No comments about Benchmark California Road & Recreation Atlas - 6th Edition.

5 comments about 101 Hikes in Southern California.

1. I purchased this book for a recent trip to Los Angeles, and found it to be a valuable resource for finding interesting hiking spots. Some photos from that trip and others can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pstao/
   
   I would definately recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the outdoors, and exploring the natural beauty that persists throughout Southern California.



2. might be an ok book if you lived in the area
   not useful for out of towners - hikes not too interesting
   more popular and too spread out to be useful.



3. Great Book with clear information of how to get to the trails, maps and sites along the trails. I started with #1 trail on the book which turn to be an excellent beginners hike with a 70FT waterfall in the middle. I have tried using other books but they where not as clear or good. This book prepares you for the hikes so good from the type of shoes to wear, if you can bring your dog, if it's suitable for kids or family. it indicates the tree types the time it takes, overall a must book for hikers in southern California.



4. The author did his homework in coming up with a great compendium of great hikes all over SoCal.
   Highly recommended for all hikers in the area.



5. Of all the books I have on hiking, this is one of the best. This gives you a good number of hikes to choose from and the hikes are broken down into areas. The basic information at the beginning of the description is pretty good and there is a good variety of hikes listed. I was looking for a book that would give me some overnight hikes, and while this book doesn't list them that way, they do help you figure out which ones you can modify to do as an overnight.

5 comments about Streetwise Los Angeles Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Los Angeles, California - Folding pocket size travel map with full metro & freeway system.

1. Durable, portable and easy to fold! Great for navigating the downtown LA area. Street names and intersections very clear. However, not a very useful resource for navigating the outer fringes of the city.



2. Although accurate, this compact version of the Los Angeles map's print was so small that even with glasses I still couldn't read it clearly so I wouldn't advise using it unless your eyesight is very good.



3. This map was compact, but hard to read and not very helpful with either the downtown Los Angeles area or surrounding communities. I suggest the local auto club map would be a much better, low or no cost alternative. My wife and I buy many travel aides and do travel frequently, but this map, unfortunately was a waste of money.



4. I don't like this map. It doesn't cover the USC area and the print is too small. It also doesn't extend far enough northward.



5. i bought this map when i first moved to LA 4 months ago. it is the only map that shows the 3-D buildings with accurate drawings. you can acutally see which way you are heading by looking at the face of the building and comparing it to the Streetwise map. i still carry it everywhere with me-it is IMPOSSIBLE to find parking otherwise! has saved me a fortune in meter costs and valet parking (LA's solution to non-existent parking lots. $40 a pop, usually).
   
   LA is crazy and the traffic is un-godly. i use this map to take side-roads and avoid the highways (you will spend years of your life on the 405 and 10).
   
   essential if you are moving to LA or just visiting. also has great detail of santa monica (which is how i found the great farmer's market and didn't pay $20 to park), venice, venice beach and all the great shoooooooooping.

4 comments about Quick Access Napa-Sonoma Wine Country Map and Guide (California Wine Region Maps).

1. 
   For my latest trip to Napa/Sonoma wine country, I purchased several books beforehand in the hopes that, among all of our choices, we'd be able to find the perfect, off-the-beaten-path winery. We did in Tres Sabores, although sadly most of their wine had been damaged in a fire.
   
   Having a good book or two on the wineries and restaurants is helpful, but in the end, this map, with it's simple laminated 4-fold design, road map with wineries and tasting rooms labelled on one side, and on the other side, an alphabetical list of wineries, their hours and phone numbers, was the most useful.
   
   Whatever the price, this clear and comprehensive tool is worth three times as much. And definitely stop by and have a chat with the folks at Tres Sabores.



2. worst map I have ever used. Save your money and pick one up at the wineries when you get down there - they are much more accurate (surprise!)



3. This is a great visual tool to help lay out your next trip to Napa Valley. Small and compact but laminated so you don't have to worry about wrinkles.



4. This map is essential if you plan on touring Napa and Sonoma vineyards and wine tastings. Besides showing us the way, the reverse side of the map gave us vital information concerning hours of operation, phone numbers and tours. We didn't get in the car without it.

5 comments about The Thomas Guide California Road Atlas.

1. This is likely to be the best overall road atlas available for California. I've used several editions of this atlas since the 1980s for finding my way around California. It includes both state-wide highway maps, regional maps, and selected street-level community maps, which seems to provide the right level of each for finding your way around such a large state in a handy and concise format. For getting around very large urban areas, such as LA, you still would need suppliment this atlas with more street level maps, which I usually print off from the internet ahead of time. So, there still is no substiture for planning ahead for road trips.



