5 comments about The C&O Canal Companion.

1. My family lived in Washington for ten years. We often hiked on the C & O Canal. I studied for a masters in American history while we were there. The C & O Canal Companion would have added enormously to all of those experiences.

   Reading this book's vignettes provides intimate connections to our nation's past. For example, The Companion reports that after the Revolutionary War, George Washington founded the Patowmack Company, an early attempt at making the Potomac River navigable because of his interest in his "western properties" across the Appalachian mountains. This guide gives a glimpse of the first President that we do not always see while pointing out visible remnants of those efforts.

   In a notation about Chain Bridge, a beloved route to many of today's Washington suburbs, the guide shows the Civil War up close and personal. A Confederate sentinel was posted on the south side of the bridge, a Union soldier, mere yards away, on the north side. Furthermore, that same entry gives a brief sketch of Private William Scott who fell asleep there on his post. Court-marshaled by McClellan, pardoned by President Lincoln, William Scott went on to fight and die in battle for the Union cause. The Companion furnishes helpful information about parking, hiking, bed and board opportunities which are difficult to find elsewhere. It gives addresses and telephone numbers for reservations or further information.

   Having looked at the Companion for specific data on one short stretch of the Canal, I have been lured into reading further, more like following a story than studying a guide. It made me want to return to Washington with children, hiking boots and The Companion in hand.




2. I was thrilled to find and read this book, the most complete one about the Canal I've found. As a frequent runner on and veteran of several cycling trips along the entire length of the Canal--as well as a resident of Georgetown--I have long had an interest in and love for the Canal.

   The author, Mike High, uses many interesting and entertaining vignettes to tell the story of the Canal. He divides the book into four parts: "Historical Sketch", "Structures along the Canal", "Visiting the Canal", and "Canal Guide".

   The first two sections put the Canal into a fascinating historical and engineering context, including George Washington's role in the development of the Canal, and the Canal's involvement in the Civil War. The last section is a concise, mile-by-mile guidebook.

   In addition to history, High also presents useful information, including accommodations located nearby the Canal and suggested activities on/near the Canal.

   For $... a "best buy".




3. This summer, I started biking the C&O Trail starting at Cumberland. I wanted a book that would tell some of the history of the trail as well as providing good landmarks for Civil War crossings, etc... This book fit the bill. I looked for several books on Amazon, and I'm happy that I choose this one.
   
   The book is seperated into two parts, a general overview and history, and then a mile-by-mile breakdown of what to expect on the trail. I first read the history section and every night now before I head on the trail, I pull out the book and see what area I will cover the next day. The book has been great for planning with parking spots, etc...
   
   One suggestion that I can think of is to offer a book that starts in Cumberland instead of Georgetown because reading the book backwards is somewhat awkward (I realize that most people start from the Georgetown end, though). Additionally, it would be great to have GPS coordinates posted of the landmarks in addition to the mileage marker. I would love to be able to load the coordinates in my GPS so I know exactly where these landmarks are while biking.



4. I purchased this book to help prepare for a trip my brother and I plan to take next summer. I have only scanned it, but it looks like it will have all the information we need to make our preparations easier and our ride more enjoyable.
   It looks like a very thorough description of the trail, the sights to see along the way, and the amenities available on the trip.



5. I organized and led our high school youth group (23 people) for a week long ride on the trail. This book was invaluable in pulling it off. It has all the info for logistical planning, as well as providing excellent historical context (which the high schoolers loved.)
   
   While we were on the trail, I was tracking our progress via the book at every water stop. Even if you have minimal map reading skills, the maps in the book will allow you to determine your location with great accuracy (again, which the high schoolers loved.)
   
   Finally, the book is organized wonderfully and is an easy and interesting read. It combines information with background and context.
   
   In sum, if you are going to ride the C&O Canal trail, don't leave home without this book in your possession. It is as important as water and a first aid kit.

5 comments about Frommer's Washington D.C. with Kids (Frommer's With Kids).

1. This book is an excellent guide for things to do in the D.C. area with kids. We live in D.C. and were looking for new things to do, especially with our 3 year old in mind. We bought the book and learned about exciting locations and activites that we never knew about. For example the Doll and Toy Museum, Naval Observatory and Amazonia exhibit at the National Zoo.
   
   The restaurant and dining guides though are way off, the do not include the best food (including child friendly) nor convenient, fun and affordable hotels, infact they recommend some of the worst! Of course we've gained this knowledge from living here for 6 years, still would expect better form a guidebook...for food dining and hotels I'd recommend Lonely Planet's guide to D.C. area.
   
