2 comments about Frommer's Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine (Frommer's Complete).

1. Frommer's guidebook provides an excellent overview of the sights to see, things to do, and places to stay in the three Northern New England states of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. The overviews are very accurate and provide a good description of the places, making the book an excellent way to decide where to go in the areas, and a good guidebook once you arrive.

   The biggest problem with the book is that there is not enough individual descriptions of each area. Chances are most tourists are not visiting several regions in all three states, but are choosing one or two to explore in-depth. For example, I went to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park in Maine, an area that was given around 20 pages of coverage. Therefore, more research on the specific areas you plan to visit will probably be necessary to help you get the absolute most out of your trip!




2. What's worse than a guide that doesn't know his way? A guide that leads you far up the wrong path. Imagine buying a map where the streets and roads led you into all the wrong places.
   
   According to the ad copy: "...avoid tourist traps. Frommer's Portable Guides help you make the right travel choices...Outspoken opinions on top attractions - what's worth your time and what's not...The best hotels and restaurants in every price range, with candid reviews...The expert guidance you need to take charge and travel with confidence."
   
   The haughty tone of this particular edition would make you think the author(s) were steeped in expert knowledge about the history and traditions of the long-standing established hotels and attractions in the region. And this illusion is effective until you arrive at more than one location expecting to find a rural paradise only to discover that it has become a gated community/housing development. So what do the authors actually know other than what they seem to have compiled from the hotel brochure you find at McDonald's? Not a whole heck of a lot.
   
   For several of the hotels reviewed in this "guide", the reviews were obviously at least two years out of date and completely unrepresentative, to the extent that there was an impression that the guide was protecting the interests of the establishment being described, or should I say, advertised. So, am I actually paying for a compendium of advertising?
   
   Any guide can draw a fine line between objective "candid review", favoritism and deceptive promotion. Many aspects of this guide fall into the last category. Someone's not doing their research, which is why a reader may actually pay for a book, or perhaps, someone is getting some money under the table. This guide is inaccurate and deceptive. Check their reviews at their Frommer's site on the Internet. Then check what's actually going on at sites like Tripadvisor or other travel forums. In this aspect, print is dead.

1 comments about Hidden New England: Including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont (Hidden Travel).

1. Like the book My wife and I like going to new places for a weekend .

5 comments about Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America's Most Hopeful Landscape:Vermont's Champlain Valley and New York's Adirondacks (Crown Journeys).

1. This book is thin. I mean literally. It is really just a somewhat longish essay. I was disappointed that there was not more depth, more history, more "more."
   
   This is the story of McKibben's amble from Vermont to the central Adirondacks, with a crossing by row boat of Lake Champlain. McKibben is a good writer and he loves this landscape and is very concerned about it and its place in the global environment, but I could not help comparing him and this book to another Bill-namely Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Bryson is a much more energetic writer. In my opinion, he is funnier and deeper than McKibben. A Walk in the Woods is a great book, Wandering Home is light weight by comparison.
   
   McKibben has some very good thoughts on environmental issues and expresses an admirable moderation in this book. He is especially sensitive to the complexity of many environmental issues and actively criticizes the "knee-jerk" environmentalists for over-simplifying the issues in many cases. On the other hand, McKibben is something of a romantic airhead. Often his ruminations are fatuous and patronizing; for example, his dogma that those simple Vermont farmers and old Adirondack loggers that he's met are more "authentic" than you or I (McKibben makes this claim more than once in Wandering Home).
   
   Nevertheless, I liked this book and enjoyed reading it. McKibben loves the Adirondacks and so do I. In this short book he's managed to capture something of the flavor of the hidden Adirondacks, that fortunately so few people know. The Adirondack Park of New York is the most beautiful sylvan landscape in the world. McKibben's book raises, but barely starts to answer, such questions as why and how to protect and preserve the Adirondacks and other similarly blessed places.



2. Bill McKibben walks for sixteen days through the Adirondack Mountains to share his love of the land with his readers but what makes the book so special are the people Bill introduces, walks with, and talks with (and about...) along his journey. I was a Travel Agent for five years and was lucky enough to be sent to some of the best, first class places in America and this journey that Bill McKibben takes us on with his words is more meaningful than many of those places I went to which include the Grand Canyon & Scottsdale, AZ; the San Francisco Bay Area; Paradise Island & Nassau, Bahamas; Manhattan; the Sierra-Nevada Mountains (by train); and New Orleans & Mississippi River Cruise!
   
