Editorial Review :

It's a traveler's life list, a guide, an inspiration, a memory book. Open it to check out where you've been, and where you should go next. What to see and what to do and what to show the kids. Where to eat and where to stay. And how to change your life.

Covering the U.S.A. and Canada like never before, here are 1,000 spectacular, compelling, essential, offbeat, utterly unforgettable places. Pristine beaches and national parks, world-class museums and the Corn Palace, mountain resorts, salmon-rich rivers, scenic byways, Chez Panisse and the country's best taco, lush gardens and Holden Arboretum, mountain biking on the Maah Daah Hey trail, historic mansions, vineyards, hot springs, the Talladega Superspeedway, classic ballparks, and more. Includes more than 150 places of special interest to families, and, for every entry, the nuts and bolts of how and when to visit.

Customer Review :

not on the Kindle

May be a good book but notfor the Kindle. Neither the table of contents nor the index are linked to the text. It is impossible to find your way around.

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1000 Places To See

This is my second copy of this book as it seemed like everyone that saw it was to thumb through the pages. Thus the pages begin to get shop worn even though tihis was an almost new book. I purchased another copy for just me this time and left the older copy out for everyone that wanted to read could do so. There are many interesting places to viist a great number that I did not know about and I consider my selfself a world traveler. It's the local "stuff" in the 50 sattes that I seemed to have missed. You can't go wrong with this book and it's companion book on 1000 places in the United States and Canada.This book will not easily go out of date and part of the fun is planning a trip that will take in several of the recommendations on a single trip.

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A book that does not even know the world map

Interesting book but I got skeptical about the writer especially after he put some countries under wrong continents or regions.

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good gift

bought as gift, read through it a bit before wrapping and seemed very informative and in-depth, though slightly lengthy read! I was tempted to keep for self, will be good travel companion.

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1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die

1,000 concise descriptions with supporting evidence to persuade the reader to journey 1,000 unique &/or beautiful places in the U.S.A. and Canada before concluding that the traveler requires a foreign destination rather than experiencing the wonders and wonderful people of the North American continent. And, you can carry the weight of that argument with you in one entertaining volume wherever you go and read it while enroute.

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1. ISBN13: 9780935039252
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Streetwise Paris Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Paris, France - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated metro map including lines & stations

This map covers the following areas:
Main Paris Map 1:14,000
Paris Metro Map
Map of France

There are more clichés about Paris than there are tourists at the Louvre, but the fact is that underneath each overused hackneyed cliché is a glistening kernel of truth. The City of Light, the City of Love and the City of Romance, familiar platitudes, but once you experience it for yourself you understand why. There is a je ne sais quoi allure to this city that beguiles, but never completely reveals what makes it so universally appealing. Artists, poets, writers, and composers have tried to define exactly what it is about this place, and yet they succeed only to a point. Perhaps it is as elusive as defining love, for to be in Paris entails experiencing love, about someone, something, some place.

There is so much to do - you know the big ones, the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Sacre Coeur, St. Germain des Pres, the Left Bank, the Right Bank, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysées, the Opéra- but don’t miss the fun of discovering the small ones, the ones off the beaten path. Nothing like taking your time strolling thru the turn of the century mansion that houses Musée Marmottan then enjoying a café and patisserie in the museums jewel box café.

Wandering aimlessly is romantic. Getting lost isn’t romantic. In fact there are few things that can drain the romance out of a situation faster than realizing that you’re hopelessly lost. So take your travel map and put it away if you want to wander, but have no fear that your wandering will turn into a lost odyssey. You can always pull out the STREETWISE® Paris Map and get yourself pointed back in the right direction.

Paris is not without faults. Sometimes people can be rude, but that’s the case anywhere in the world - be it a large city or small village. You get what you give. And in the case of Paris, as with any true love, you accept the flaws with the charms, the weaknesses with the strengths. In the end the true beauty of Paris will surpass any blemish. Life from a Parisian perspective is beautiful. But that’s another cliché, isn’t it?

Our pocket size map of Paris is laminated for durability and accordion folding for effortless use. The STREETWISE® Paris map is one of many detailed and easy-to-read city street maps designed and published by STREETWISE®. Buy your STREETWISE® Paris map today and you too can navigate Paris, France like a native. For a larger selection of our detailed travel maps simply type STREETWISE MAPS into the Amazon search bar.

Customer Review :

If you don't take anything else, take this!

This map was our constant companion while in Paris. Not only did it make it easy to figure out where we were and how to go where we wanted to go, but the highlighted sights suggested other outings which we hadn't even known about before. Works great with cab drivers - point and go!

