names and provide historical context for various events discussed in the book. This book is a great find for anyone interested in the land, history and people of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

No comments about Voyages of the Columbia to the Northwest Coast, 1787-1790 and 1790-1793 (North Pacific Studies).

No comments about Maine New Hampshire & Vermont: A Touring Guide.

3 comments about Frommer's Virginia (Frommer's Virginia, 5th ed).

1. Concise, up-to-date and useful descriptions of attractions, hotels and restaurants around Virginia. Not a tremendous amount of depth of information on any one spot, but if you're traveling around the state, this is a good guide.



2. A very comprehensive guide for the state of Virginia. Even though I am a frequent visitor to Virginia, I found many new interesting places to add to future itineraries.



3. in it that you'll never find all in one place. I used it and was pleased with it

No comments about Romantic Days and Nights(R)in Seattle.