   Each authentic and real person that McKibben joins on his trek lends a hand in telling the story. The book is as much about the beauty of the people as it is of the land. I grew up twenty miles away from the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, and presently I am a steward and guardian of 400 acres of land in central PA with my husband, his uncle, and my husband's brother and I share and appreciate Bill McKibben's deep love for the power of nature, the wild, and the people. I found John Davis (owns a bicycle, no car) as one of the most interesting characters in the book. I also like the stories of Chris Shaw, who has the good sense of memorializing the people who have passed on but that once lived in the Adirondacks and give the book historical authenticity. My favorite stories in the book are from Donald Armstrong and especially Armstrong's memory he shares with McKibben (and us) about Don's wife, Velda and a fly-fishing event. I laughed so hard I cried! It is a funny moment, but this husband-wife story is so cute and sweet, and gives one a feeling of nostalgia. (The church steeple is a cool part, too.) This is a gem of a story and Wandering Home is a gem of a book.
   
   I am a people person and for the first few chapters of Wandering Home I'm thinking that it is too bad Bill McKibben spends all this passion on the Adirondacks. I imagine what his passion could do to improve the lives of the infirm or impoverished people. Much to my chagrin, in the last few chapters McKibben admits this deficit with charm and honesty. He admits he should spend more time helping the less fortunate, and then justifies his love and preservation of the Adirondacks as his way of giving something back to people. And, I agree that he has. Furthermore, he explains that he tries not to be a drain on the planet. If only we could all think this way, maybe our global warming and environmental problems would vanish. For the first time in my life, I realize the full extent of the impact that people have had and still have on our surroundings and I am saddened and sickened by it. (I imagine a sunrise or a sunset over a mountain, or an ocean breeze I thank God there are still a few areas left in this world that man / woman hasn't been able to get his / her hands on.)
   
   I do have one eco-criticism of Wandering Home. Bill writes that he and John Davis climb to the top of Owl's Head on page 93 of his book. Owl's Head is a considerable distance away from Bristol, and is not included in the path outlined on the inside covers of his book. But, every author has to create mystery in some way, right? Judging by the description of Owl's Head I can see why McKibben would include it in his "walk" since Owl's Head sounds like a stunning place with it's 390 degree view of the Adirondack mountains. On my map, Owl's Head is about sixty miles north of Lake Placid one way, as the crow flies.
   
   Dr. Robert Bernard Hass (English Professor, poet, writer, and Robert Frost expert at Edinboro University) and I got into a discussion about hyper-individualism in class one day. Dr. Hass told me about his friend named Bill McKibben and how McKibben writes about hyper-individualism and that a good place to start on the subject would be Wandering Home. I am grateful that Hass recommended the book to me. It was a book that I was sad to see end, but a journey I will always remember in more ways than one. I was so inspired that I am planning on a short family vacation to the Adirondacks for this summer. I will do my best to demonstrate a sense of forest preservation and protection while I'm there, visiting the wild of the Adirondacks.



3. Bill McKibben describes a walk through place and community. The community is bound by a geographic region but the displaced reader is imperceptibly drawn into the mind-set of McKibben and his guests. You are introduced to a group who love the land on the Vermont/New York border and recognise it as one of the few "wild" places left in America. It is their passion to preserve and conserve that comes through and it is infectious. The book inspires the reader to analyse their relationship to place and modes of behaviour driven by place. The antithesis of economic consumption exists in all of us, however repressed. Bill brings it to the fore. The effect on the distant reader is such that you will join the community despite being so far way. Bravo Bill !!!!!!!!!!!!!!



4. I have spent much of my recreational time in the two places Bill McKibben writes about in this book -- The Adirondacks of New York and the Champlain Valley of Vermont. They both offer some of the most beautiful, pastoral scenery in the US. From Lake Champlain itself you can see the Green Mountains of Vermont on one side and the Adirondack Mountains of New York on the other. As Mr. KcKibben points out, while they may look similar and proximate from afar, each is quite different from the other. The Champlain Valley is more pastoral, bucolic and New England-like. The Adirondacks are much more rugged, wilderness-like and rough around the edges. Both can call to you in a way that becomes a lifetime's pursuit.
   