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Bring a magnifying glass and small flashlight

Nice map but note that it is a really small print and in the evening you need a little flashlight to be able to read the print. If you have sight issues bring a small magnifying glass.

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Dont Bother

Once you arrive in Paris, there are MANY free maps that are actually easier to use.

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Great Map

The Map of the city was very easy to follow and was accurate. The METROPOLITAN (subway) map was very valuable. Laminated map easy to write and mark wiht a pen and did not get managed even on a 10 day stay in Paris. :)

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Very useful map to us!

Really liked that the main monuments/attractions where drawn, including the train map. The downside for us that cost the lost of a star was that we stayed at the Marriott on the South side of town and it was not in the map. Other than that, highly recommend this for first time Paris visitors like us. Oh, we had 1 1/2 & 8 y.o. boys with us, and we thought this map made it easy to look up thing quickly.

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Editorial Review :

The finest guidebook ever written for O‘ahu. Now you can plan your best vacation - ever. This all new third edition is a candid, humorous guide to everything there is to see and do on the island. Written by the author of the best-selling guides, "Maui Revealed," "Hawaii The Big Island Revealed" and "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook." Explore with him as he reveals breathtaking trails, secluded beaches, pristine reefs, delicious places to dine, relaxing places to stay, exciting waterfalls, colorful valleys and so much more. Every restaurant, activity provider, business and resort is reviewed personally and anonymously. This book and a rental car are all you need to discover what makes O‘ahu so exciting.

Customer Review :

Oahu revealed book

I love all the Hawaii revealed books, as they let you know where the real gems are - the hidden places that most tourist will never visit.

Rating :

Best book for Oahu

I bought this book for our 2006 trip to O'ahu. It is an invaluable guide, and as so many others have said, it seems to mirror exactly what I felt about my trip there. I found everything point-on, including the hotel reviews.

I bought it about three months prior to our trip, and spent a lot of time poring over the book and looking at our vacation options. We chose to forgo some of the things we'd initially planned, and checked out some other things off the beaten path instead. It was even small enough that I kept it with me constantly throughout our entire trip, enabling us to find restaurants, etc. at the spur of the moment. I often shared the book with some of our fellow travelers on our trip who were discussing various options, and have recommended it to everyone I know who is even thinking of going to the islands.

We are returning to Hawai'i in 2011, and I will be purchasing the updated version for O'ahu and at least one of the other islands, as plans are to make it a multi-island trip. Thank you, Andrew, for the best Hawai'i travel guides out there!

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Great Guide Book

The "Blue Books" by Andrew Doughty on the Hawaiian Islands are by far the best guide books that we've ever used. We've been to the all of the islands several times and each time we use these books to enhance our trip. We've never had a bad meal, bad excursion, or bad hotel thanks to these books. They take you out of the tourist trap areas (like where the cruise ships drop off passengers) on the islands and get you to see and experience the really cool hidden areas. Maybe I shouldn't write such a good review since these areas have gotten a bit more crowded since more people are learning about the books. As always, please keep the islands clean by picking up after yourself.

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A Must Have For Your Next Vacation!

This book is definatley worth it's price! The information is easy to understand and will help all traveler's to Oahu on the "what to do" and "where to go" subjects,as well as the places to avoid.

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Wonderful and Informative Book

I bought this book based on other reviews I read. The book is very informative and gives direct opinions on tours, dining, and hotels. We were able to find alot of discounted places to eat thanks to the book for good food. Also, the hiking section was very good as we did the lighthouse hike and saw a ton of humpback whales breaching in the water. If it wasn't for the book, we would have never known about this hidden treasure. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to discover and explore Oahu

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1. ISBN13: 9780307279460
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

Not that great

As most have mentioned this book was kind of a let down for me. My reading experience of this book is comparable to Bryson's A.T. hiking experience. I skimmed through the really boring parts.
I bought this book hoping that it would be an account of his day to day experiences on the trail, but found myself reading historical information about the trail. I truly enjoyed reading the first quarter of the book, but it seemed that half way through the book Bryson attempted to fill the pages of this book with statistical info where there should have been personal experiences.

Just bought AWOL on the AT... hope it will be better.

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Not quite a trail journal

This is my first Bill Bryson book and I must say it will most certainly not be my last. Having hiked the last 100miles of the AT last year I thought I might like to read some of the more popular books about the trail. This is hardly a trail journal as Bryson goes into many different aspects of hiking, National Parks, forest degradation, and people. The book is absolutely hilarious and a page turner. I am a slow reader but I polished this off in 3 days! I will definitely look forward to other books by him.