2. I am a delivery person in San Francisco and drive all over the city. This book has been extremely helpful. The Cross Street Index is the best. I can figure out exactly where I have to go in no time. The maps are very detailed and easy to read. I highly recommend this map book!



3. I would highley recomend this publication, Very accurate and informative.
   As a motorcyclist visiting the USA, It is easy to follow and gives you all the good rides.



4. This road atlas is very helpful. It took a while to figure out the layout. Not all cities have detailed maps but it worked well for me.



5. When I was planning my first trip to southern California, I thought it would be a good idea to get a hold of a road map. Little did I know that when I ordered the Thomas Guide I was purchasing the very best road map I had ever used. Everything I looked for was there, from crossing the border from Tijuana, to arriving in Santa Barbara, and 1000 miles of driving in between. This guide took a lot of stress out of driving on the California freeway and in and about large cities (San Diego, L.A.) and small towns (Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, La Jolla, Point Loma). If I ever recover from this trip and decide to travel again, I won't leave home without a Thomas Guide.

5 comments about California (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I purchased this book and also the current Frommers CA guide. I appreciated this book, because as we drove around the cities- the book gave detailed information about the different points of interest including their history and origins. It was great for all of those times we wondered what the heck something was- or how it came to be - while driving around CA cities. I also found this book more helpful in pointing us to some cool shops in the cities. While the Frommers guide was more detailed in its restaraunt and hotel descriptions, this book was more helpful in finding some of the off the beaten path - fun to see sites.



2. For every destination worldwide I plan (or dream) to go I buy a new DK guide, it`s a wonderfull search for research and recordation and California DK guide is not an exception to this rule.
   
   The only problem is that comparing with my old DK guides (my oldest one is around 9 years old)I would say the printing quality is getting more poor now, maybe because it`s made in China.
   
   But still the best you can find in market.



3. I always love books from DK because of their colorful pages and organized. They have listed as much places, events as possible into useful categories and give readers a brief idea for each places (address, opening/closing time, websites...) I live in Los Angeles myself but never been to several places listed in the book. This book is not too big to carry if you are planning to bring it with you in the carry-on bag. Recommended to all the travelers !!



4. Best, most sophisticated and yet detailed travel book on my own state, California, that I have ever seen.



5. I have been looking for a long time a good guide of California and I think this is the best one. Good quality, a lot of information and best price.

5 comments about Frommer's Napa and Sonoma Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day - Pocket).

1. I bought this book to assist us in our second trip to wine country. I found the format to be a bit difficult to follow with some material repeated. I also found the information to be limited. It did provide ideas on some things to do but was probably as useful as the free guide offered by the Chamber of Commerce.
   
   It was lightweight and easy to read before leaving, but not something I could use as reference during our travels.



2. I was excited to see this book - I like the idea of specific tour ideas a lot, but once I looked below the surface, this book recommends places I would never ever send anyone. The budget tour, for instance, recommends V. Sattui. It is a complete waste of your time in Wine Country to visit such a tourist-only winery. It has awful wine and doesn't represent anything "authentic" about wine country at all. It makes me feel sad that any author would RECOMMEND going there or that anyone going there would think this is actually the real Napa. You could have gone to St. Clement instead.
   
   It also recommends having a meal at Taylor's Refresher...would you waste a precious meal in Napa at a burger joint? When you could instead have gone to a special culinary spot, like Rutherford Grill or Tra Vigne instead for a lovely lunch instead.
   
   And the idea of a wine country tour without a car - pull-ease. By balloon and limo instead? As if you will avoid the traffic? And bicycling in Napa is just plain foolish, although many fools do it. Shall we review the statistics on bicycle deaths by car on Napa's primary roads? Filled with tourists who don't know their way around driving - and who have been drinking? The weekend traffic on 29 will surely leave you feeling like you have been cycling the relaxed and rustic byways - NOT. You should have brought your dust mask. But with guidebooks like this one, who can blame you for heading down this road?
   
   Recommending that people dine at the French Laundry, which requires reservations a month in advance - (and, if you win the lottery, your call might get through) - is cruel and unusual punishment. Shame on you, for setting these unrealistic expectations - and sending people off to be frustrated by the reservation phone line (always busy) at the French Laundry, drink horrible wine at V. Sattui, and off to see Copia, a wine museum that was always a failure and is now closed. (You could have gone to a perfectly lovely restaurant that is authentically "wine country," drunk one of the best Chardonnays in the world, or spent time at the diRosa, a truly great wine country art collection instead.)
   
