No comments about Fodor's South Florida 2009 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

5 comments about Illinois Atlas and Gazetteer (Illinois Atlas and Gazetteer, Fifth Edition).

1. This atlas is a wonderful way to find alternatives to using expressways and tollroads in Illinois.



2. Hard to find some places. Print is too small for the over 50 crowd.



3. THIS IS A GREAT ATLAS FOR USING IT TO GET AROUND ROAD CONSTRUCTION. THE BOOK SHOWS THE BACKROADS IN VERY GOOD DETAIL.



4. These state gazetteers make traveling the back roads a pleasure, and is a great value from Amazon.



5. Bought this for my sister who lives and works in the greater Chicago area...she wanted navigation on her phone and this was a much better and much cheaper solution. Unlike navigation systems it lets you see the whole area and the surrounding raods. We use this same series in the Austin Area too and love it.

3 comments about Waterfall Lover's Guide Pacific Northwest: Pacific Northwest : Where To Find Hundreds Of Spectacular Waterfalls In Washington, Oregon, And Idaho.

1. This is a MUST have book for waterfall hunters, Mr.Plumb does a excellent job in telling you how to get to the falls, how hard it is to get to it and how nice the falls are. Plus there are a lot of real nice photo's here,although there all black and white, except the cover of the book.
   I also liked how he has maps of each "section" of the three states in this book.
   Each waterfall listed in the book Mr.Plumb tells you how to get to that waterfall, what kind of waterfall it is, how hard it is to get to it, the height of the falls, a star rating on how nice the falls are, and a little detail about the waterfall, and each waterfall he listed in the book has a very good map on where it is.
   You certainly WILL NOT be disappointed in this book, I use it whenever I look to see what falls I want to go to.



2. I sent for this book at the same time as another book, The first book from another vendor got to my house within a week. I waited the 7 to 21 days and still not book from "Caiman", I e-mailed them and got an automated responce of "7 to 21 day" At 30 days I e-mailed them back, a book got to me at about 31 days, bad business!



3. This fantastic book is in it's 4th or 5th printing. The reason why is because it is so comprehensive, and so thorough, and so original.
   
   The author not only visited literally hundreds of waterfalls all listed in this book, which must have taken months of research, plus travels, and studying of topographic maps, on top of countless miles of hiking, backpacking, and even some boating. The book is also very easy to read. There are no long passages of famous quotes from naturalists of the past. Just lists of waterfalls grouped by region, making it very easy to see more than a few on one trip. Add great directions and maps on how to get there, and superb descriptions of each waterfall. He also rates the waterfalls, gives information on how worthy the view is, how easy or hard it is to get to the waterfall.
   
   If you are a waterfall lover, or even think you're interested in seeing some, this valuable book is as good as it gets.

No comments about Newcomer's Handbook For Moving to and Living in Boston: Including Cambridge, Brookline, and Somerville.

5 comments about Birnbaum's Disneyland Resort 2008 (Birnbaum's Disneyland Resort).

1. Great book with lots of information for anyone traveling. My nine-year-old son is the biggest fan of the book, he can't put it down!



2. Very helpful, easy to read, great guide to add to the excitement of getting ready for the trip of a lifetime for us travelling from Australia in October 2008, but also provides you with essential information. Also brought "the unofficial guide to disneyland" which is also very good, but we keep picking up this one because of the pictures and ease of finding information.



3. It was very thorough about times, content of restaurants, rides, themes.
   It gave helpful hints about best hours and days to visit each area.
   Even a few coupons included.



4. If you have never been to Disneyland before, then I strongly recommend reading this guidebook before you go. Familiarize yourself with the layout of the park, learn how fast passes work, figure out how to use the train and monorail, and plan which attractions to see. Especially helpful is the calendar which lists high, medium, and low-traffic dates. Shoot for less crowded days if you can!



5. If you want useful and great information about DISNEYLAND. This is the book you want.

5 comments about The Best in Tent Camping: Southern California (Best in Tent Camping).

1. Unlike the other books I've seen on this topic, which generally just give the official info (number of sites, type of plumbing, map of hiking trails), Bill Mai gives lots of incidentals that help you get a "feel" for the camping grounds.