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Flawed, But a Step Up From The Lost Continent

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is work about Bryson hiking portions of the Appalachian Trail. I picked this up after having it recommended to me by several others, and having found a kernel of something to like in Bryson's The Lost Continent.

First, Bryson's condescension is toned way down from The Lost Continent to A Walk in the Woods. Bryson's atitude in the book is more congenial here; the near bitterness on display in The Lost Continent would have served this work rather badly. For that, Bryson hasn't lost any of his great wit, which makes his storytelling so entertaining when he's at his best.

Second, Bryson is extremely readable. A Walk in the Woods goes by quickly.

The downside is that it's almost two books squeezed into one. The first section, which is by far the best, finds Bryson and his friend Katz hiking southern sections of the AT. Afterward, they leave the trail, and Bryson comes back to hike other parts of the trail in short sections, sometimes only for a day. The final section has a reunion of Bryson and Katz, this time hiking the northernmost sections of the AT.

I don't hold it against Bryson that he didn't hike the whole thing. He hiked nearly 900 miles of it, which is certainly enough to describe the experience. However, the middle section has such a different tone and feel from the first and last sections, it almost reads like another writer took over that portion of the book. The effect is jarring and lends the book an unfortunate disjointed feel.

It's still a fun read, but if the middle section could have been like the first and last sections, it would really have been much better.

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Best adventure book I've ever read

Bryson has his own very specific style of writing, which I like a lot. Since I read first of his books, now I am addicted to them. I am buying one after another and all of them are very funny and interesting. I advice this book to anyone who like funny read and stories about nature and adventures.

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Two Not So Experienced Guys Tackle the Applachain Trail: Fun Book, 2nd Half less so w/o one of the Participants

A very pleasant book about two regular guys, not trail experts, planning to walk the entire Appalachian Trail (AT) but not completely as it turns out, in large sections with large step offs here and there. Not to be confused with an expert hikers view of what it is like on the trail but essentially two amateurs. The tell tale sign was when Bryson buys camping equipment and when he purchases a $300 backpack he is stunned to find out that the straps cost extra along with the $25 rain pack cover. I still had to buy pedals (& shoes). The author is accompanied by an out of shape friend but surprisinghly durable, hard luck friend named Katz and their interactions along the trail set the style of the book. Well meaning, and surprisingly earnest adventurers tackle the greater portion of the AT. The tale is fraught with humor with their less than stellar encounters, although successful in overall travel, hiking through a good portion of the southern trail, middlke area and an attempt to finish a section in Maine. Roughly 800 plus miles out of 2,000 by books end. The humor and sarcasm about certain places and people along the way is entertaining as well as great detail in describing the trail, it's history and the attarctive features along the way. Very good descriptions of the various small towns they encounter, camping sites with very good descriptins of shelters and assorted motels, cabins and bunk houses along the way they periodically utilize for showers, food and recovery. One bunk house was described by an earlier arriving patron as Stalog 17. But the amusing aspect is the interaction between the two and quite a number of folk along the way, the knowledgeable, the well meaning and the off the wall. Again, not for the hard corps hiker looking for the ultimate guide but if they are looking for an amusing, descriptive of semi-amateurs trail experience, they will enjoy the book. The book loses something in the second half when there is a significant break and Katz goes home. The author proceeds much later with day hikes with a leapfrog effect using his car until he moves further north. Theook picks up at the end as Katz returns and the humor and likeable interaction picks up for the last 100 plus miles in Maine that does not pan out well. If you are looking for a serious book on the trail, this is not really it, but it does provide an very appreciative taste of life on the AT, and a fun adventure that the less skilled wilderness folk can appreciate.

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1. ISBN13: 9780470474051
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

Dumbed down new edition with fewer places to visit

I was excited to see a new edition, although hesitant since I thoroughly enjoyed the first edition and even used it to plan a few trips to Arizona and Texas. Yes, some of the places were unrealistic, and no, I don't plan any trips to China, but the stuff in the US was pretty good. With the new edition, they took out 44 sights and only added 39 new ones (yes, I actually counted). They did some funky splitting of previously mentioned sights to get to their magic "500" number. As an example, in the old edition, London got a single mention with various sights included in the text. This time around they split that section into FOUR different "must-sees". VT got totally shafted and with the exception of the Geffrye Museum in England, all of the places dropped were in the US.