   This book is an easy and short read. It is engaging, paints wonderful pictures with words and gets you to think about the tension between a simpler life closer to the natural world and modern society and progress/development. He is fair in his assessment of the joys and the struggles associated with a simpler life closer to nature. I don't know who would enjoy this book more - the person who has enjoyed this simpler life or one who can only imagine it through books like this one. I highly recommend this book for people who love this part of the world or who have thought about getting closer to the land and living a simpler life.



5. Bill McKibben comes through again. This time it's "a walk in his woods," a three week hike connecting upstate Vermont with the Adirondacks.
   
   When you travel with Bill, it's a journey of body, a journey of mind and a journey of spirit, all rolled into one. You'll meet other folks along the way, people who have something to say to Bill and to you. You travel easy with Bill. This Bill is not as funny as Bill Bryson but he's more thoughtful. And he'll get you thinking.
   
   This book is a book about a place and about the history of that place. Having hiked in both areas, I especially enjoyed the subtle distinctions Bill is able to discern in landscape, flora and in the character of people between what he sees in the gentle hills of Vermont and the rougher landscape and terrain of the Adirondacks.
   
   Take this trip with Bill McKibben. You'll be glad you did.

5 comments about 50 Hikes in Vermont: Walks, Hikes, and Overnights in the Green Mountain State, Sixth Edition.

1. The fifth edition of this book, written by two members of the Green Mountain Club, covers hikes everywhere in the State. To no one's surprise, the majority are located along the Appalachian trail and the area with the least hikes covered is in the Northeast Kingdom.

   The authors offer a very good "At A Glance" section in the beginning with hike name, location, and so forth-- many of the things also covered in the individual hikes, but what stands out in this secion is whether or not each hike has a view, good for kids, nearby camping, good for winter, and my personal fav, notes that state whether the hike is good for x-c skiing, snowshoeing, waterfalls, historical interest, etc. The book also contains a "hiker's" guide to trail map symbols, safety, what the pack and more.

   There are no surprises in the write-up for each hike. The authors have not left anything out: distance, hiking time, vertical rise, difficulty rating, pictures and topographical maps.

   You won't find a better book about hiking in Vermont for this reasonable price.




2. I liked this book - easy to read and informative. The only problem was it didn't have very specific information on things like shelters, camping, etc. - it's more of a day-hike book. I phoned the Green Mountain Club (the authors) to get more info, and it turns out that they have written a book of their own called "The Long Trail Guide")that is much more comprehensive and they recommend it more than this one. I would check that book out before you get this one. But if you just want a good book for day hikes, I like this one fine.



3. This book does provide good trail descriptions for a reasonable number of hikes in Vermont. I've hiked about a dozen of the trails listed in here, of those 10 there were:

   2 in which the directions to the trailhead listed the wrong forest service road to take.

   3 in which I saw other trails at junctions that weren't mentioned in this book leading to nearby attractions (without giving full descriptions it would be nice to mention alternatives for longer hikes available).

   1 in which the directions led to a difficult hike, but it turned out talking to people at the top that a much easier hike was available to reach the same destination from the same trailhead.

   Having said that, this book does give the visitor an easy way to plan some hikes in Vermont. The Falcon guide looks to be similar, so it might be useful to read both before planning your hikes.




4. Living in California, I don't get a chance to hike in Vermont as often as I would like. But when I do, I always take this lightweight guide along in my car and in the pack. The best part about the guide is that hikes are described in detail and directions to each trailhead are given in exhaustive detail. This is especially important for out-of-towners who aren't familiar with the back country roads. The authors have hiked each of the trails and they offer pithy comments on trail conditions, the possibility of seeing wildlife and other pertinent information.

   There is a separate section on the magnificent Long Trail, the 260 mile hike which runs from the Massachusetts border to he Canadian border. My one slight criticism is the photos, which could be of better quality, but the text, route descriptions and ancillary material are of high quality.




