No comments about New England '95: A Four-Season Guide with the Best Driving Tours, Shopping, B&Bs and Country Dini ng (Gold Guides).

5 comments about The New York Pop-Up Book.

1. The first thing that happened when I opened this book is that the Statue of Liberty fell out into my lap. Then I discovered that the Empire State Building doesn't actually pop up; you have to pry it up, and hope that you're not wrecking something in the process. This is true of most of the "pop-ups" in the book. Also, lift-up tabs get in the way of some of the pop-ups (or vice-versa). I'd say it's a lot of clever ideas badly executed. Probably the makers were trying to do too much. But in spite of all this, I still like it, and if you collect pop-up books, you probably will too. Just be ready to re-construct and re-glue a lot of the stuff.



2. I purchased this Pop Up Book for a 14 year old friend who enjoys Pop Up Books. At the last minute, I decided to purchase one for myself. Both of us are going to New York in the future and thought it might be a good guide. This book is absolutely wonderful. I have enjoyed each page. The detail is tremendous. The writing is entertaining and informative. The Pop Ups give you a feeling of "being there".



3. I have to use my fingers to make them pop-up. Not interesting pop-ups at all-- just plain and simple.



4. The Top of the Empire State Building are not in the book. The edges of the the book are really in a bad condition.I think, it's a seller problem!



5. A wonderful carnival of a book, and like many carnivals it has problems if you look closely. The pop-ups aren't always easy to work, and one piece tends to get fouled up on another. In addition, there are a LOT of little booklets and enclosures- many of them great in themselves but they tend to fall out of the book into your lap. Then you've got an evening of "Where the #@&&%^! did THIS go?" ahead of you.
   Still, it's a love poem to NYC, with all the best intentions.

2 comments about The Connecticut Guide (State Guide Travel Series).

1. This is one of the most painstakingly well-done travel guides you'll find on any region anywhere, let alone CT. The book intelligently divides the state into seven regions: Far Northwest (Litchfield Hills), Central Valley, Far Northeast, Seafaring Southeast, Lower CT River Valley, Southwest Coast, and the Housatonic and Naugatuck River Valleys. Each section starts with a clear map showing the towns and major roads in detail, along with an inset showing how that section fits into the state. The text is filled with wonderfully researched stories of local history, interspersed with logically laid out descriptions of local events, attractions, seasonal activities, and places to stay and eat. If you're serious about touring Connecticut and you want to carry along just one book, this is the one!



2. For full coverage of any travel destination, it often takes two different kinds of travel book. First, there are the books on the history, social and cultural highlights of an area. Many of these books have glossy pictures. Second, there are books with maps, directions, up-to-date information on prices and hours and a quality rating system.

   This book has both. Ziffer gives full and interesting details on each of the different regions of Connecticut. Her history starts with geologic origins of the region, extends through Native American and Colonial times and continues up to the present. This alone is fascinating reading. She also gives good information on cultural, artistic and historic places of interest. Like a Mobil Travel Guide, she includes listings for various restaurants with indications of how expensive your meal will be. You can probably find the right hotel for you using this book.

   However, this book is not a substitute for a Mobil Travel Guide-type book in a strictly practical sense. The maps are not detailed or particularly helpful for navigation. Restaurants, hotels and B&B's are reviewed, but there is no overall rating system. Unlike a Mobil Travel Guide, this book has many black and white pictures. And, the detail provided about each town provides a good sense of just what kind of place you will find. Ziffer gives many suggestions for interesting things to do, including various festivals and events throughout the year.

   I highly recommend this book for anyone planning travel to or through Connecticut. It is a particular aid to anyone who likes to scratch below the surface of a place. I would also recommend a Mobil Travel Guide or Fodor's to bring along in the car for the nitty gritty details of the trip. But, I would start my trip planning here.

1 comments about Looking for De Soto: A Search Through the South for the Spaniard's Trail.

1. This is a derivative work which is most enjoyable if one has a tiny bit of knowledge about De Soto. For budding De Soto enthusiasts, Looking For De Soto is a must read.

   Joyce Rockwood Hudson has written a lively and entertaining account of a six-week vacation she and her husband took in November-December 1984 where they followed the sixteenth century explorer De Soto's trail through the southeastern United States.

   You have to love people who shun the cruise ships and Disneyworld and Madison Avenue in order to tromp around in the mud of backwater swamps while on vacation.

   One might reasonably ask, who is this lady, and why should we care? She is the wife of noted anthropology professor Charles Hudson, and we should care because Professor Hudson has set forth an alternative route for the De Soto expedition, differing in important ways from the route as determined by the Swanton Commission (published by Smithsonian Press, 1939).

   The issue has not been settled - that of De Soto's precise route - but Professor Hudson's theories are interesting and taken seriously by academia as well as people such as myself who enjoy visiting historic places.

   If you are lost, don't feel alone. So are the Hudsons. That's the point. No one really knows where De Soto went, exactly, but the author ignites interest. She also describes in an engaging way a portion of the field work conducted while on "vacation", adding weight to Professor Hudson's theories.

   And remember, folks, this is only one theory of many. That's most of the fun. Those of us who consider ourselves southerners can relate. It is sort of like arguing whether Alabama's football team is number one, or Georgia's or Florida's...

   Only this stuff happened four hundred and fifty years ago, and the debate rages.

   These Conquistador fellows didn't ask for directions, they just snatched the first native American that came along and clapped him in chains if he didn't speak right up.

   Mrs. Hudson keeps you moving right along, with interesting detours about pecans, zinc mining, salt making, etc. She writes clearly, has a keen eye for the absurd, and knows how to deliver a punch line. I'm still laughing over the French colonial town of Smackover. I would also imagine that if you poke too many holes in her husband's theories, she might chew off your ear. A stand up lady.

