5 comments about Weird U.S.: Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets (Weird).

1. If you buy this planning to go on a wierd US tour, you'll be disappointed, because the directions to each place aren't very well documented. If you want to visit any of these weird attractions, plan to make copious use of the Internet to search out better directions so that you don't get lost on the way.
   
   The layout of this book is gorgeous, and while it may not be worth the original B&N price, the Amazon marketplace price makes it a steal. The pictures are just fabulous. I love the personal narrations by different authors, but some other reviewers have noted mistakes, so they need to be taken with a grain of salt.



2. This is the kind of going down a deserted road and then-AHHH!! reading, not Hollywood, this is what we have all experienced at one time or another.It will keep you up reading it all night,but maybe not on Halloween? Must have all the other books in this series, a must read!!



3. Apparently, I must be somewhat weird, because this last Christmas, I was given four copies of this book by four different people. (And then, coincidentally, three of my friends got this book for their birthdays....)
   This book is loaded with weird facts, legends, lore, people, photographs, ghost stories, haunted places, supernatural figures, terrifying ruins and tunnels and forests and abandoned buildings, tall tales, odd museums, and answerless mysteries.
   I've travelled a lot around America, and I've come across a lot of strangeness that's not in this book--I always ask people, "What's the strangest thing you've ever seen?"--but what it is here is entertaining and unique, if occasionally doubtful. The book deals more with the East than with the West, and as a result of that a lot of cool stuff is never even mentioned that could be. There's only one or two items from New Mexico, and nothing at all on skinwalkers--the creepiest lore there is.
   Some parts of the book are actually frightening though--like phantom clowns!--and would be even scarier if read during an actual visit to these places.
   I recommend this book highly--it's very readable, though I wish it had maps or directions to the places it describes--and I will probably buy any sequels.



4. This is a great book if you plan to travel. It shows all the great places to stop at.



5. Totally freaky and as far as I know, 100% true. The book opens with case after case of Satanism, portals to Hell, etc. After you pass this "test" then the authors and contributors let you onto some really cool and unbelievable stuff, like, who really has Royal claim to the North American continent. Ha!

5 comments about California (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. As a member of the Eyewitness Travel Guides, this book's presentation and organization are fabulous and updated. However, travelers beware, it still tends to be on the heavy side given the paper type. I also own the previous (2003) edition of this book, and haven't found the changes to be too important. Furthermore, I don't find the color quality and sharpness of its pictures to be as great as the 2003 edition. I still prefer to use my older version.



2. I really like it.It has many pictures and tips for visitor.



3. I purchased this book and also the current Frommers CA guide. I appreciated this book, because as we drove around the cities- the book gave detailed information about the different points of interest including their history and origins. It was great for all of those times we wondered what the heck something was- or how it came to be - while driving around CA cities. I also found this book more helpful in pointing us to some cool shops in the cities. While the Frommers guide was more detailed in its restaraunt and hotel descriptions, this book was more helpful in finding some of the off the beaten path - fun to see sites.



4. For every destination worldwide I plan (or dream) to go I buy a new DK guide, it`s a wonderfull search for research and recordation and California DK guide is not an exception to this rule.
   
   The only problem is that comparing with my old DK guides (my oldest one is around 9 years old)I would say the printing quality is getting more poor now, maybe because it`s made in China.
   
   But still the best you can find in market.



5. I always love books from DK because of their colorful pages and organized. They have listed as much places, events as possible into useful categories and give readers a brief idea for each places (address, opening/closing time, websites...) I live in Los Angeles myself but never been to several places listed in the book. This book is not too big to carry if you are planning to bring it with you in the carry-on bag. Recommended to all the travelers !!

5 comments about Hiking Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Hiking Guide Series).

1. I will say without a doubt that if you are looking to do anything off the beaten path in the UP (which is most things), then this book is absolutely crucial. There are hikes for all levels of hiking experience, each with a bit of background information and spot-on directions. The hikes are all personally recommended by the author and not just a re-hash of what you read in the Hunt's Guide or some other lesser peer (if I may use an oxymoron). A complete guide to hiking the UP would take a series of books this size, but fortunately for us Eric Hansen has done all the walking himself to find the fifty that cannot be missed. I live in the UP and I had frequented many of the places in this book before it came out, yet I still was never left without some fresh knowledge regarding each and every hike. Buy this and begin walking!



2. This is the book I've been waiting for ever since I saw Eric's article and photos on the undiscovered Trap Hills in the Western U.P. in an outdoors magazine. Eric, who lives in Milwaukee, combines the been-there trail notes with the perspective of someone widely familiar with what the Upper Great Lakes has to offer hikers.
   
