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From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.
Join Lonely Planet Hawaii experts for the best advice on traveling to what Mark Twain called "the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean." This is a great guide for people of every budget, featuring more than 60 maps, directions for the best outdoor activities, plus background notes on the islands' history, cultures, and people. There's also a Hawaiian language guide, including useful pidgin words and phrases. --Kathryn True
Book Description
Wanna surf Oahu's famous North Shore? Trek across the Big Island's active lava flows? Or just lazily sun yourself on Maui's golden beaches? Whenever Hawaii calls, this definitive guide puts detailed coverage of all the islands at your fingertips, plus mo' bettah advice to help you plan the perfect getaway.
• KNOW YOUR WAY and never get lost again with 80 trustworthy maps - more than any other guidebook to the islands of Hawaii
• BE INSPIRED by full-color highlights and insightful history, culture and food & drink chapters written by Hawaii specialists
• DISCOVER YOUR OWN tropical paradise with in-depth itineraries, off-the-beaten path detours and expert authors' Top 10 recommendations
• FIND THE FUN with hundreds of opinionated reviews of star attractions, oceanfront resorts, diverse eateries and nightlife
• TALK THE TALK with our handy Hawaiian language chapter, including pidgin phrases
Customer Reviews:
Useful travel tool........2007-10-04
My husband and I honeymooned in Oahu and we took this AND the Frommer's guide along. I'd take either or both again.
Not bad, but there is a lot to cover in this one book..........2007-09-28
I can't help but look at a Hawaii visitor guide and check out whether my favorite eateries, locations, and activities are included. This one has a lot, but it covers all the Hawaiian Islands that visitors may, well, visit! That's a lot of material for one book to cover if its intent is to be complete. There are island-specific books that give more info (for example, the "revealed" series), but this one is darn good. It certainly focuses more on the activities for the low budget traveler than most do.
I know Oahu better than the other islands, so how accurate is Lonely Planet's Hawaii? It's pretty good. There are so many eateries in Honolulu than many are not included. Maybe its good that you will be steered away from my favorites! Seriously, I like The Shack in Hawaii Kai, Island Manapua in Manoa, and Volcano Joe's Island Bistro across from the UH campus for some delightful vegetarian. There's the Xcel outlet store in Haleiva, BBQ in Wahiawa, super diving off Makaha, and a less exploited trail and waterfall in Lyon Arboretum, right next to the heavily-used Manoa Falls trail.
There were some favorites included. Willows is a buffet treat in Makiki, Deep Ecology in Haleiva is a very pleasant and knowledgeable dive shop, and the Honolulu Zoo, although okay as zoos go, has its Wildest Show in Town summer music series every week (only a $2 donation requested... cheapest deal in Waikiki).
This isn't a bad choice for a guide book if you are only going to take one book. Nothing beats asking a local, however. Be friendly, and show aloha to the residents and to our special places. Don't litter, and pass a site by if it looks too crowded. There are plenty of things to see and do.
Mahalo.
interesting read.......2007-02-05
I bought this for our honeymoon since we were visiting all the islands and this seems to cover everything. It was an entertaining read with good information.
Taking this back to the library.......2006-08-08
I could barely read any of this book. The type is so tiny and hard to read, and the maps are all grey and difficult to read as well. Everything is just scrunched in there and you have to pore over that map to figure out what the heck you're looking at. They're way too busy. They cram too much detail into one map.
Its information is segmented well, and it's good that they list operating hours and prices where they can, but I just can't squint at that little type. The lettering on some of these maps is literally as small as the head of a pin. I'm supposed to be able to whip this out of my backpack on the island and use it as a quick reference tool? This book is going back to the library; I'll just have to find another book to use.
Great Lonely Planet Guide.......2006-07-03
I can very much reccomend this book to everyone planning to go to Hawaii. It has a section about every Hawaian Island open to travellers. You find general background information about the islands as well as very detailed information about things to do and see, lodging, dining and activities. It also picks out places that are usually less crowed than the major tourist accumulations.
Lonely Planet Guide Books are an absolute MUST before I go on a trip.