   The Napa in a day tour seems odd - who in their right mind visits downtown Napa if they have but one day to spend in wine country? No one. It's okay, if you have several days to spend, but who would recommend walking around Napa when there's St. Helena or Calistoga. And then sending people on a one day tour of Napa to Rubicon, the late-arriving, commercial, tourist trap interloper, over more authentic wineries? Why not send people at least to the places mentioned in the Paris Tasting? Or Bottle Shock? Grgich Hills and Chateau Montelena would be so much better as recommendations. And saying that Domaine Chandon makes the valley's "most renowed bubbly" - please, don't insult the audience. That's a highly debatable honor - and it's more likely that title belongs to Schramsberg, not this corporate-owned French joint, which is still a fun place, but not perhaps as authentically Napa as Schramsberg (although you should visit both, in a best case scenario). This book makes no sense to me.
   
   There are so many better options - I am just shocked that Frommer's would use this great format - specialty tours - and put such rotten choices in it.
   
   One more complaint - each day tour seems to me to have about twice as much activity in it as is really a good estimate on time. I would recommend doing no more than 3-4 wineries per day, and combined with lunch and dinner and gazing...that will be more than enough for the average person. This book has an art tour that boggles the mind. The diRosa museum itself is a half day tour - and well worth it. This book recommends it as one of five art museums PLUS five wineries - in both Napa and Sonoma. Well, if you can speed climb El Capitan in Yosemite in three hours, then this is the tour for you!
   
   I say all this as a person who has visited and brought friends on wine country tours for about 20 years...not often, but often enough to know what to do and what not to. If you want to visit tourist traps and race from one to another, for the most part, use the recommended specialty tours in this guide. Otherwise, you might use this book to make up your own tours...
   
   It's too bad, Amazon makes you enter one star at a minimum to post a review. If I could give this book negative stars I would.
   
   I would recommend reading a great book about Napa - like both of the titles by James Conaway - and then the Paris Tasting book by Taber. That way you will see the real Napa story.



3. On our recent trip to San Francisco, my cousin and I decided to take one day visiting the Napa Valley area. We are not very knowledgeable about wine, so we were visiting more for the scenery and maybe learn a little about wine tasting. I figured this book should point us in the right direction.
   
   The book was indeed very helpful in that regard. It had many lists with specific focus -- like places to visit if you are on a budget, places to visit if you got money to burn, places to visit if you are new to wine (like us!), places to visit if you want to see the best of Napa/Sonoma Valley in one day, and so on and so forth. These lists really helped us find the most attractive places to visit. And with the included fold-out map, we figured my one-day trip to Napa Valley would be a breeze.
   
   Or so we thought.
   
   The first sign of trouble was that it took a bit of guesswork to figure out how to drive to Napa Valley in the first place. As anybody who's driven in SF Bay Area can tell you, SF's freeway network can be quite confusing for newcomers. We did arrive at Napa Valley without much incident, but we were nervous and unsure whether we were going the right way throughout the drive. It would have been very nice if the book had a clear driving direction to Napa Valley from SF Bay Area, or if the book had a map that connects the Napa Valley roads with SF freeways.
   
   Now it was time to find the first winery we were planning to visit. The fold-out map had decent amount of road detail with various wineries marked, so we drove to the location indicated on the map..., only to go, "this can't be right." Finally, we decided to just look up the winery's street address in the book, and we realized that the location of the winery's mark on the map was off by about 1/2 inch, making it look like the winery was located on a completely different street. A pretty glaring error.
   
   When we were trying to get to the second winery on our list, we again noticed that the map had its location marked on the wrong side of the street. Comparatively speaking, this was a very minor error, but it really made us question the map's accuracy.
   
   It unfortunately rained quite a bit on the day of our visit, so we really couldn't enjoy the scenery as we had originally intended. And since we felt we had our fill of wine education for the day, we decided to visit Charles M. Schulz museum (of Peanuts fame) in nearby Santa Rosa, as suggested by the book's list of "places to visit with kids." Again, the book's map failed us as it only pointed at the city, not any specific streets. We had to ask the city locals for directions to find the museum.
   
   Now, the museum and the two wineries we visited were excellent. They were exactly the kind of place we were looking for, and we got a very informative tour and low-cost wine tastings, just as the book promised. All in all, it was a very rewarding trip, and there is no question that we would not have fared as well without the book. And if I visit Napa Valley area again (and I hope to do so in the near future), I will certainly turn to this book for more suggestions.
   
   But I will get a separate map with more accuracy and detail. Maybe I'll get a GPS navigator, or maybe print out the necessary maps from Google or Yahoo before leaving home. (We didn't have internet access in our lodging at SF.) I strongly suggest other travelers to do the same.



4. I bought this book to use it as a planning guide for an upcoming trip to San Francisco, Napa and Sonoma. I was pleased to find out it had a section on San Francisco as well as the Wine Country. It is concise, with helpful descriptions of lodging, restaurants, and vineyards. The map does not look great for driving directions, but it does give you an idea where the different vineyards are located. Overall, I would recommend this book.



