5 comments about Weird Florida (Weird).

1. This is a rather odd collection of novelty sites in Florida. Some involve ghost stories, and others are natural phenomena. The book won't serve as a guide of places to visit, as details on location are sketchy. It is colorfully illustrated with photos.
   Is there lost pirate's treasure in South Florida? Is there a skunk ape near Bardin? Check out the smallest post office in the U.S. (at Ochopee). See Florida's weirdest mailbox (a skeleton on a motorcycle).
   The writing has a "gee whiz" style and is corroborated by semi-anonymous endorsements of the legends.
   Interesting enough for a quick flip through, but lacking in real substance or solid research.



2. It was interesting and fun to see these wacky sites plus to read the folklore, and it does kind of aid the tourist who wants to see weird parts of
   the state. But I found more enjoyable was Elliots Kleinberg's Book
   of the same name.



3. Funny, wacky, well-written and super illustrations. This is a terrific book on our beloved state. Do not be confused by another book with the same name. It's Charley Carlson who has our state perfectly in his sights. Love this book and strongly recommend it.



4. Had purchased a copy of this book while on vacation in south Florida. Enjoyed it so much that I decided to purchase copies for family as Christmas gifts. My husband and his family have been here since 1969 and always told me stories and I thought they were pulling my leg. Not So!! Fun reading for other states as well.



5. Written by a Florida native, Weird Florida contains a lot of funny and strange stories. Although not strictly a travel book, a little more effort could have been given to directions and locations. Frequently it seems the author assumes a pretty detailed knowledge of Florida geography. Some towns used as location indicators are tiny and obscure, even they are nearby a major metro area, which is usually unmentioned. Otherwise it seems to be a good collection of anecdotes, stories, sightings and legends. Will see many of the places on an upcoming trip to Florida.

2 comments about Roadside Relics: America's Abandoned Automobiles.

1. Beautiful images of burnt out, rusted, and
   dead classic cars, trucks and vehicle parts,
   dressed in weeds, grass and mud...lovely.
   Not so much in your neighborhood, but they
   make fabulous images in their abandoned settings.



2. Bought this as a gift for husband, and he absolutely loved it! He looks through it all the time, even wants me to order more books about abandoned or wrecked cars. He is a car enthusiast to the fullest, and I recommend this book.

5 comments about Fodor's Flashmaps New York City, 8th Edition (Flashmaps).

1. Two crucial tips for NYC: have great maps and pack lightly. Flashmaps allows you to do both! This small book can be pulled out quickly and referenced without having to unfold a huge map. Multiple maps for subways and buses and shopping aren't needed because everything is contained in this booklet. It can be stashed in a coat pocket or small bag.
   
   I would recommend this to anyone visiting for the first time or 100th time!



2. I have had all the editions of this map. It is a great resource for NYC. I even use their recommendations for restaurants. The only minor complaint I have is about the Brooklyn and Queens maps. These are very superficial and cannot be used to get around these burroughs.



3. I have visited New York City twice now and I am currently planning my 3th trip. Fodor's flashmaps are an indispensible guide: practical, easy to use and with all the information I need as a tourist to quickly find my way around the city. I have compared flashmaps with other guides and maps but I find Fodor's stand out from the competition: the information is presented in a very logical and straightforward way and looking up the desired info is a matter of seconds; the information is comprehensive, useful and very to-the-point: the editors focus on information you need on a daily bases and is very much of the 'no frills, need to know'-class: important addresses, streetfinders, important contact information, transportation, hotels, hospitals, post offices as wel as shopping addresses, hotels and airports to name just a few out of more then 30 categories. And finally: the book's dimensions make it easy to carry around without that 'hey, look at me, I am a tourist'-feel. Perhaps one of the best guides on the market and highly recommended.



4. I bought four different reference sources for a trip to NYC. Each had something unique to offer but if I only had the funds to purchase one, this would have been it. It has it all - easy to use, tons of info like address finder, subway and bus maps, restaurant lists with pricing guidelines and much more. The size is great, fits nicely in a purse or deep pocket. It states on the front that it's the "Ultimate Map Guide" and it is.