Book Description
New editions of Elspeth Huxley's stirring account of her childhood in Kenya and her novel of the destructive forces of colonization.
In an open cart Elspeth Huxley set off with her parents to travel to Thika in Kenya. As pioneering settlers, they built a house of grass, ate off a damask cloth spread over packing cases, and discovered--the hard way--the world of the African. With an extraordinary gift for detail and a keen sense of humor, Huxley recalls her childhood on the small farm at a time when Europeans waged their fortunes on a land that was as harsh as it was beautiful. For a young girl, it was a time of adventure and freedom, and Huxley paints an unforgettable portrait of growing up among the Masai and Kikuyu people, discovering both the beauty and the terrors of the jungle, and enduring the rugged realities of the pioneer life.
Customer Reviews:
Nostalgia for Happy Valley.......2007-06-23
This is by now a revered classic of a young girl's childhood in the Kenyan countryside under British rule. One reads this and instantly identifies with the colonial family. It's a kind of Swiss Family Robinson story about that magical time in Kenya and thereabouts before World War I when the world seemed to be at the feet of the British King and all globes glowed pink under the Empire. Were people ever so free and happy as the colonialists in Africa who instantly had countless servants, nearly free land, and the British fleet for protection? This is Out of Africa for the middle class, as opposed to Isak Dinesen's aristocratic take on things. Still, the going was good, as Evelyn Waugh once said. Ms Huxley is a charming writer. Required reading for lovers of things African.
The Flame Trees of Thika: Memories of an African Childhood.......2007-02-02
The Flame Trees of Thika is a wonderfully written book giving the reader a glimpse of what it must have been like to grow up in Colonial Africa. It is an experience most of us will only have through reading and can only be compared to what it must have been to be one of the early settlers on the American Frontier.
Love this Author.......2007-01-10
I loved this book. It is beautifully written and is a gripping story on growing up in Africa.
Truly A Classic.......2006-02-16
In 1913, a little English girl named Elspeth relocated with her family from their native country to begin a coffee plantation in the wilds of Kenya. Similar in a way to Laura Ingall Wilder's adventurous and sentimental "take" on what was surely a very difficult experience for her family, Elspeth remembers Kenya as a wonderful place and tells us with lingering excitement of her experiences there in the short time before the First World War changed nearly everything. A delightful memoir that is a pleasure every time it's read.
When can I get a plane to Africa?!.......2004-10-18
If you are interested in other cultures and ways of life, this book is a treasure. Yes, there has to be a bit of willing suspension of disbelief that this would be the way a child would see and describe things, but if you can live with the fact that this is an adult looking back on her childhood, it's a small thing to get over. The descriptions I found perfect--very vivid, yet not so extensive that they became boring and slowed down the story. And just in what happens and isn't even excused (her parents leave her with neighbors, she accompanies the neighbor's worker to the city, where he leaves her with some more strangers--we'd be calling the police, and her parents are just slightly inconvenienced! And everyone else there has just left their small children at boarding school, not seeing them for years!), the book gives a lot of food for thought about the realities of life in that time and place.
Book Description
Wipe grilled buffalo from your chops and watch lizards scurry up 1000-year-old adobe at Taos Pueblo p156. Align your chakras at Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, where stressed-out Pueblo Indians soaked for millennia p124. Play `Name That Georgia O'Keeffe Painting' and re-enact scenes from City Slickers in Abiquiú p122. Admire your new turquoise bracelet glinting in the sun as you search for deals on cow skulls in Albuquerque p169. One local Albuquerque author, 420 hours of on-the-ground research, 38 detailed maps, a bounty of opinionated reviews. Special road-trip chapter with jaunts to Route 66, Carlsbad Caverns, alien-crazy Roswell, ghost towns and open highway.
Book Description
Want to swim with dolphins, witness a space shuttle liftoff and rub shoulders with Mickey and Minnie? Whether you seek escape or adventure, this jam-packed guide delivers the goods on the Sunshine States, from the steamy Everglades to the warm, white sands of America's best beaches.