   Each site is given a 1 to 5 star rating in 6 categories: beauty, site privacy, site spaciousness, quiet, security, and cleanliness/upkeep. That way, you can pick and choose according to what's important to you.

   Also, he has written a little personal blurb about each one, with anecdotes about, maybe, what kind of animals he saw on the hiking trail or which specific campsite he likes best. Kids' preferences are also taken into account, and the question of what time of year is best to visit.

   It's true, this is not a backpacker's guide - these campsites mostly all are for mixed groups (RVs, cars, etc.) but Mai's suggestions and the quiet and privacy ratings will most likely help you avoid problems. There are a few camps where you have to hike in, but they are attached to the larger campsites.

   Mai also wrote the same type book for Northern California, and of course it's available here on Amazon.com, with some useful reviews with further info.




2. I love this book. I've been using it for 3 years. When I decided to take up camping, I didn't know where to start (i.e., where do you go? what do you bring? what happens when you get there? etc.) This book answers all these questions and more. Bill Mai writes in an enthusiastic and pleasant style as he reviews various campgrounds. He gives detailed descriptions of each campground that are informative, helpful, thorough and accurate. He has personally camped at most of the campgrounds he writes about, so his reviews are based on personal experience. I have camped at several of the locations he recommends and have yet to be disappointed. I use this book often not only to find my next campground, but also to peruse the reviews that I enjoy reading and re-reading. I even take it with me to browse while capming, and I've shared it with other campers who spoke of the book very positively and found it very helpful. When I was contemplating going camping, I looked and looked for a book like this, and was lucky to find the perfect camping book.



3. I am currently planning a camping trip where I would like tent camping to predominate over RV camping. I've read the entire book to find a suitable campground for me and my family and friends. I really appreciate that Mr. Mai rates each campground in the areas of BEAUTY, SITE PRIVACY, SITE SPACIOUSNESS, QUIET, SECURITY, CLEANLINESS/UPKEEP. I have numerous "camping in California" books and I really appeciate the "SITE PRIVACY" information contained in this book. For example, another book I have rates "Montana De Oro State Park" an overall 9 out of 10 which sounds great, but Mr. Mai give this park 2 out of 5 because although the park has many trees to shade it, the limbs of the trees are high and don't offer privacy from other campers. When we camp, we like to feel as if we are the only ones in the park. This book also offers info about bear in the area which I haven't typically found in other books (I want to know that I am headed into an area that's home to black bears - not that I wouldn't take the trip - I just want to be aware.)



4. If you buy this looking to do some pack-it-all-in and hike-in camping, you are going to be disappointed. This book is for the car camper who wants to drive in and erect a tent. Some of the sites do allow RVs, it is true, but for the most part, these aren't going to be giant cement parking lots with RV hookups and people listening to the ball game on their satellite TV hookups.
   
   The site amenities are listed in great detail, and Bill Mai's accompanying blurb about his personal experience at each site is very helpful. There are miniature maps and detailed directions for each site, too. I like his 6-component rating system, covering beaty, privacy, spaciousness, quet, security, and upkeep.



5. Like the Northern Cali guide this book has some great information. Unfortunately it doesnt even have a basic map to help figure out where the sites are- not very helpful. Luckily the spots themselves and the writing quality are excellent.

5 comments about Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: An Opinionated Guide to 50+ Ascents of Classic and Little-known Peaks from 8,144 to 14,443 Feet.

1. James Dziezynski does a wonderful job of both engaging the reader and informing them of what to look forward to on the hikes described. I have traveled a couple of the mountains mentioned in the book and found the descriptions and recommendations to be quite accurate as to what to expect on each trek. James' writing has me very much looking forward to my next Colorado adventure so that I can explore some more of it's peaks. Huzzah!



2. Ever since meeting the author while hiking Mt. Powell (one of the chapters in this book), I have looked forward to the release of this book. It didn't disappoint! As an avid hiker/climber living in the Colorado mountains, I have hiked many of the peaks described in this book. The route descriptions appear accurate and full of useful detail.
   I especially appreciate the detailed driving instructions, altitude profiles and optional routes. The "Why Climb It?" section in each chapter definitely whets the appetite for the hikes shown. Dziezynski interjects his rather off-beat sense of humor and personal experiences to make it more enjoyable and less of a "just the facts ma'am" sort of book. I highly recommend this book to both the seasoned mountain veteran and the casual tourist visiting the Colorado mountains for the first time.