5. A bouhgt several different NY guides, but this map was the one I used most. It's small enough that you can open it in subway without been in shame, but big enough to read street names without binoculars. Map also includes subway system, wich was great. Next trip I will leave my guidebooks to home and take this map and michelins guide to NY.

No comments about Nantucket: Island Living.

5 comments about The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston.

1. My copy arrived yesterday, and being a big fan of My-Table magazine, I was expecting a superior product. The book is not organized in a logical fashion, nor does it rate the restaurants, or indicate the cost of a meal.
   As a restaurant guide it's not very useful at all.



2. I love this book!! Since I moved to Houston I've been amazed at how great the food scene here is. But it's always been a challenge to know where to go because there are so many places with such a variety of restaurants, especially when I have friends visiting from out of town. Now I have one copy in my car and one at home and use it all the time. I am even reading the book when I'm not looking for a restaurant. There are so many places to go which I haven't even tried yet, and the comments are pretty accurate without being too bitchy. I never knew about the farmers markets until I read about them here. Great information for anyone who is into good food. This is a hefty book and a lot of fun too. I recommend it to anyone into the Houston food scene.



3. Much more than a guidebook to area restaurants, "The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston" is just that, a guide to all the interesting and important spots that a food lover should be aware of in one of the country's best food cities. There are descriptions of the best wine bars, farmers' markets, pubs, ethnic grocers, butchers, cooking classes, and much more, in addition to brief profiles of restaurants of every stripe and price range that you ought to know about if you like to dine out. Editor Teresa Byrne-Dodge, along with her team of writers, brings a great understanding and balance concerning all things food-related about the city of Houston that might be missing elsewhere, and which makes for very useful and accurate copy. She reported on restaurants for the "Houston Post", created the successful "My Table" magazine (where I often contribute), and was the long-time editor for the Houston portion of the Zagat Survey; she knows the expansive food and dining landscape better than anyone, which gives this small volume additional heft. Not incidentally, it makes for a fitting complement to my "Houston Dining on the Cheap", and a great resource for anyone who enjoys food in Houston.



4. After reviewing this guidebook, I decided to purchase 2 copies--one for the office and one for the house. At home, we use it to help search for a variety of restaurants and at the office, we use it to choose where we will spend our lunch and happy hours. Frank and opinionated, The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston is a definite must for those wanting to get out of their restaurant and bar rut. Plus, it has reviews on grocers, bakeries and info on food festivals and cooking classes. An true all-around food publication!



5. I'm a New Yorker and I love this book! Like New Yorkers, Houstonians know their food and their food lovers! I couldn't wait to get my copy and it did not disappoint! "The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston" takes you to the vibrant underbelly of Houston cuisine. It's ethnically diverse, edgy and, most of all, useful. Teresa Byrne-Dodge and her team from "My Table" magazine have done it again--this book is just what I'd expect from a globally recognized family of food writers, publishers and editors. It's a must have in a foodie's paradise. Raise your fork and your credit card and order this book now!

5 comments about PassPorter's Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line: Easy Access Vacations for Travelers with Extra Challenges (PassPorter).

1. This book provide great information on everything in Disney World. They provide it on Resorts, Dining, and Theme Parks. They did not update it fully for this year. For example it goes up to 2007 for the yearly celebration or Hollywood Studios' new parade but it included Toy Story Mania. The book hardly contained anything on Disney Cruise Line. It should contain more information on entertainment and food and activites onboard and Castaway Cay and prices but it did not. It should be called "Open Mouse for Walt Disney World" without having Disney Cruise Line added to the title.



2. I think this book has valuable information. It is a good book. I am a person with health considerations and a big Disney Fan. I found this book and the Walt Disney World with Disabilities both very helpful. Since they are both good references for my needs with their own style and quality I used them both.



3. Although we have visited Walt Disney World many times, the information available in this book was genuinely helpful. We're also looking into the cruise/park vacation packages, and there seemed to be a lot of information there, too.