- Miami essentials — deco delights, Cuban cuisine, nonstop nightclubs
- in-depth coverage of Disney World and other major theme parks
- the lowdown on hiking, cycling, canoeing, fishing and more
- food and lodging options to please all budgets
- 53 detailed maps, including special Miami section
Customer Reviews:
Love It.......2007-07-02
We're in the middle of the big decision/action to move to Florida. Leaving family, friends and relocating a small custom sign business. It's very scarey but this book has pointed out how much we will enjoy the lifestyle. Pennsylvania winters are bruital, we love tropical living, eating and all that goes with it. Swimming, diving, biking, hiking, exploring, etc... Outdoor activities. We've been down several times and this book really hits it on the head.
An invaluably informative and easily portable reference for aspiring travelers to the state Florida.......2006-04-06
Florida from Lonely Planet is an invaluably informative and easily portable reference for aspiring travelers to the state Florida whether for business or pleasure. Introducing the reader to a wealth of restaurants, hotels, tours, and other attractions, Florida offers vacationers and travelers of all budget levels an indispensable reference for Miami, the Florida Keys, Orlando, Tampa, St. Pete, Amelia Island, Bahia Honda, St. Augustine, Fort Lauderdale, Ocala National Park, and so many more Floridian communities, all in a superbly organized, completely "user-friendly" and easy-to-use guide which is confidently recommended to anyone anticipating their next trip to Florida.
Please Note Date on Review above.......2006-01-25
The above review is Dated May 2003 ....and it's a review of the 2006 Guide? If the folks can Time Travel in to the future, why bother wasting time reviewing books? I'd be checking out stock market picks....
in comparison to lonely planet california very disappointing.......2003-05-28
if you search a bank of america somewhere in florida this is the book to buy. despite of this there is a lot of other useful and useless information in the book. unfortunately the authors did usually not try to give valued comments, therefore you have no idea which things you should see and which aren't worth the trip.Additionally the authors do not always give you good descriptions of how to get to certain places and you should have another guide or at least detailed map for that. FOr example we ended up walking 2 hours through the sun to find the entrance of one of the parks... This is very different from the high standard of the lonely planet california which I had in mind when I bought this book. In conclusion I was very disappointed by this guide and would not recomment to buy it at all....
Book Description
Iconic peaks reflected in tranquil mountain lakes, sweeping hillsides blanketed in wild flowers and dramatic, sprawling glaciers characterize the Alps. Discover why this mighty range, the birthplace of modern mountain walking, has enthralled walkers for centuries.
* detailed descriptions of 47 walks in the Austrian, French, German, Italian, Slovenian and Swiss Alps * feature coverage of multicountry megawalks, Tour du Mont Blanc and Walkers' Haute Route * two-color maps for every walk * step-by-step introduction to walk-climb hybrid via ferrata * inside information on walkers' accommodation, transport, gear and safety * language section for French, German, Italian and Slovene
Average customer rating:
- Downright incomplete
- The leader in books on the American Southwest.. A must-purchase!
- Tons of information, well organized
- survey of Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico
- One of the best around
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Lonely Planet Southwest USA (Lonely Planet Southwest)
Kim Grant ,
Becca Blond , and
John A. Vlahides
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
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Lonely Planet Zion & Bryce Canyon: National Parks (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
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Lonely Planet Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque (Lonely Planet Sante Fe and Taos)
ASIN: 1740595173 |
Customer Reviews:
Downright incomplete.......2007-06-03
I am a major, lifelong supporter of Lonely Planet from the first core Asia books. I have till date not filed a review of a book online, but felt compelled to highlight some major deficiencies in this product and make a recommendation to look elsewhere for information on the American Southwest. Of late, I have begun branching away from Lonely Planet for more detailed information, but still rely on it for useful phone numbers, maps and other logistical information. For a three week camping trip in the Southwest with a few splurges along the way, I wanted to rely heavily on just such a book.
In the Southwest book, much of this information was not present (for example, 'Many campgrounds are available in local state parks' is one of the entries, but no phone numbers, maps nor details given. Not only were options for lodging half-heartedly described, often food options and maps were entirely missing or erroneously described.