   Only other downer was driving to the Childrens Museum only to find it was closed until 2009. Still I have the 6th edition and the 7th edition hopefully is updated with this info.



2. I have four editions of this book and I would not consider going to DC without it. It is worth the investment to make sure that you are getting the latest and greatest information. I have NEVER had a problem with the information if the edition is current. A quick flip through the sixth and eighth editions shows how much info has been updated, plus almost every listing provides a web address (in addition to all the other contact information) so you can get more detailed information if you desire.
   
   When we are in DC, this book stays in my backpack at all times. The maps are clear and conscise, and the authors helpful hints have saved us a lot of time. I have all the info from the washington.org and AAA and just about everything that it covered in scores of brochures and booklets is in this book. It truly is the only book you need!



3. I found this book to be very helpful and complete. The humor and affection that the author shows for the area and kids in general was very welcome departure from the otherwise stuffy travel guides I'm used to reading. I found her insights about timing visits, local restaurants to check out, and walking tours to be very handy. Reading her guide was like getting advice from a helpful Mom. It's sold me on the Frommer Kids series, and I'm looking forward to using them on my next trip!



4. This book was a tremendous asset in planning our family's first ever D.C. trip. This was our first real encounter with big city transportation and I felt really sorry for those families who were lined up at the Metro ticket machines trying to decipher them. Also some really great hints for "cheap eats"(Union Station has something for everyone & won't break the bank),beating the heat, and sight-seeing options when the "big attractions" were impossible to get to. This guide was invaluable in planning our days with children who range in age from 7 -16. Purchased Fodor's Around Washington, D.C. with Kids (Around the City with Kids)which was simple for my children to read and enjoy. Using the Fodor's book in conjunction with this Frommer's my family spent many enjoyable evenings over 4 months planning our trip.



5. I would strongly recommend you look at other guides to Washington D.C. as Frommer's Washington D.C. with Kids was not helpful and actually was a hindrance. This book gave us misinformation and was completely out of date. I will just share two of our experiences from our first days in D.C. we disregarded the book and relied on our concierge from then on...
   
   The Zoo: Frommer's emphatically advised to get there early (it 'opens' at 6:00) and that you should stop first at the information kiosk to get a map and the daily schedule for feedings etc. They also stated that the Animal Crackers Cafe was open for breakfast. Well, we got there about 8:00 and NOTHING is open until 10:00....not the information kiosk (so we were without maps or schedules and the place is huge), most of the animals were inside the buildings which were closed until 10, none of the cafes were open for anything to eat or drink until 10. What you WILL see before 10 is zoo employees driving trucks and golf carts around setting things up and watering plants. By 10:30 when the elephants were scheduled for their bath my husband announced that he didn't care if the elephants were going to do the cha-cha, he already done enought walking and was ready to leave. Also Frommer's should have noted that the Metro is a pretty long walk to and from the zoo.
   
   The most blatant example of out-of-date information...The National Geographic Museum: Pages 191 and 192 must be from the 1998 guidebook because the permanent displays, interactive exibits, and videos the book describes have been gone (we inquired) for 9 years. No volcanoes videos, no touch and play mammals kiosk, no tornado to 'feel', no flying dinosaur, no orbital flight, no global access video games that "your kids will have to drag you away from", etc. What was displayed while we were there was China and it was good but not at all resemble what we had anticipated based on Frommer's description.
   
   Save yourself $17 and a lot of aggravation and don't buy this guidebook. We are headed to North Carolina and I'll look at Fodors or Michelin.

1 comments about Guy Fox Washington DC Children's Map.

1. My 4 yr. old son and I had lots of fun going over the neat things included on this map, and he loved to find all the perfect locations to put the stickers! Since I work in D.C., he was very intrigued to see where my office is. We were able to talk about all the different sites, monuments, and bulidings that I have been to in my 15 years living here, and where he would like to go and visit next summer. He refers to it as "his map", and it really is laid out in a way that even small children can understand. It is a great resource and learning tool.

4 comments about Not for Tourists 2008 Guide to Washington, D.C (Not for Tourists Guidebook).

1. I can only speak for the Silver Spring section of the book, as that is area I live and am intimately familiar with it. But if it is any indication of the quality of the rest of the book, beware!
   
   The book contains listings of many companies and stores that have been closed for 5+ years, the map included is at least seven years old (many roads have been removed to make way for larger buildings), and many stores, bars and clubs have opened in the past five years that are not listed. The book fails to mention a shopping mall in the shopping section. Also, it lists Gold's Gym twice with the same address, and places Tastee Diner at the wrong location on the map (the location it was moved from about 7 years ago), even though the correct address is supplied. The text tells drinkers to be aware that bars in Silver Spring are few and far between, but many new bars and restaurants have opened up in the past several years that the editors are obviously unaware of. While Silver Spring has not become an Adams Morgan, there is certainly some good nightlife: Jackie's, McGinty's, Galaxy, Gallery, Piratz.
   