5. I purchased this book when I first moved to Vermont to help me find my way around the trails here. It provides a decent cross-section of hikes, "rambles", and overnights throughout the state and across the entire spectrum of difficulties (from "easy (even with kids)" to "oh goodness, that was rough").
   
   If you are just starting out with outdoors activities, this is a good place to start because you are almost certain to find something near to you that is within your comfort zone (as far as challenge goes). However, if you are a more experienced hiker, you will outgrow this book too quickly. (And if that is the case, I would suggest the Green Mountain Club's "Day Hiker's Guide" instead.)

1 comments about Best Hikes With Dogs: New Hampshire & Vermont (Best Hikes with Dogs).

1. I had been looking forward to this book's publication since a New Hampshire bookseller told me this summer it was coming soon. I live in Vermont 7 months of the year, and New Hampshire the remaining 5. I own a 4-year-old shepherd/black lab mix, Diamond, who loves to go hiking with me. So this book is perfect for us to plan new adventures.
   
   The author has selected hikes which are safe and suitable for dogs, as well as delightful hikes for their human companions. I was glad to see some of my favorite hikes are included in the book, and there are many others I look forward to doing with Diamond.
   
   The hikes are rated from one to four paws for difficulty, and dog regulations specific to each hike (proof of rabies, leash laws) are given. I am impressed with the detailed topographic maps, especially since the maps in my two "Best Hikes with Children" books, by the same publisher, are a bit disappointing.
   
   I was glad to see that the author details many safety-related and ethical issues pertaining to hiking with dogs. The ten essentials include gear one should carry for dogs (leash, water, portable bowl) as well as obedience training (to be done before the dog goes hiking). The ten canons of trail etiquette are guidelines to ensure that your dog won't offend other hikers, and that you won't lose the privilege of hiking with your dog on the trails.

1 comments about Fodor's Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, 10th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. FODOR'S MAINE, VERMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, 10TH EDITION is a great book about New England's northern section. In addition to where the best lodging, shopping, and dining are, it also describes plenty of outdoor activity ideas for anyone trying to look good for their significant other and/or their favorite celebrity. If any of those things are important to you, you need this book.

3 comments about Quiet Water New Hampshire & Vermont:Canoe & Kayak Guide, 2nd: AMC Quiet Water Guide.

1. Excellent book, I recommend this to anyone. I use this book for canoe trip planning with my family. Detailed information is given here. As usual it is another fine book by AMC.



2. I purchased this book as a guide book for kayaking lakes that I may have not known about. I found the book lacking on listing ALL the possible lakes not just some the author knew. I was looking for a lake guide book that list every lake, pond, maybe river not just a few. I had the older book and that listed even less. This also concentrates on the wildlife and plant life rather than describing the actual lake. This could be a really good guide book if it were done better...........



3. As a canoeist I can only pray for titles similar to this series to span the continent. These guides offer listings by region and alphabetical indices, area maps, launch site directions and parking advice. Wilson mentions special points of interest -- geologic formations, settlements, graveyards, and odd indigenous species -- with sidebars covering nature lore. A super gift for the New England canoodler in your life.

5 comments about Vermont: An Explorer's Guide, Eleventh Edition (Vermont: An Explorer's Guide).

1. About six months prior to my husband's and my trip to Vermont, I purchased Tree & Jennison's book and poured over its contents, intrigued by all that the New England state could offer these Texans. Because the authors had taken the time to visit the various locations noted in the book, I had no worries about the trip. Once in Vermont, I used the book as a bible, knowing what to expect in each village. I met many of the people that they had mentioned, and each had glowing remarks about them. Without this book, my vacation would not have been as organized or enjoyable, and we even went during Mud Season! I recommend this book wholeheartedly because the information is well researched.



2. This book provides all the information you need for a first-time trip to Vermont.



3. We used this book this summer to travel throughout Vermont. We found the guide very helpful. This book helped us see places of wonder, taste fantastic food, and meet wonderful, friendly people! The info was very helpful. Before our trip I studied the guide, and marked all possible interests, then research each of those points online before we left, both tools helped create a fantastic wonderful adventure!



4. We used this guide exclusively for our Vermont leaf peeping adventure, October, 2007.
   
   Wonderful!!!!