The cities are a bit better described, but that isn't offering much of an excuse for an area and geography that is utterly unlike any on earth.
It is not surprising that this particular book is so short on useful information given its small size, but I found it egregious that LP would compromise so heavily on its core responsibility - providing useful, practical information that saves time and enhances the travel experience.
I highly recommend flipping through another guidebook in your local bookstore or experimenting with one of the other brands before relying on the Lonely Planet in this case. I plan to do so for the near future.
The leader in books on the American Southwest.. A must-purchase!.......2007-04-05
I recently made a road trip across the American Southwest and purchased both the Lonely Planet 4th Edition (December 2005) and the Rough Guide 4th Edition (October 2006) as my guides for the week-long adventure. Lonely Planet emerges as the clear winner when the two are compared side by side. It is less than half the thickness of the Rough Guide book, yet has more coverage per town or natural site. I commend Lonely Planet for using such a thin but readable font and thin, high-quality paper to make this guidebook have such a small footprint.
The Lonely Planet guide is divided into tabbed chapters by state (the guide covers Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Las Vegas, and Southwestern Colorado). Maps cover both regions and downtown areas of the major cities and towns in the Southwest. For each city, restaurants, hotels, attractions, and essentials like internet access, post offices, bookstores, and medical facilities are listed. The sidebars contain information from a historical or side note perspective--these are perfect for reading aloud during the inevitable driving time for any Southwest adventure.
If you are planning to spend a long time in the Grand Canyon or other attraction area, I recommend purchasing an additional supplemental guidebook. As a road warrior, I appreciated that this book has all the essentials, but leaves week-long trips to Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon to other guidebooks.
Tons of information, well organized.......2007-02-15
This guide has tons of info for food, lodging, shopping, services, attractions, and activities. Margin "tabs" make it easy to thumb to a specific area. My only complaint is the greyscale maps are unreadable because of tiny fonts and low contrast.There is bleed thru from backside of pages also causing contrast problems and readability. Overall though, it is a good, packable guidebook.
survey of Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.......2006-10-22
It's considerably difficult to make sense of so much land in one book, so this guide ends up with brief entries and succinct recommendations. It's useful for suggestions on where to eat and sleep, and places to visit by car. If you want to do a more "adventure" trip, such as to the national parks, you might be better served by more specialized books out there for specific areas.
One of the best around.......2006-06-26
I compared this guide with Mobile's and Frommer's when I visited a book store and I ended up buying this one even though it was the most expensive. It appeared to me that it contained more useful and condensed info compared to the Mobile guide. That one used big fonts and a lot of gaps in the text so it filled up pages with not much. The Frommer's one was more bulky and felt that I couldn't spot some useful info quickly. It's interesting to notice that the previous version of lonely platet's southwest had very good ratings compared to this one. I haven't seen that edition. I hope this new one maintained some of its quality.
Book Description
What begins as a wildlife research project becomes much more as the author and his wife learn to hear the earth, pay attention to their dreams and slowly change, beyond their expectations, into being caribou.
·Wildlife biologist Karsten Heuer and filmmaker Leanne Allison spend five months migrating on foot with more than 100,000 caribou
·Both gripping adventure and stark portrayal of an Arctic ecosystem threatened by oil development
·Fresh off a nine-city tour in Spring 2005 for his book, Walking the Big Wild, the author will tour in Fall 2005 for this new book and a film by the same name
In April 2003 newlyweds Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison embarked on a five-month research journey to migrate more than 2,000 miles with a herd of 120,000 Porcupine Caribou. From Old Crow, Yukon, to the calving grounds in Alaska, and back again, the Heuers followed the ancient paths and primordial rhythms of the herd from its winter range through Canada and across the border to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the United States. The couple traveled by foot and by skis through unforgiving landscapes—fording swift, deadly cold rivers, as well as encountering ravenous grizzlies who tracked them as prey.
Having begun their expedition with the practiced pragmatism of two seasoned outdoor adventurers, Karsten and Leanne soon learned that they would only be able to find and discern the intent of the herd by adopting the ancient ways of the area's indigenous people. Given advice by a Gwich'in native in Old Crow at the start of their trip to "listen to dreams", Karsten and Leanne find they must shed the many insulating layers of pragmatism that distance them from the natural world. They discover that there is a truth that is transformational in listening to the music of the earth, paying attention to the urgings within dreams, and in truly, beyond their expectations, being caribou.