So what did they add? Lots of Australia and New Zealand sights, plus Europe and Asia. I'm all for a less US-centric approach, but some of the stuff they added was stupid- it's more important to ride the Tokyo monorail than visit the Gateway Arch in St. Louis??? Or how about Luna Park in Australia versus the National Zoo?? (Although, to their credit, they did add the Giant Panda of Wolong in China if you want to see them).

I also completely hated the layout of seven great views, parks, etc. They dropped tons of information and extras. In the previous edition, they had a section on cities to visit with a selection of highlights in the city. In the new version, Paris got dumbed down to the Eiffel Tower "for a great view". I agree, but there's more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower. It was the same with the other cities. I'm sticking with my old version and using my new book for a paperweight.

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Nice Book For Adults Too

This book has a pretty comprehenisve list of great, educational things to do all around the world.... and there lies the problem. Not too many American families with kids are going to be traveling to the Great Pyramids at Giza, the Louvre in Paris, or Vatican City. It might have been more realistic to concentrate more on domestic car trips and less expensive things to do. Or maybe re-title the book, 500 places to take yourself before you die.

Rating :

Family Travel in the United States and Around the World

I like to travel and since I have two young kids, I try to keep vacation trips within the confines of what I think will interest them- at least for part of the trip, anyway. Given this desire, it make sense that I purchased and utilize Frommer's 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up. This guide offers 500 different travel destinations for kids of all ages, including both domestic and international travel options.

This book is organized based on the type of attraction and as you browse through this guide, you will quickly realize that there isn't any particular order to the destinations and some will be further surprised by the selections themselves and the omissions. The entries are not listed from best to worst; alphabetically; by size; or anything else. They are random, based on type of attraction. Some of the more popular world wonders, like the Grand Canyon, Great Wall of China, Eiffel Tower, etc., are included, as they should be. But there are some popular places that are excluded, along with some unusual selections that will have some travelers puzzled, such as the Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania or the Apostle Islands in Wisconsin. These are not exactly top tourist attractions and there are certainly many more popular natural attractions that could have replaced them. But the guide included them anyway, most likely to provide balance and diversity.

500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up is a reference guide, but the writing is a little different from the straight- forward, factual type of material you find in almanacs and other guides. The writing in this guide is friendlier, with most of it written in second person and, of course, written with children in mind (it also includes a recommended age, for each attraction). The book's authors mention children in most every entry and they point out specific areas of different attractions that children will enjoy most. The majority of places included in this guide will appeal to adults also, so even if you are childless, you will like the destinations included in this reference guide.

This guide isn't sorted geographically, but there is a geographic index along with many useful maps to help you locate a destination more quickly. By checking the United States map, for example, the avid family traveler can quickly find out which destinations are located in his/her local vicinity. This is very helpful, but there is one limitation of the map: It lists only the names of the cities that include a destination listed somewhere in the book. The map doesn't include the name of the actual attraction, so it only serves as a cross- reference to the adventures within.

Travel is my favorite activity and Frommer's 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up is a fun, informative guide to family- friendly travel destinations around the United States and the world. It will take time to get through all five- hundred places with my kids, but we will certainly have a fun time trying as we seek out new family adventures and learning experiences, courtesy of Frommers.




Rating :

Good Companion for Trip Planners

Overall, this is not bad and could serve as a useful guide to those parents who, like me, are attempting to show the kids some of "what's out there" before they go to college and in between video games, sports, school and the other attractions that occupy the minds of our young.

I liked the format on each of the 500 places. The summaries are about as thorough as they could possibly be on one page (small type warning). I found each entry gave enough of a flavor to allow you to explore those that are intriguing in further detail.

The only gripe, and it is minor, is that the places are organized around themes. So you have chapters on the likes or "water recreation" and "historic homes" and "battlefields". In each chapter you'll ricochet around the world from Verdun to Gettysburg to Fort Ticonderoga and back across the water to Ypres. Hardly helpful for a RV oriented trip. The alternative would have been a geographic organization, which might have been easier to meet the needs of most of us who travel. I get why they did a theme oriented organization and that works too, but at the cost of some convenience.

On the whole, this is a useful companion for world travelers who want to see natural and man-made wonders.

Rating :

Take the kids along

Overall, this is a decent, but not great travel guide. For example, I would agree with the two Oregon entries, Crater Lake and the Snake River canyon are great trips for kids, but would argue in the case of the Snake, there are more accessible rafting trips that kids would love in the state, most notably the Deschutes or the Rogue Rivers. The entries for each destination were short and informative; perhaps too much so. I would have rather seen less destinations and more detail

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