4. I got this book and was so impressed with it my sister got it to. its one of the best books you can have for WDW. I give it 10 stars.



5. If you or a family member suffers from food allergies, motion sensitivity, mobility issues, fears, or any other special needs or challenges, this book and show how you can have a fantastic time at Walt Disney World!
   
   This book has a lot of the information from the PassPorter's Walt Disney World combined with additional information for those with travel disabilities and allergies.
   
   My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is that it really doesn't cover the Disney Cruise Line all that much.

4 comments about The Most Beautiful Villages of New England (Most Beautiful Villages).

1. Wonderful photagraphs and great images of beautiful New England! Reminiscent of my childhood, and old fashioned villages of yesterday. A must for the coffee table!



2. I'm a big fan of quality photography. This is a great book with terrific pictures of new england, and all the good reasons to move here.



3. I love books that have high quality photography, this is a magnificent book on new england towns.



4. I took this coffee-table photo book out of the library once I realized that one of the featured "most beautiful villages" in New England was Stonington, Maine -- where I lived for nearly seven years. I wanted to see what they chose to show about the Deer Isle area because hey, *I* knew what made the area so gorgeous. If they could capture Stonington, perhaps they could also bring to life the beauty of the other villages covered -- from Essex, CT to Grafton, VT to Nantucket, MA.
   
   To my disappointment, though, the photographers chose rather humdrum locations to highlight. Nothing here is _bad_, mind you. The photos are perfectly nice. There's plenty of predictable photos of clapboard buildings and small town churches and autumn leaves. But it's the predictability that makes this worth flipping through once... and only once. It's as though you had purchased large-format postcards from the ordinary gift shoppe -- not captured something unique and beautiful.
   
   I'm a little astonished that this book has so many pictures of the (admittedly beautiful) autumn leaves in New England (that is, they're beautiful if they don't make you think "Oh geez we'd better top off the heating oil"). But not a single picture of the mountain lupine blooming in the spring that, in my opinion, is far prettier. You'll see several inoffensive photos of boats tied up at the dock at sunset... but almost nothing that reflects the sense of community that can make small-town living so precious.
   
   I'd hoped that this book would bring back a tiny bit of my years on Deer Isle. Alas... I'll have to dig out my own photos for that.

5 comments about The California Coast: The Most Spectacular Sights & Destinations.

1. One of my favorite things to do is to travel down sections of the California coast. I do this whenever I can, and usually have an opportunity to revisit a favorite site at least once a year. One of the high points of being a teenager in California was taking a driving trip with my mother and sister where we covered almost the entire coast.

   I was very impressed by this book. If you think you are interested in taking a trip to the California coast, I think this book is essential!

   First, I couldn't find any sight that I have enjoyed visiting that was not included. For example, I have spent a lot of time near Laguna in Southern California in recent years. I found every activity that I enjoy doing in Laguna captured in the book, down the art galleries and museum I like to visit there.

   Second, most books of photography cause you to have great envy for the skill of the photographer, with no idea how to take your own images. I was delighted when the book opened with a brief photographic note that explained what equipment was used for the photographs. It's all equipment that I can access and manage, which is also nice. The images of sunsets over the ocean are the best!

   Third, the book brings in the environmental issues of defending the coastline from California's enormous population and heavy tourism industry. You will read about how development and wildlife are both being protected and brought together in complementary ways. Ms. Misuraca's text makes no bones about the smog and congestion near Los Angeles, and the photographs make those problems visually appalling.

   Fourth, the writing is way above what I've come to expect for travel-related books. I thought that Jean-Michel Cousteau's Foreword was especially eloquent. "California is a fabled land . . . . From small, Hispanic-influenced farming towns to the cosmopolitan bustle of San Francisco and Los Angeles, it is host to a blend of cultures not seen since the days of ancient Rome."

   Fifth, there's a balance in the subject matter that I found helpful. Many areas of California offer seasonal festivals related to fishing, harvesting or simply cultural history. Anyone who loves California enjoys visit those festivals. The book is quite complete in telling you about those activities. At the same time, you get ideas of where the architecture, hiking, photography, swimming, surfing, and nature observing are good.