Customer Reviews:
in the footsteps of the caribou.......2006-11-14
Having enjoyed the movie by the same title, I decided to read Heuer's book in the hope that it would fill in more of the details of this epic journey in the footsteps of the Porcupine herd of caribou. Without detracting from the movie, the book provides more insight into those aspects of the story that could not easily be addressed on film, such as logistics, nature observations, the passage of days, and the more personal side of what, at times, must have seemed an impossible journey.
While the narrative follows the progress of the caribou herd's trek along a continuum spanning three seasons, it is interwoven with backflashes to planning and preparation for the expedition, reflections on the ecological and cultural place occupied by caribou, and forays into the politics of oil exploration and its impact on the Arctic wildlife.
Having now watched the movie and read the book, I remain amazed at the logistics of this journey -- from both the perspective of this expedition, and for the caribou which they follow. The book fleshed in much of what I suspected from the start -- that the annual migration of the caribou is a grueling marathon through a landscape that is both beautiful, but fraught with perils far beyond our imaginings.
From the perspective of adventure writing, Heuer delivers a fast-paced narrative that provides a good understanding of the landscape and the logistics of the journey. We are given enough details to vicariously feel the weight of a 70 pound backpack, the chill of wading a half-frozen river, and the helpless sense of frustration while watching a lost caribou calf straying from the herd to certain death on the tundra. We're given a generous glimpse into the thoughts of the writer as he and his partner face fear, pain, and fatigue, but also experience joy, excitement, and a growing respect for the caribou - as well as a grave concern for their future.
But this book should be regarded as much more than a travel or adventure narrative. It provides a much-needed window into the lives of the caribou and their place in the unique and fragile web of Arctic ecology. It also provides a background to the political and environmental issues that endanger the future of the north.
Pretty good.......2006-10-19
His message on the caribou herd is 5 star message. It is a shame what may happen to the caribou herd if or when drilling happens. All in all a pretty good book.
Adventure in a Place Most of us Will Never Visit.......2006-10-19
It takes a special kind of couple to spend their honeymoon following a herd of caribou across northern Canada and Alaska for four months. Getting used to each other is hard enough, but then to be swimming rivers that are barely free of ice, to climb mountain ranges in the snow, meeting up with grizzly bears that are not overly friendly.
They traveled over a thousand miles to study the caribou to produce a film of their migration to the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The flyleaf of the book says that it is an 'Adventure Narrative' and it is. It's also a lot more than that as most of us don't know what the current debate about drilling for oil and gas in the ANWR is all about. Needless to say, as a wildlife biologist the author has very definite views on the subject.
The ANWR is a place that most of us will never see. It's a place that most people never heard of. And unfortunately, it's probably a place that will be damaged, if not destroyed in the search for energy. As a congresswoman told the author: 'the bottom line for voters on this issue is cheap gas.'
This book is a story of the life of teh animals in the north, and of the people who study them. It's a story worth reading about. Thank you Mr. Heuer for bringing this to our attention.
Why ANWR must be preserved, even made a Nat'l Monument or Park.......2006-08-12
Husband and wife team of Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison decide to spend their honeymoon in just about the most off-the-beaten-track way possible: they're going to migrate with caribou.
Not just any caribou, but the Porcupine herd of northern Canada and Alaska, the herd whose calving ground is the 1002 Section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the place where Exxon wants to drill to get what will likely be less than six months, maybe one year's worth of U.S. needs of oil supply.
So, skiing and hiking, the duo spend April-September 2003 covering hundreds of miles in the wake of thousands of caribou, starting from Canada's Yukon, going into Alaska, then coming back. On the way, they cross and recross multiple mountain ranges and rivers, the latter frozen on the way up and roiling currents on the way back, battle swarms of summer mosquitoes and other bugs, cut their food budget tight between plane drops, and make psychological connections with both the herd instinct of the caribou and with each other as newlyweds.
