2 comments about Fodor's Washington, D.C. with Kids, 4th Edition (Special-Interest Titles).

1. I bought this book so we could plan for our first trip to DC this summer. I have a ten year old son. I have really enjoyed this book. It lets me know what thing he will like and possibly dislike. It has been helpful as there is so much to do and we only have 4 days. We want to make the most of our visit and this is letting us do that by helping us choose the best things for us to do.



2. I bought this new book because it was the most recently published and sounded great. It is not great for a number of reasons. First, it is heavily weighted toward trips with tweens and teens rather than younger children. I was planning a trip with children 6-8 years old. Most of the recommended places are recommended for tweens and teens. In fact, had I not known better from friends, I would have skipped the International Spy Museum altogether, because the guide recommends it for "older tweens and teens" and makes it sound beyond the understanding of a younger child. Having now been to the museum, I can see that tweens would be able to take advantage of many things they have there that younger kids can't really do, but it is a GREAT spot for younger kids. There is PLENTY there that they can enjoy. It is very fun for the whole family, actually, and was my husband's favorite spot we visited.
   Another reason the book is not great is that it includes paragraphs on virtually every page of "Smart Stuff" for kids (mainly addressed to tweens and teens again), which is little tidbits of info or quizes that may be interesting. I think that may be helpful for a family with super bored kids or a family that is super boring and cannot otherwise provide information to their children, but it is (a) mostly for older kids, (b)not all that interesting, (c) really bulks up the book to the point that it's a pain to carry around with you and (d) apparently takes up so much space that important basic information is omitted.
   This leads me to my next complaint: When planning our visit to the Air and Space Museum, I consulted the book. It gives very little information but says that the museum is so large that you need to plan your visit in advance because you simply cannot see it all in one day. Hello!!!!! That's why I bought this guide book - - to plan my visit! The entry on Air and Space doesn't even list all the galleries/exhibits in the museum or highlight the "greatest hits". They could have done that in two short paragraphs, and that would have been the most useful information. Instead, they include more "Smart Stuff" and a list of kids books to supplement learning on the subject. Great to have that, but not at the expense of the information I need to actually plan a visit to the museum.
   In sum, this book frustrated me. It was somewhat helpful, yes, but unless you are going with older kids or have taken your kids before, it's not exactly what you need. I'm not sure there is a better guide that is up to date, but this one needs major improvement.

No comments about Going Places with Children in Washington, DC 17th Edition, 50th Anniversary Edition.

1 comments about Time Out Washington, DC (Time Out Guides).

1. The current Timeout 2004 guide for Washington, DC has really good coverage of DC art galleries; in fact it is the only DC guide that offers any decent "guiding" to Washington area galleries.
   
   It is written by Jessica Dawson, who also pens the "Galleries" column for the Washington Post.
   
   She has a good introduction and even lists her favorites for 2004 under "Names of the Game."
   
   Jessica nails it when she recognizes in her intro that a new "optimism" is kindling a really good art scene in the Washington, DC region.
   
   Unfortunately, throughout the pages dedicated to the galleries, and as it is to be expected, there are quite a few comparisons to New York this, New York that all over the place.
   
   And reading through Jessica's descriptions of the various galleries also offers an honest and rare insight as to how this critic evaluates and views (she seems to have something about "safe art," whatever that is) most of the Greater Washington, DC region's art galleries. For example Dawson praises Zenith Gallery's Margery Goldberg for her "tireless activism," but describes the gallery as "while influential in the neon art scene, consistently shows mediocre painting and craft."
   
   Addison/Ripley is praised for selling "high-calibre paintings, photography and prints," but "their selections, while lovely, are awfully safe."
   
   Cheryl Numark is "Washington's power dealer", while Leigh Conner shows work by the "kind of cutting-edge artists that Washingtonians usually travel to New York to see."
   
   MOCA is "DC's answer to the hip, alternative galleries of New York."
   
   Fraser Gallery (which I co-own) "concentrates on photography, but occasionally shows innovative sculpture and work in other media," while our Bethesda outpost is a "bright, glass-walled gallery [that] exhibits realist painting and photography."
   
   Hemphill Fine Arts "plays host to many of Washington's strongest artists," but "the art here tends towards the decorative."
   
   Fusebox is "sharp and savvy," and has "raised the bar for visual art in Washington," and their openings are "events to see and be seen at."
   
   Anyway... Bravo Timeout!

No comments about Dream Homes Washington DC: An Exclusive Showcase of Washington DC's Finest Architects (Dream Homes).

No comments about Washington DC: A Visual Portrait.

No comments about Moon Virginia: Including Washington, D.C. (Moon Handbooks).

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.

No comments about Zagat 2008 Washington, DC Baltimore Restaurants.

2 comments about Bike Map Washington DC Region.

1. This is a big clear map. The only downside is that at times it's a little TOO big. The map covers a lot of area outside of DC proper and makes it occasionally difficult to pinpoint exact locations if you only care about the more central areas of DC.



2. This map is extremely comprehensive. One side covers all major and minor roads in the Annapolis, D.C. Fredrick, and Virginia area and highlights roads that are very good for biking (large shoulders, smooth pavement). The other side has D.C. and there is still one more blowup of the heart of downtown. It is very detailed, has all roads clearly labeled, and shows the good bike paths, trails, and designated roads and bikeways in the city. If you want a map of D.C. for anything related to driving or biking, or looking for metros stops, this is the map to get. It is well worth the price ($9).

No comments about 25 Bicycle Tours in and around Washington, D.C.: From National Monuments to Country Roads, Third Edition (25 Bicycle Tours in and Around Washington, Dc).