No comments about Washington D.C. Destination Map by National Geographic.

No comments about Fodor's Seattle's 25 Best, 4th Edition (25 Best).

5 comments about Mastering DC : A Newcomer's Guide to Living in the Washington, DC Area.

1. I wish this book had been around when I came to the DC Area. It contains everything you need to know to get your new home connected with services and to find your way around the area. An invaluable book! I highly recommend it as a gift to someone you know who is moving to the area. I also find the book a great reference to keep in the office for "visiting dignitaries" and their families. It's a quick resource on Metro DC tourist sites.



2. Having just moved to DC, I was inundated with books about the city. Unfortunately, most of them were meant for tourists rather than new residents. This book offered helpful and entertaining information about life in the Capitol, and some very practical tips, especially regarding transportation/getting around.



3. This is a great book for those relocating to DC, VA, or MD. It explains the different neighborhoods and cultures, gives tips to getting past the utility and licensing red tape, and has some fun weekend acitivity suggestions, too. It's certainly not the definitive book on DC, but it has a useful level of detail on a broad array of topics.

   I moved from Indiana about 6 months ago and this book was worth the price about 10 times over.




4. As a recent college graduate and a new arrival to the DC area, I have found "Mastering DC" to be a fantastic resource. It gives the details without the fluff that I have found in many of the DC guidebooks. In addition to information on the immediate DC Metro area, it also gives in depth coverage of the surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia, which I have found useful. The recommendations are opinionated without seeming biased and the descriptions are enjoyable to read.

   I recommend this book as a gift to anyone with a loved one or friend moving to the area!




5. This book provides a good "intro" for a newcomer to DC- especially if you will be relying on the metro for transportation, as it lists what metro lines to take to local shopping centres. This may seem trivial, but when you need a can opener two days after moving and have no car it becomes very important.

   The only problms is that the info is very likly to become dated very quickly- especially the restaurant guide. Newer establishments and attractions weren't listed. As well, there seems to be a bias to certain areas with more "trendy" attractions, and a glossing over of less popular (and less expensive to live in) areas.

1 comments about Washington Byways: Backcountry Drives For The Whole Family.

1. We found this book to be clear, accurate and easy to use. If you like exploring little-known backroads through mountains, desert, canyons and such, all of them just little dirt roads, this book is a must. W're enjoying it.

No comments about The Thomas Guide 2009 King & Snohomish Counties: Street Guide (King, Snohomish Counties Street Guide and Directory).

5 comments about The Stranger Guide to Seattle: The City's Smartest, Pickiest, Most Obsessive Urban Manual.

1. After growing up in the Puget Sound Area in the pre_1960`s before the changes took place,I saw the Seattle waterfront as one of the coolest spots on the earth,comparable to the waterfront in Hong Kong.Just a seamy world of offbeat characters& some of the best seafood you could possibly imagine.Paula has disovered all those haunts& more.This is the quintessential guide to the best of the best& I recommened it to locals & non_locals to get the most for your $$& to rediscover the way Seattle as it really was.



2. This book is especially great for new residents of the Seattle area. The descriptions on the hot-spots are dead on. Once in town, be sure to pick up a free copy of "The Stranger" weekly newspaper.

   Advice: Be careful with some of the listings in the book as they are not around any longer. You may want to consult with citysearch (or call) before making plans.




3. With an impending trip to Seattle on the horizon, I ordered this book and some others -- but this one is by far my favorite! Not only is it thorough, scathingly honest in its critiques, and well-organized, but it is an absolute riot to read!!! Seriously, once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down... It is always good to find a travel guide that offers up actual opinions of landmarks, restaurants, hotels, etc., rather than just what seems like a tagline from a brochure -- and this book does not hold back, whether it be to compliment or to criticize...

   I HIGHLY recommend this book if you are traveling to Seattle, moving there, etc... You will be entertained from cover to cover!!!




4. This book was purchased on all the recommendations that I read. I was dissapointed when it arrived. Its a good enough book, but not for a weekeend traveller.

   I thought it was going to be the kind of lonely planet style guide but more.. its not. Its much more of the kind of book you get when your going to spend a week or more, or move there, or have along with a Lonely Planet guide.