   If the book was a 1999 or 2000 edition, it would be acceptable, but too much has changed recently for this book to be considered a valuable guide.



2. The NTF series of guide books is terrific. It has absolutely everything you need and my friend who now lives in D.C. loves it.



3. I live in New York, and am a committed fan of NFT's NY edition. I still carry it everywhere, and I lend my older copy to visiting friends. That said, the Washington D.C. version seems amateurish by comparison. First of all, it's huge. It's the size of a DVD case, and thicker. It will not fit in your coat pocket. Second, the text written about various locations can read like bad blog-posts by some people who really hate DC, dripping with facile, simplistic sarcasm and snark. It can get a bit hard to read. It looks as if NFT's editors or marketing team decided to emphasize "attitude" in its DC edition, rather than the intelligent presentation and informed guidance that made the NY edition so great. On the upside, the maps' format and presentation are as clear and useful as ever, and are certainly better than the maps of most other guides.



4. This book is so helpful for folks like us who are moving to DC shortly that my wife said "hands off", she was keeping this copy and that I should buy my own! Enough said...

2 comments about Good Night Washington, DC (Good Night Our World series).

1. A poor sequel to the "Good Night America" original, and a great disappointment. Bad illustrations, uninspired presentation and choice of subject matter. Don't bother with this one.



2. The Good Night... series are good books for young kids to read or to have read to them. It includes basic words and gets the kids interested in different travel locations.

No comments about Top 10 Washington DC (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE).

4 comments about Newcomer's Handbook for Moving to and Living in Washington, DC Including Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland.

1. If you are relocating to DC, don't do it until you've read (or at least skimmed) this book. I haven't even moved yet and it's been helpful. First it explains different neighborhoods and why you may or may not want to move to that location. It also gives you helpful hints and good questions to ask regarding a place to rent or buying a home. Included are the daily life information such as where to buy a couch, find a veternarian, or the location of the closest park. All in all the book covers many issues that I would not have thought about before moving to a new place.



2. This book is devoid of any of the information I really needed, like where to get my car inspetected (and the whole process of getting a DC driver license) or even where the good playgrounds are.



3. THE NEWCOMER'S HANDBOOK FOR MOVING TO AND LIVING IN WASHINGTON DC is a great book for people relocating to the area, but even people who are not moving there can enjoy it. It talks about where the best neighborhoods and schools are in the District itself, as well as in Maryland and Virginia, mentions where the shopping malls and other stores are, and it even goes into detail about the town of Columbia, Maryland, which other books about the Baltimore-Washington DC area fail to do. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is proud to say "I'm an American."



4. For all you hear about the benefit of living near a metro, I expected the metro locations to be shown on street maps. They weren't, and the other maps were of little use as well. For guidance on finding a safe area, they suggest asking local police.
   
   If you don't care about either of those, most of the other info was okay.

No comments about 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Washington, DC: Including Suburban and Outlying Areas of Maryland and Virginia (2nd Edition) (60 Hikes - Menasha Ridge).

1 comments about Washington, D.C. For Dummies (Dummies Travel).

1. I have read so many guidebooks to Washington, DC and this is simply the best. It is excellent. The descriptions are very thorough. He explains everything in detail including which airport to land at, which restaurants to see White House Staff at, what exhibits not to miss in museums, and how to get tickets to monuments.
   The book is laid out in parts with chapters inside the parts. Parts include Planning, Settling into DC(hotels, transportation, dining, and airports) Exploring (attractions, monuments, memorials, museums, shopping, day trips) and Top Ten (top ten views, top ten roadside attractions, etc).
   
   The book will teach you everything you need to know about DC, Tom Price is a long time DC resident. He'll also tell you the best time to go since DC doesn't have an off-season( yes even in January tourists crowd the mall with their winter coats). I have visited DC for a long time and this is the only gidebook you will ever need.
   
   If you liked this book or this review you might want to check out:
   Boston For Dummies (Dummies Travel)
   New York City For Dummies (Dummies Travel)
   San Francisco For Dummies (Dummies Travel)
   Los Angeles & Disneyland For Dummies (Dummies Travel)
   Walt Disney World & Orlando For Dummies 2007 (Walt Disney World and Orlando for Dummies)
   Chicago For Dummies (Dummies Travel)
   Seattle & Portland for Dummies
   

No comments about Linking Up: Planning Your Traffic-Free Bike Trip Between Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC - 3rd Edition.