   This is probably the only book about California's coast that I have seen that both residents and potential visitors will treasure equally.

   After you have finished enjoying this remarkable book, I hope you will plan to visit some of California's lesser known but remarkable locales. I particularly recommend the section of Route 1 that goes south from Carmel through Big Sur, the Lost Coast, Fort Ross, Muir Woods, Point Reyes, Drake's Bay, Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Preserve, Morro Bay, Catalina, and Torrey Pines.




2. Stunning photographs!! A beautiful book! Text is most interesting & informative too. Well written. You wish you could jump into the page & pictures themselves. I once lived in California - wish I had this book - years ago! SM Pierrot Olney, MD



3. What an excellently written book. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the authors words are worth a thousand (mental) pictures. But there are very nice photo's as well. Covers nature, towns, and cities with the type of information a tourist or native would appreciate. And if you can't actually do such a trip, you definitely can from your armchair while reading this book. A real pleasure.



4. I bought this booking thinking it would be a good guide to the hidden gems on the West Coast but found that it was more a coffee table book or souvenir book. If you are looking for something with detailed information on the coastal drive, e.g., highlights, directions, tips, etc. this isn't it. If you want a nice momento of the California Coast, then it's a beautiful book.



5. This is a book we repeatedly buy, since we give this to our house guests as a keepsake of their trip to the Bay area. Since it also mentions the town we live in - Half Moon Bay - it is especially meaningful. Wonderful pictures!

No comments about Presidential Travel: The Journey from George Washington to George W. Bush.

5 comments about Two in the Far North.

1. This is perhaps the most inspiring and entertaining book I have read in years. Mardie Murie is to me the quintissential woman, a true feminist, and first female to graduate from the University of Alaska, who follows her own star while completely respecting the stars of others. Her prose is "luscious," intelligent, rich in imagry, and filled with honesty and joy. She writes about her life growing up in Alaska at the turn of the twentieth century, and how she transcends cold and harsh conditions to follow the love of her life, Dr. Murie, as he studies the caribou herds in Alaska's wilderness. She even finds breathtaking romance on this amazing life adventure, spreading her love of life and nature to everyone she encounters. I can't recommend this book enough!



2. I'd heard Margaret (Mardy) Murie's name in the same news and conversational circles as I'd hear names like John Muir, Barry Lopez, John McPhee - all among my favorite writers, scientists and naturalists - so when this book appeared in my stack of Christmas gifts this year I was really excited.
   
   Over the last several months I've picked up several books set in the northernmost corners of the world, some of them truly incredible stories of frontier exploration, survival and human endurance - and Murie's book did not disappoint.
   
   In Two in the Far North, Murie spends the first few chapters recounting her childhood in then-brand new Fairbanks, growing up in a modest cabin during winters that dipped, and often stayed, well into the -40s and -50s, and witnessing the growth of a burgeoning frontier town. Later, after graduating from the University of Alaska (she was the first woman ever to do so), she married Olaus Murie - a scientist studying the migration patterns of Caribou in remote northern Alaska. Together they set off for the Brooks Range to explore wildlife in areas like Bettles and Wiseman and the Old Crow River valley.
   
   Murie is considered by many to be the grandmother of the conservation movement, and much of the passion she had for this territory that later translated into her advocacy for wilderness protection were born in the stories of this book.



3. Well written essay of a life adventure in the wilds of ALASKA by devoted NATURE LOVERS---This is a must read book for Outdoor Enthusiasts !I sent a copy to my daughter& grand daughters--knowing that they would enjoy the experience of the writer & spouse and may experience a similar event.



4. I lived in Alaska for 20 years and found this to be one of the best, first books I read when I moved there.



5. Margaret Murie was ahead of her time when she explored Alaska. I fell in love with my state all over again. She did what most people only dream of nowadays. I admire her for her courage and strength, both as a wife and mother and as an explorer and naturalist. She also explored ANWR before it became the refuge. Anyone with doubts about opening ANWR should read this book.