   The actual book chapters I read completely lived up to my expectations. Now, alas, I've mislaid my copy and must write my review from memory. My husband and I do a very wide-ranging guide to U.P. points of interest and history - www.hunts-upguide.com. We are always looking for good books that do certain subjects on a deeper level. Thank you, Eric, for taking the time to explore our beautiful, out-of-the-way corner of the world.



3. Didn't refer to the book a whole lot, but what we did try was successful. Information was timely and our experience was better for it.



4. I met Eric randomnly while on a camping trip with some friends. We came upon him while he was fishing and he just struck right up about hiking and camping and ended up giving us a suggestion for finishing up our day in the area, casually mentioning later on that he had written a guide about hiking the UP. A girl and I took him up on the idea and it was easily one of the most magical things I have ever done. Don't know as if it's in the book or not, but as it turned out my mom had bought it that same day by coincidence. Just wanted to say thanks to Eric (and I'm going on the other trip too) and tell all you people out there that he really knows what he's talking about!!!



5. I used Eric's book Memorial Day weekend 2007 to plan a series of day hikes in the U.P. The hikes he chose to highlight are indeed spectacular. The trail descriptions are helpful and accurate, to the point where I took one of the Norwich Bluff alternative routes and found the suggested, little traveled side trail with no problems. I also used this book for some route planning in the Porkies a year or so ago. Thanks for the great guide!

1 comments about Benchmark Utah Road & Recreation Atlas - 4th edition.

1. I first tried the Utah Atlas and Gazetteer- it has POOR detail...!,
   The Gazetter did NOT show many of the back roads (unimproved...), and is not very topographic (mountains...). VERY CONFUSING to try and follow!
   
   I "HIGHLY" recommend the!-
   Benchmark Utah... Road & Recreation Atlas (any state!) Excellent detail/topographic, and most of the unimproved roads/trails...!

4 comments about Backroads of New England: Your Guide To New England's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures (Pictorial Discovery Guide).

1. When fall comes in New England, the trees turn into a splendid mass of reds, oranges and yellows that temporarily distract us from the coming winter. At the same time, the first fresh snowfalls have a special beauty that New Englanders love as well. But the first blush of spring causes a special joy to burst out from our hearts. In the lazy days of summer, we love to watch the wind blow the grasses and trees from languid poses.
   
   At any one of those times, I find myself thinking how much fun it would be to see some new sights in the context of those favorite New England conditions. In the forty years I've lived in New England, I've found many of my favorite locations purely by accident. The back roads are always the best. But I don't have the time to randomly drive all the back roads to find the best ones.
   
   That's where Backroads of New England comes in. Kim Knox Beckius has found 30 delightful drives over back road that mix scenery, history, culture and just plain fun. I have taken about half of the drives in the book, so I can swear by those. I am looking forward to doing the rest now that I know where to go.
   
   How can I tell I would like the others? First, Ms. Beckius provides helpful essays about where to begin, what to see, and what to stop and do along the way. She even includes some suggestions for hiking to beautiful waterfalls. Second, William H. Johnson's gorgeous photographs colorfully illuminate the main sights for each drive. Whether you love covered bridges, snow-capped peaks, delightful streams, pounding surf, or mysterious vistas, you can page through the book to find the places that speak mostly fervently to your soul.
   
   The book is also organized by state. So if you are planning to go just to Maine and arrive by air in Portland, you can simply focus on the Maine trips and those in New Hampshire and northeast Massachusetts that are not too far away. If you live in New York, and want to drive for no more than two hours, you can focus on that radius in western Connecticut and Massachusetts.
   
   I have been looking at travel guides for New England for many years. I've never seen a finer one for back roads adventures.
   
   Give it a try!



2. Kim Knox Beckius, a well-known New England travel writer, has teamed up with New Hampshire photographer, William Johnson, to create a pictorial guide to 30 scenic drives throughout the region.
   
   You get five scenic drives each from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Rhode Island offers up another four, and Maine weighs in with a larger six. The drives cover the best of New England, from mountains to the ocean, and from the lakes to the beaches. And a whole bunch more.
   
   Kim doesn't spend a lot of time on directions. They tend to be brief and on the side of the pages - enough to get you around but not much more. Kim focuses her travel writing skills on making sure you experience in words the sights, sounds, and smells of each region. The beautifully produced photography greatly enhances this experience.
   
   While I love this book if you're looking for one crammed with detailed directions and a step-by-step tour of attractions this isn't it.
   
   This is a book to keep near you throughout the long winter... to browse whenever you want to remember a drive already taken... or one waiting for you in the spring.