Portraying the caribou instinct as a more jazzy, free-form version of the salmon's drive to spawn, their trek sheds valuable new light on caribou activities. It also underscores the fragility and the absolute importance of ANWR's 1002 Section.
To see just what is at stake on the side of the aisle opposite Exxon, and to fall in love with the Arctic North, read this book. Sixteen pages of full-color plates provide a wonderful photographic sidebar.
Being Caribou.......2006-05-10
Karsten Heuer and his wife, Leanne, follow the Porcupine Herd of caribou in their migration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Not only an interesting memoir of a journey fraught with difficult ground, mosquitoes and grizzly bears, but a moving account of the many dangers faced by caribou as they struggle to survive -- dangers that will be increased if the ANWR is opened to oil exploration and drilling. Heuer's writing successfully evokes the connection he and Leanne come to feel with the caribou and their alienation from the artificial rush of civilization.
The book makes a powerful argument for lasting conservationist values and against destruction for the short-term profit of a few. It seems too much to hope, though, that it will actually be able to do any good.
Book Description
From humble beginnings, Rome became perhaps the greatest intercontinental power in the world. Why did this historic city become so much more influential than its neighbor, nearby Latium, which was peopled by more or less the same stock? Over the years, historians, political analysts, and sociologists have discussed this question ad infinitum, without considering one underlying factor that led to the rise of Rome--the geology now hidden by the modern city.
This book demonstrates the important link between the history of Rome and its geologic setting in a lively, fact-filled narrative sure to interest geology and history buffs and travelers alike. The authors point out that Rome possessed many geographic advantages over surrounding areas: proximity to a major river with access to the sea, plateaus for protection, nearby sources of building materials, and most significantly, clean drinking water from springs in the Apennines. Even the resiliency of Rome's architecture and the stability of life on its hills are underscored by the city's geologic framework.
If carried along with a good city map, this book will expand the understanding of travelers who explore the eternal city's streets. Chapters are arranged geographically, based on each of the seven hills, the Tiber floodplain, ancient creeks that dissected the plateau, and ridges that rise above the right bank. As an added bonus, the last chapter consists of three field trips around the center of Rome, which can be enjoyed on foot or by using public transportation.
Customer Reviews:
original.......2007-10-03
Original in many ways, it offers the accomplished tourist with an enrichment from a perspective that other guidebooks do not offer. Much has to be said about the materials of construction used for the Servian Walls, the bases of temples and columns, the marble columns of churches, the flooring of streets, roads, and churches. It exposes the source location of such building materials, its use, and the effect of its use through out the ages.
Sure, the photographs are not of first quality, but for a paperback of $15, they are good enough (pushing for color would have doubled the book price). Yet, some of the photographs are original, like the ones at the quarries. Also, the sinkhole diagrams are original, not even the local newspaper graphics department thought of that.
The author could have mentioned some other interesting facts (but didn't), like the Justice Department building ("Palazzaccio"), built with heavy travertine stone on a clay foundation, and the 1980 earthquake in Southern Italy which had a muffled effect in Rome due to the clay foundation.
Sadly, a missed opportunity .......2006-05-04
This should have been a wonderful book.
Instead it deeply flawed by very bad writing.
The narrative is about as exciting as a glass
of cold spit and the sentence construction
reads as if it came from the pen of a sixth
grader who slept through English class.
On top of an impenetrable writing style the many
photographs are all black and white, even when
colour photographs or art work would have
been better (the line draws are wonderful for
the most part, clearly showing essential
material).
The photographs further suffer
from poor quality/composition. For example
the photo’s on page 6, 8 and 9 showing the
Trevi Fountain at different scales are useless
without a magnifying glass, and a photo
interpreter’s loop would be even better.
Page 57 shows a sink hole that could be
from any part of the world and simply takes
up space to no real effect. Again and again
the photographs either add nothing to the
readers ability to understand the narrative or
indeed take away from the book.
1) page 91, the “church of San Vitate”
according to the legend it’s surrounded
by “debris. . .accumulated since medieval times”
But from the picture it looks like a fast food
restaurant under construction.