   As it happens I had to go get a Lonely Planet guide anyway, so double waste of time.




5. This is a totally unique look at a city, not from the frame of a large international tourguide company, but from point of view of THE BEST local weekly newspaper for Seattle (a shining star amoung weeklies for the whole nation, in fact). The Stranger paper has the job of pointing you in the direction of happening haunts, good eats, nightlife, shopping, etc, and they've been doing it for years, so who better to write the ultimate guide on the city of Seattle?
   
   This is a great book if you are a brief visitor, if you are relocating, or if you have lived in Seattle and want a terrific reference guide for new things to do out and about.
   
   I like the way the restaurants are broken up: ethnic, quick-fix, splurge, cafes, etc. Bars are done similarly: rock clubs, all ages, taverns, swanks bars, cool places to be seen, dives, dj & hiphop, etc. This makes it easy to find your scene and head on out.
   
   The only drawback is that this was published in 2001 and no updated version is out yet. There might be some things that have changed in the interim, but this is still a good baseline for your visit to Seattle. Pick up this week's copy of The Stranger when you get there!

5 comments about Nature in the City: Seattle : Walks, Hikes, Wildlife, Natural Wonders (Nature in the City).

1. Enjoyed this approach to seeing the city. Finally something to do with my children that is an inexpensive and educational pursuit. I'm giving these as gifts for Christmas to all my friends. Super!



2. As a nature lover from Washington, DC and frequent visitor to
   Seattle, I was fortunate to receive a gift of a book Nature in the City - Seattle by Maria Dolan and Kathryn True. With this
   extraordinary guide in hand, I visited Kubota Garden and
   Carkeek Park. The maps were particularly helpful to this visitor. I appreciate as well many beautiful photographs and
   charming drawings. What an innovative and well-written guide...
   September 4,03



3. This book has lots of great ideas on how to spend an hour or four in and around the city. It's easy to read and has interesting info interspersed in with the specifics of each adventure. I now have new fun facts and things to look for on a walk I've taken many mornings on Queen Anne Hill, I learned about the Peregrin's that I've seen perch on my downtown office windowsill, and the bike ride along the Duamish was a nice alternative to some more common routes. I look forward to trying them all.



4. My husband and I have been visiting our children in Seattle for 12 years. How delighted we were to receive a copy of Nature in the City:Seattle, and to discover that nature is literally bursting out of every corner of the city. I can't wait to take our grandchildren to Discovery Park this November to listen for winter owls. Then maybe we'll have time to stroll around Dead Horse Canyon to look for medicinal plants while imagining smoky longhouses formerly along Lake Washington's shore. With this wonderfully composed and arranged book, Maria and Kathryn have given Seattle a new look.



5. I recommend looking at this book in your local book store before purchasing it. It has some good information in it but it is not organized very well.

2 comments about Best Short Hikes in Washington's South Cascades & Olympics.

1. A fabulous book, leading you to easy/attainable hikes into beautiful pristine forest and family entertainment.



2. I give it a 3 because the trails described are truly short 1 to 3 miles. The audience for this book is families with children. More serious day hikers should use other books.

1 comments about Michael Brein's Guide to Washington, DC by the Metro (Michael Brein's Guides to Sightseeing By Public Transportation) (Michael Brein's Guides to Sightseeing By Public Transportation).

1. More information is available on the internet than in this little map. Get the Frommer's Washington book instead.

1 comments about Knopf MapGuide: Washington, D.C. (Knopf Mapguides).

1. I bought this because I was new to the DC area and I've had great experiences with other Knopf mapguides. However, I was disappointed to learn that the DC version really only covers the NW portion of the city. The large NE and SE areas aren't even drawn on the general map in the front of the book, let alone in the detailed fold out sections.
   
   I suppose this guide will work well for a tourist who plans to spend a limited amount of time in DC and will only be going to the major museums and memorials. The stardard of the maps as well as the dining/activity recommendations are still all high quality and neatly packaged. However, if you're looking for a comprehensive guide that covers the whole city, this isn't the map for you.