3. My wife and I just came back from vacation in New England. Aside from the Delorme maps, this book was the most important item we took with us. We went on several of the scenic drives described in the book, and they were all absolutely beautiful! The directions were perfect, even if they don't tell you the distances involved. The photographs in the book are worth the price alone, but it's even better when you come across the places pictured in the book and find out they're just as gorgeous as the author said they would be. If you're going to New England, you need this book.



4. This was obviously a carefully researched, well-written book, with great photos. But I was disappointed that there was so little focus on maps. Rather than showing a detailed maps of a recommended route, the author chose to write a verbal description of a recommended route. That's sufficient if you wish to follow the author's route exactly. But if you would rather create your own route with some guidance from the book, it's virtually impossible.

No comments about Zagat Boston Restaurants 2008/09: Including Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket (Zagatsurvey).

2 comments about Lonely Planet San Francisco (City Guide).

1. I have been to San Francisco before but this time is for my Honeymoon, I wanted to make the trip special. I did not like this travel guide. There were no color glossy pictures, only a few hotels were listed for each area of the city. In the past I have bought Fodor's and Michelin travel guides that were much better.



2. My family and friends gave me over a dozen current San Francisco guidebooks before I moved there a few months ago. Out of all of them (Fodors, Rough Guide, Frommer, Let's Go, DK, etc) this Lonely Planet guide is my favorite. Not only is it the most up to date (the other guides had listings for businesses and restaurants that are no longer around) it is by far the most useful with easy to use, detailed maps for every section of the bay area. Also the history and culture sections are very well written and informative. Even though I'm now a native, I still carry this book around in a backpack when I go places around the city.

2 comments about Moon Yellowstone and Grand Teton (Moon Handbooks).

1. When I'm planning a trip the first thing I do is order a Moon Handbook for the area in which I want to travel. They are invariably well informed because the people who write are passionate about the area and will suggest places that some people may miss out on.
   
   The layout is good and the maps are excellent - simple to read and navigate by. We travel pretty extensively in Canada and America and the Moon Travel Handbooks are the only travel books we take with us.
   
   I particularly like the suggestions for hiking trails and what you can expect to see as well as the rating for each hike e.g. easy flat walk or moderate walk with some steep ascents.
   
   Before you book the suggested accommodation check on tripadvisor to get traveller reviews and make your judgement from those. This book had the usual good tips on where to eat.



2. If you're planning an extended visit to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, I highly recommend this guidebook. (If you're only going to visit the Parks for three or four days as part of a longer trip, however, it's probably more detail than you would need.) We recently visited the two Parks for a total of twelve days, and I found this Guide extremely helpful. Unusually for a guidebook, I actually read it pretty much straight through before we left. It's an enjoyable read, even aside from the quality of the information it presents.
   
   The Moon Guidebooks only seem to have emerged onto the scene within the past several years, and for many readers they are still likely to be less familiar than such old standbys as Fodor's or even Lonely Planet. But I've used several guides from this publisher now and have found them to be uniformly excellent.
   
   In terms of the book's coverage, you get 70 pages on Yellowstone Park itself; 64 pages on the Yellowstone Gateway communities; 33 on Grand Tetons National Park; and 91 on the Jackson Hole area. There's also a 33-page "Background" section that provides interesting information about the geography and climate, flora and fauna, and the often controversy-ridden history of both Parks, and a 4-page section on avoiding or dealing with bear attacks. Finally, there's a solid 6-page bibliography with suggestions for other reading.
   
   The book includes an abundance of maps - in the sections focused on sightseeing (as opposed to where to stay and eat), you'll typically find at least one map every four pages. There are interesting, even compelling sidebars, such as the one about "Beaver Dick" Leigh, an English immigrant and early resident of Jackson Hole who on Christmas Day 1887 watched his wife Jenny, newborn baby, and four other children all die of smallpox and left a heartbreaking account of the experience, which the author quotes in full (p. 113).
   
   This guidebook is thorough, accurate, and useful, but beyond that, I enjoyed the glimpses of the author's personality that he lets come through in his writing. "The Buffalo Bill Museum is a real joy," he tells you, although his assessment of the Cody Firearms Museum is more restrained: "it's interesting even for those of us who consider the proliferation of guns a national menace. . . . All told, this museum houses more implements of destruction and mayhem than you're likely to see at an NRA convention." Or: "For those who love history, Trail Town is an incredible treasure trove without the fancy gift shops and commercial junk that tag along with most such endeavors. This is the real thing, low-key and genuine."
   