3. I really enjoy hiking and camping in the backcountry of Colorado and I'm always curious about new places to hike. So when I saw this book I was intrigued and very curious about what it had to offer.
   Using this guide for a couple hikes its definitely become the best guide book I've used as it's very easy to use in the field, it's engaging with a unique author flare, thorough and very interesting. A definite "must have" to add to your guide book collection.
   What attracted me to this book was the beautiful pictures on the cover and the diversity of hikes, many I've not heard of before, within its pages! Hike and Trailhead descriptions are written in an easy to follow manner and the directions have been thorough and very accurate. It's obvious that a lot of time was spent researching these aspects. It's also really helpful that the intro page to each hike has an elevation graph, a mile by mile break down of the hike, interesting things you'd expect to see on the hike and wheather its a good day hike or one for camping. Also what's made the book a great guide in my opinion are the maps with GPS coordinates and the interesting tid-bits of historical info. included at the end of each hike description. Even more are the fun trivia questions in the Appendix section of the book! I've learned some really neat things so far!
   From cover to cover this a great guide and I am happy to have bought it!



4. This is not a permutation of some other work ... this is a fresh, unique guidebook. After you have been through Gerry Roach's books, Dawson's, and related classics, you know a lot about the 14ers and the near-14ers. But how about the "best of the best" without regard to altitude?
   
   For my tastes, I want to see those finest places, and not disqualify peaks that don't meet an altitude requirement. Like Bison Peak and Storm King. Places I would not know about from the most popular summit guides.
   
   Thanks James Dziezynski! I may not be able to pronounce your last name, but I darned sure appreciate your hard work and great authorship.
   
   Clearly, I recommend this book if you are looking for mountaineering ideas or exceptional climbs.



5. This is a very good guide - with a fresh selection of mountains and routes, mostly off the beaten path. We used it a lot during our 2008 summer vacation. There is the occasional error, and some of the authors descriptions of the difficulties may lead to unerving experiences for those not well accustomed to exposure. Nevertheless - highly recommended.

5 comments about Take a Hike New York City: Hikes Within Two Hours of Manhattan.

1. This is the must-have book for anyone who loves hiking. It's got the best trails, along with tons of great info. Everything you need if you live in and around New York City and love the outdoors.



2. This book details, in an easy to read fashion, legitmate day hikes (3-9 miles) in the NY/NJ region. If you are looking for hikes that offer the best of what southern NY and northern NJ has to offer, this book is for you.



3. I've lived in New York City for ten years, and just when I thought I'd done/seen it all, along comes this great book! I just completed my first hike outlined in "Take a Hike: New York City" yesterday (in the Ramapo Mountains of New Jersey) and I'm hooked. I carried the guide with me and - being a novice hiker - found that all the detail was perfect and wise. And it's smartly written as well with a bit of humor! I might last another ten years in New York now that I've been introduced to another facet of the city I call home.



4. Easy to use and informative. I look forward to picking hikes for the summer.



5. Saying that I use this book almost every week end should be enough.
   This is the best book to have for one day getaway from New York.
   Reliable and of good advice.
   This is The book I read to chose my week ends hike when I can't leave for more than one day. It has saved my week ends more than once!

3 comments about Louisiana Off the Beaten Path, 8th (Off the Beaten Path Series).

1. Reviewed by Mary Greenwood for Reader Views (2/07)
   
   "Louisiana, Off the Beaten Path" is a recent guide to Louisiana written by Gay N. Martin, who has written earlier versions of this guidebook as well as guidebooks for Alabama, where she lives. This guide is very up-to-date and takes into account changes as a result of recent hurricanes. However, even with the hurricanes, 85 percent of Louisiana was left intact. "Louisiana, Off the Beaten Path" is divided into five sections, one for each geographic area. In each section, Martin lists "Gay's Favorites, Top Annual Events, Places to Stay and Places to Eat." She also lists some delicious recipes and where to go to do further research.
   