2) page 93, a picture of “Monte Testaccio”
which shows a grassy mound with bits of crumbling
masonry and a fence that could be Monte Testaccio
or could be a grassy mound in NJ.
3) p112, caption “you can see evidence of the gradual
slumping movement in the curved trunks of trees.”
No, you can’t, or at least I can’t. It’s a picture of
trees and brush that could be almost anywhere in the world.
IF the reader looks very carefully they may see a tiny road
sign in the background that, with a bit of imagination, might
seem to show the curve of the trees. Or might not.
4) Page 115, a big hole in the ground with an earth mover.
The picture quality is almost good enough to make out the
strata. Almost.
5) Page 128, a riveting picture of what is supposed to be
the “modern travertine quarry, Bagni di Tivoli . . .” Looks
like a broken wall, with rubble and another earth mover that
could have been taken at a construction site in Idaho.
Fortunately I got this from the library. A book worth
adding to your personal library, but not at retail price.
I’m going to wait and buy my copy from the bargain bin at
$5.00 or better yet, $0.99.
Book Description
Discover the land of Pilgrims and Patriots! New England crams more history, scenery and outdoor adventure into six states than most countries. Walk the Freedom Trail, admire fall foliage, spot humpback whales and scale the White Mountains. Packed with insider tips from local authors, our definitive guide helps you explore the colonial heart of America.
• BE INSPIRED - stroll Boston's cobblestone streets, follow Thoreau's footsteps around Walden Pond and gaze out over the Atlantic from a remote lighthouse
• DIG IN - the best places to savor lobster, clam chowder, maple syrup, artisanal cheeses, extraordinary ice cream and other local delicacies
• PLAY OUTDOORS - hike the Appalachian Trail, ski Vermont's superb slopes, wander Cape Cod's fine beaches and sail Maine's rugged coast
• REST EASY - top accommodations for all, from forest campgrounds to romantic colonial B&Bs
• HIT THE ROAD with scenic drives through rolling farmland, leafy woods and charming historic villages
Customer Reviews:
disappointing.......2006-12-20
I used LP lots of times before, and some are better than other, some are really really good, but this was the worst one ever: I used it on a road trip from CT to Maine in December 2006: predictable hotels, compact somewhat boring descriptions, and lack of good stories, interesting details, none of the tips you look for as a traveller.. . Could use some passion.
Not too shabby..........2006-09-28
I've always bought Let's Go whenever I travel, but they didn't have a New England book, so I had to get this one. The organization is about the same. It doesn't have as much detail as the Let's Go Boston that I also bought, but I suppose it was because this has more content. The writing is a lot more entertaining that LG though. Also, I found the public transportation info really helpful. I plan on going on a New England road trip someday and I'll definitely bring this book with me.
About the reviews.......2003-09-05
Hey, I bought this book and liked it...and I'm a native New Englander. The coverage for Maine is particularly good, or at least I thought so.
However, I'm posting this not so much to let y'all know that the guide is good, but to say that this book is in it's third edition, published in 2001. All of the reviews here date from 2000 and before. They apply to the second edition of the book, not the third. So take them with a grain of salt, cuz LP changes it's content alot when they update old editions.
Just my two cents.
About the reviews.......2003-09-05
Hey, I bought this book and liked it...and I'm a native New Englander. The coverage for Maine is particularly good, or at least I thought so.
However, I'm posting this not so much to let y'all know that the guide is good, but to say that this book is in it's third edition, published in 2001. All of the reviews here date from 2000 and before. They apply to the second edition of the book, not the third. So take them with a grain of salt, cuz LP changes it's content alot when they update old editions.
Just my two cents.
Disappointed.......2000-09-19
I like Lonely Planet guides and find them very useful for other places. I also will concede that writing a guide of New England is really two books, a guide to Boston and a guide to everything else. I was psyched when I first got the book, but quickly became disappointed. I live in Boston and thought there were some big omissions locally. I found the guide to everything else to be lacking in major areas. I suppose if one is new to the area or only staying a week, this guide might be useful. For a reference for a New Englander, try something else.
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