   He also writes effective descriptions that will help you decide what you may want to see:
   
   "Togwotee Pass is one of the most scenic drives imaginable, with Ramshorn Peak peeking down from the north for several miles until the road plunges into dense lodgepole forests (Shoshone National Forest) with lingering glimpses of the Pinnacle Buttes. At the crest it emerges into the grass-, willow-, and flower-bedecked meadows with Blackrock Creek winding through. Whitebark pine and Englemann spruce trees cover the nearby slopes. . . . Togwotee Pass is a complete shock after all the miles of sagebrush and grassland that control the heartland of Wyoming. It's like entering another world - one of cool, forested mountains and lofty peaks instead of the arid land with horizonwide vistas."
   
   In short, this is an excellent guidebook to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and the immediately adjacent areas. If you're planning a more extensive ramble around other parts of Wyoming, then you'll want to check out the author's Wyoming volume for Moon, which tops out at a comprehensive 728 pages. (The Yellowstone-Grand Tetons coverage in the statewide volume runs about 180 pages, about half as long as in this separate volume specifically focusing on the Parks.)

5 comments about Hiking North Carolina, 2nd: A Guide to Nearly 500 of North Carolina's Greatest Hiking Trails (State Hiking Series).

1. Any traveler to North Carolina will be able to use this helpful guide to the state. It's full of information on numerous trails, including educational ones perfect for the family.



2. This was a good book for a general description of several trails in North Carolina, but didn't give many details. I think I was looking for something that would give me enough information to pick one trail out of them all to visit, but the brief descriptions didn't give me enough to go on. If you already know which trail you want to trek and it is one of the trails covered in the book, you're pretty well set. You will, however, need another map to know exactly how to get to that particular trail...the book has a map with a general location but no specific driving information.



3. Mr. Johnson's "Hiking North Carolina" is a guide for hikers by a lifelong hiker in the North Carolina High Country. North Carolina has hundreds of miles of hiking trail, and Randy has hiked most of them himself. The one risk of writing a guide about something you love so much, is to ruin the sense of adventure by including too much information. On the other hand, I have been hiking long enough to remember guides that would allow you to barely find the trailhead, much less give you good information about the trail and what you will encounter. There is a fine balance between a guide that tells too much, like the Appalachian Trail guides, and a guide that says too little, like some I see in popular magazines. I believe that Mr. Johnson's guide strikes a good balance between the two; telling you what you need to know while preserving the sense of adventure in the experience. It's the adventure that draws us into the woods after all. I recommend this guide for anyone who is interested in hiking in the state. His maps are quite detailed and well drawn, and his trail descriptions are enough to get you where you want to go without spoiling the fun of discovery. It is an excellent work and well worth including in your outdoor library.
   
   Robert Branch
   Burnsville, NC



4. This is an excellent resource and planning guide. I have nothing to add to the earlier reviews, most of which are 5 stars.
   
   The lack of GPS coordinates of the trailheads is the one glaring deficiency and the reliance on another map resource is no substitute. The copy edit staff should have done their homework and inserted this information, since it could be done from their desks. It appears instead that they put their efforts into misleading advertising -
   
   "Detailed trail descriptions, and GPS-compatible trail maps"
   
   Nevertheless, I have since purchased extra copies for gifts.



5. All of Randy Johnson's books are very informative. The maps and driving directions are excellent and also the trail descriptions.

5 comments about The Best Little Map of Savannah, GA..

1. The Best Little Map of Savannah is a must for any trip to Savannah. The map is beautifully illustrated - - places of interest are clearly displayed. Restaurants,hotels and squares in Savannah are easy to locate on this map. The map folds and is easy to carry.



2. This was perfect for walking around the Historic district. We could tell how far different restaurants and other attractions were from our hotel easily. Made it easier to walk around without too much extra wandering, which was important to us as we had 2 young children in tow! We are moving to Savannah soon and will keep this available for our guests!
   
   For driving to various parts of the city I'd recommend using Mapquest or a "real" map, but all in all, we really thought this was so useful. And pretty to boot!



3. The information included in this map can be easily accessed with any of the free maps available throughout the city. These maps include popular landmarks and squares.
   The city is conveniently laid out in a straight north/south and east/west grid, so it's hard to get lost. To find a specific business it't easy to explore (or see the yellow pages).
   At one third to one half the price, i might recommend it, but with the grade school graphics and the above shortcomings i cannot.



4. This a a great map. I knew I would like this one since I also bought the map for Charleston and it was very helpful as we walked through Charleston two years ago. It details restaurants, historical buildings, hotels, so it is easy to get around. Next week we go to Savannah, the hotel we are staying in is on the map, also the places we are planning to tour. If you are going to Savannah, this is a must.



5. Could not do with out this map.This map is invaluable when visiting the Historic District. I have to order another one since we used this one so much.