   The first chapter covers Northwest Louisiana, which includes Ark-La-Tex, a 200-mile radius around the Shreveport and Bossier City area. What caught my eye were the many art museums and galleries. The R.W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport houses one of the three largest collections in the country of American Western paintings and sculptures by Frederick Remington and Charles Russell. Another town I would like to visit is Keatchie, a town where the Greek Revival architecture dates from the 1840's and 1850's and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
   
   In Northeast Louisiana, an unusual place to visit is the Poverty Point State Historic Sire, which may be as archaeologically significant as England's Stonehenge. Flying over the park, during the winter, you would see a mound outline of a great bird with a wingspan of 640 feet that was built over 3000 years ago. Central Louisiana is the setting for "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya's," the best-selling book and movie by Rebecca Wells. It is also the home of the musician Jerry Lee Lewis, who grew up in Ferriday, Louisiana, where the Delta Music Festival is held every spring. Southwestern Louisiana is the home of the Acadian Village in Lafayette and the Longfellow-Evangeline Museum in St. Martinsville. Of course, the heart of Southeastern Louisiana is still New Orleans, and "Louisiana, Off the Beaten Path" points out many nooks and crannies to go for food, music and culture that are out of the way. A Cajun Man's Swamp Cruise about 15 miles west of Houma, the Venice of America, looks like an interesting ride.
   
   "Louisiana, Off the Beaten Path" shows the diversity of Louisiana: the birds, the food, the swamps, the wildlife, the history, the festivals, the art, the traditions, the music and the plantations. I liked the way Martin lays out each chapter. Her book also includes the interesting side trips or restaurants near an attraction so you can easily make an interesting afternoon or day filled with several activities. After reading the book, I would like to spend a month in Louisiana and visit some of these unique places.



2. This book was a gift for my brother who lives in Louisiana. We used it immediately when he opened it and went to explore the area north of Baton Rouge. The guide was accurate as far as the two plantations we visited. If you're in the area, make sure to visit Rosedown plantation--the tour and guide were excellent.



3. The entire OTBT series seems to get worse as time goes on. My sense is they are becoming safer, less quirky and are being geared to an older more genteel group. Next time I will get an outdated OTBT from a library or used bookstore, although some entries would undoubtedly be obsolete.

5 comments about Minnesota Atlas and Gazetteer.

1. I know that others have given high praise but I found the information to be very out of date, such as a bike trail that has been paved for over 10 years listed as crushed rock and a museum showing in the location it was over ten years ago. This 3rd edition has a 2001 copyright and I expect information to be fairly up-to-date. This was a very disappointing purchase. I am not using it because I doubt the reliability. It looks nice but is not a good reference for my needs.



2. I join the other reviewers in wishing there were more detailed city street maps in this series. As others have said if you are traveling from one city to another by major roads then you are better off with mapquest directions (as dodgy as they sometimes are) or the foldout highway map you can buy at a gas station. However, if you travel back roads, camp, fish, hike, canoe, etc., then this book is invaluable. I have relied on this book to provide us with out of the way camping spots and it's never let me down. Most state and national forest campgrounds don't appear on highway maps, but this book has them. It's also especially useful if you want to find alternative routes, scenic drives, or short cuts off of major highways.



3. We got the atlas for an 11-day trip to Minnesota, and ended up hardly using it at all.
   I've used many road atlases, as I prefer them to folding maps, but this one was more of a nuisance due to its size and unclarity.
   I also doubt its up-to-date-ness, as a couple of roads that looked promising in this atlas turned out to be non-existing or dislocated.
   To me, the most undesirable trait was the fact that it was quite unfriendly - graphically-speaking.
   Some main roads (and even freeways) were represented similarly to smaller roads (color and width), which required really exerting our eyes in order to figure out which is what.
   We drove ~2500 miles in Minnesota, and after a couple of attempts, the atlas ended up on the back-seat, and we switched to the AAA map we had with us, luckily.
   Disappointing.



4. These state gazetteers make traveling the back roads a pleasure, and is a great value from Amazon.



5. I had borrowed this book and knew I wanted to buy it for myself. It is very detailed and for a directionally challenged person like me that is priceless.