   One or two fly specks in the book. A map comparing Hudson and Swanton routes would have helped enormously. You'll find yourself sorting through the Atlas and a dusty copy of the Swanton report. The author also fails to mention the name of a good rib place in Memphis. Unconscionable. The Afterword updates the reader on happenings through 1992, when the book was published.

   I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I wish De Soto would have had someone like Joyce Rockwood Hudson along. Even epic tales of death, disease, despair, and war require the female touch.

5 comments about Woodall's North American Campground Directory, 2007 (Woodall's North American Campground Directory).

1. Woodall's is an excellent guide to campgrounds, and it is rather comprehensive. However, I found the print size rather small and hard for me to read. The print size is the reason for a 4 rating rather than a 5.



2. As always, Woodall's reviews are accurate and helpful. At the beginning of each state is a map showing where the different campgrounds are located. As we like to camp "on the fly" this is very helpful. We'll look up and read the descriptions in the area we want, make a phone call and we're off! We haven't been disappointed by a Woodall's review yet.



3. I was hoping this would help me find campgrounds when I was tired and in a strange city with my RV; it was NOT AT ALL USEFUL!!!! There are no free places to park; no cheap places to park; extremely poor directions to the campgrounds listed, and IT DOESN'T EVEN LIST ALL THE PAYING OPTIONS EITHER!!!! This is a lot of money and a lot of cubic inches of wasted space in my RV right now. The categories are useless and hard to navigate, the areas listed are difficult to sort out when you need it, and the whole experience was extremely frustrating.



4. A comprehensive list of many campgrounds and national parks.
   
   Gives you information about how large an RV can be, contact info, and directions (however the directions are often unclear as to where they are starting from)
   
   A useful companion on the road (when you don't have internet access)



5. I have been using Woodall's for many years. It doesn't list all the campgrounds in the US obviously, but it sure has helped me in a pinch. I always look for a campground in Woodall's because I trust their judgement. I have never been disappointed yet.

1 comments about Texas: A Photographic Tour (Highsmith, Carol M., Photographic Tour.).

1. What an amazing book for the price: incredible photography, solid and helpful captions, some fascinating old black-and-white photos, even a full-page oil painting of my favorite Texas scene: bluebonnets in Hill Country in the spring. This inexpensive book is a high-quality effort and very well researched. Everybody knows Texas is a vast place. But most books dwell on the cowboy scenes. In this one, Carol Highsmith and Ted Landphair catch the best of every part of the state. On one page, there might be a fabulous sunrise (or is it sunset?) shot of a windmill on the prairie, then a shot of Billy Bob's honky-tonk in Fort Worth, then a stunning city skyline shot of Dallas or Houston. Even the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco is in this book. This is a tour, all right, at a great price. A keepsake book for sure. I gave so many away as gifts, I almost forgot to keep one for myself.

No comments about Moab, Utah Trail Map (North).

2 comments about Walker's Journey Home.

1. The first book in the Walker of Time Trilogy was probably the best book I have ever read, but it wasn't until last year that I discover there was a second and and a third one in the the series and I was in a frenzy to find the sequels! When I did find them, I was far from dissapointed! Walker's Journey Home rivals Walker of Time in plot and strength. The first book leaves you wondering what might have happened and this one tells you, leaving you completely satisfied! I have never seen such wonderful characters, so much detail and care go into a book until now. If you are a fan of adventure and excitement, please read this book. You won't be dissapointed!



2. This book is a page turning adventure! I couldn't put it down. The intense details make you feel as if your in the book. This is a book you don't want to miss reading!

No comments about North: Adventures in the Frozen Wild.

5 comments about The World-Famous Alaska Highway: A Guide to the Alcan & Other Wilderness Roads of the North.

1. Handy, practical, and refreshing describe this guide to the Alcan Highway and other roads of the North. Tricia Brown's friendly voice and personal insights bring the adventure to life for me. Although I've driven the Alcan many times over the years, there's much to see and much to learn. I plan to pack this Guide along with my gear for my next trip.



2. The World-Famous Alaska Highway is the ideal guide for anyone traveling up and down the Alaskan Highway. This compendium of historic sites, roadside attractions, dramatic views, wildlife sighting sites, recreational resources (hiking, biking, fishing, rafting, canoeing, cruising, flying, festivals, rodeos, parades, races, museums, theme parks) will ensure the success of any excursion from day trips to full-fledged vacations. The World-Famous Alaska Highway also offers practical money-saving, comfort enhancing advice on preparing your vehicle, roadway considerations and routes, as well as up-to-date contact numbers and websites for cities throughout the region and serviced by the Alaskan Highway. If you are planning just such a journey for business or pleasure, begin with a thorough reading of Tricia Brown's The World-Famous Alaska Highway!



3. I will be driving to Alaska this summer with my dog and I wanted guidance on local parks on the way where we could take breaks and go hiking. I purchased the book since it claims to provide information about hiking trails. No such thing; I found nothing of any value to me and returned it. In fact, if you delete the pictures and the lists of motels and restaurants... there would be little left to read.



4. Not sure why the last reviewer bought a driving guide instead of a hiking guide, but I found this book to be incredibly helpful and entertaining. It contained the right balance of text with history and don't-miss places to visit for each community, along with listings of restaurants and places to stay. She tell you the miles (and kilometers) between major towns and includes lots of great pictures. Highly recommended for preparing for the trip, and a great resource once you're on the road.



5. I am planning our first trip to Alaska. Initially I borrowed this book from our Parish library. I found it to be so informative that I decided to purchase the book for future reference.