5. I bought this for my trip to Vermont and read it for the most part. It provided useful information for the most part. However, I did find that a few things were hyped up somewhat. Apart from that, this guide was useful to plan my visit to Vermont. I did find that the authors recommendation of restaurants were in the high end price ranges and were not really useful for me since I was looking for something more in the medium range. And some local favorites such as "Pie in the sky" in Stowe were not provided the coverage they deserved. This restaurant was moderately priced and had the best homemade italian food that I have ever had in the U.S. Apart from this, I would definitely recommend this as a worthwhile purchase since it clearly identifies scenic routes, local attractions, side roads etc.

5 comments about Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. DeLorme has been establishing a name for themselves, having issued a set of road atlas and gazetteer books for each state, including this one for Vermont. Showing every back road in the state is rather impressive. Couple that with the amount of "gazetteer" information, such as landmarks, points of interest, museums, etc., it can be a very handy trip companion.

   While I took a copy of DeLorme's Vermont atlas on a recent trip, I found a much better atlas once I arrived in Vermont. It's Jimapco's "Vermont Road Atlas" and is priced the same as DeLorme's book. However, the Jimapco atlas is smaller (8.5" x 11") and is spiral bound, making it much more convenient to use on the road as it always lies flat. You can also look at just one page -- if you try that with a DeLorme atlas too many times, the book will fall apart. Also, the Jimapco atlas strives to name EVERY single street and road in Vermont, while DeLorme names the more prominent roads only showing the minor roads while leaving them nameless. The only feature lacking from the Jimapco "Vermont Road Atlas" that DeLorme has is 3-D terrain shading. But, when you're in a car trying to find a street or looking for a point of interest, the terrain shading is of little help.

   I've been a big fan of the DeLorme atlases for years now, but Jimapco's Vermont atlas will be a constant companion for me on all future Vermont roadtrips.




2. The Vermont Atlas and Gazetteer (as well as the NH and Maine versions) are simply the best maps I have ever bought and used. Every road in every town is shown, and well as topographical features, landmarks, waterways, etc.
   
   If you get lost using this map, wellll, ummmm, maybe you shouldn't have been going there!



3. If you don't have gps, then this map book is for you. It is very easy to use.



4. Great map, lots of detail that I was looking for. The obvious drawback (and the pay-off for the detail) is it's size - not exactly a handy map for referring to in the car! It is a worthwhile buy though.



5. I've bought various states' Atlas & Gazetteers, and have to say that I don't plan a trip without one anymore.
   If you want to go 'off the beaten path' and still have a clue where you are, these are the best tools. A paper map from the convenience store just doesn't cut it. The front section of these books is terrific for whatever activities you're interested in from biking & hiking trails to campgrounds, amusements, and natural attractions/gardens/museums...it's all there.
   Oh, and a side note: These are VERY good tools to hand your kids in the back seat, as they can literally follow along (road curves, driving over a RR track, along a lake or river & everything!) as you're driving. No more "are we there yet?" because they KNOW where we are! Good tool to get them used to reading a road map; everything is "blown up" instead of just lines like you'd see on a regular road map.
   Very, VERY good resource!

1 comments about Rail-Trails New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island & Vermont (Rails-To-Trails Conservancy Guidebooks).

1. There are now more than 13,00 miles of open rail-trails across the country. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is an organization of more than 100,000 members and a leading advocate for trail and greenway 'recycling' of obsolete railroad corridors and rights of way. The official guidebook of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, "Rail-Trails: New England" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' guide to railroad related trails in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Profusely illustrated with maps, as well as black-and-white photographs, "Rail-Trails: New England" is the perfect planning guide for biking or hiking along pathways created from unused railroad corridors that have been converted to recreational use by the public. some rail-trails are paved and run through scenic parts of New England townships, others are unpaved paths through scenic countrysides. Enhanced with detailed maps for every rail-trail (plus driving directions to trailheads), "Rail-Trails: New England" also features icons indicating each trail's use, along with succinct descriptions written by truly knowledgeable and articulate rail-trail experts. If you are planning to avail yourself of the recreational and exercise opportunities of rail-trails anywhere in the New England region, then begin with a careful browse through the pages of "Rail-Trails: New England"!