5. Why here, in a book with the title "Napa and Sonoma" someone would put in an entire chapter about San Francisco? These pages should better be vested to tell and show more about the vicinity of Napa and Sonoma. 30 pages about San Francisco is surely not providing any information above "any of the many" books about San Francisco, nor it is of any value. And considering that this leaves mere 160 pages about Napa and Sonoma itself, a sizable percentage of a possible content is lost. They have even spent an entire trifold page of the cover for yet another map of San Francisco. Unbelievable!
   
   I really dislike mislabeling of books, and I consider writing about San Francisco, arguably a city NOT in the Napa valley, a clear case of a mislabel. There can be only one way I can react to this as a consumer: One star. Shame on you Frommers!

5 comments about Yosemite, The Complete Guide: Yosemite National Park.

1. I bought this book based on the reviews, but am not happy with it. I am trying to plan a trip and need more logistical information than colorful photographs and trail maps at this point. Technically I guess they feel justified in calling it "complete" because they mention everything at least once. There is no depth though. Planning a trip to Yosemite requires in depth knowledge of the logistics and options available for lodging, for example. You won't find it in this book. Get the Moon Guide to Yosemite instead...I'll probably bring both books on my trip, but I won't have a use for the "Complete Guide" until I'm settled in, putting on my hiking boots, and choosing a trail for the day....



2. Just got back from Yosemite a few days ago. We camped at Lower Pines.
   This book was extremely helpful. I really liked the way the author told
   you the ends and outs of dining,("The Essentials") etc. We really used this book for practical matters; showers at Camp Curry, the pizza at Camp Curry (the best in the park) what shuttle stops to use for what hike. The
   photography is outstanding. Easy to read and understand. The hikes were
   all described, we went on the Mist trail, and it was as in the book. He also included the history of the park, pictures and descriptions of the flora and fauna. If I was to do it over again this would be the only book I would get on Yosemite. It has it all.



3. I used this guide for two very different 4-day trips to Yosemite this year. On one trip, I went car camping with several families in the spring. Many of the roads were closed due to snow and some of the people we were with were not seasoned hikers. The book was an invaluable source of information for planning big and little day trips that suited the whole group even with the weather limitations. I went back again in the fall with just my family and used this guide to help me plan a backpacking trip that included several day hikes. (The author also recommends the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map for such a trip--he's right; the map really helps a lot and the two resources work well in tandem with each other.) I read the Geography, Ecology and History sections aloud to my family and the information really enhanced our enjoyment of the trip. The descriptions of official and non-official trails are accurate and helpful. We felt well-informed in choosing each activity of each part of both trips and always knew what we were getting ourselves into. Often, other hikers asked us for information that we had that their books didn't have. It was a great resource for navigating every region of the park, including the busy valley and the remote backcountry. Both trips were non-stop fun for my family, in large part because we had this book to use as a constant reference. I am having trouble putting the book back away on the shelf because I am so devoted to it.



4. This book was a pleasant surprise that will enrich my future trip to Yosemite. The photos are gorgeous and the text provides fascinating historical and other interesting information about what I'll see.



5. I can't say enough about this book - it is the BEST EVER Yosemite guide! If you only have money for one guide, I recommend this one. We are going to Yosemite on vacation this spring, so I bought several books, many of which have good information. But I LOVE this one - not only good information, but stunningly beautiful photographs! I am going to buy a second copy of this for the other couple who are going with us. It will be a valuable resource while we are there, but also a lovely souvenir memento of our trip for years to come.

5 comments about California Atlas & Gazetteer (Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer Series).

1. I was recently the navigator on a 10 day California coast road trip. I ordered the Delorme Atlas to serve as a back-up to my Nuvi GPS. The map is certainly is the better way for looking ahead for rest areas. Half way through the trip, the binding cracked and pages began to fall out. Not good when driving in a convertible with the top down! So I stopped at a Kinko's Copy Center and they replaced the binding with a spiral binding. Now it went from a good atlas to a great atlas! I'm certainly going to do this to any other Delorme atlas I use in the future.



2. The California Gazetteer always goes with me on a road trip - or if I'm planning one. I'm a new transplant to California, and the maps in the Gazetteer are colorful, easy to read, and as complete as I need. I very rarely can't find where I'm heading on these maps, and they are easy enough for my navigator to keep up where we are and where we need to go on. I am very satisfied.



3. Although this one was purchased as a gift, I have one just like it and am completely satisfied with it (as is the gift recipient). DeLorme has the market cornered on making a product that is both user friendly and detailed enough that one could go hiking with this Atlas and Gazetteer. Two thumbs up!



4. Let's face it: GPS doesn't always work, and you won't always have the coverage to access google maps on your phone. These atlases have accurate and comprehensive maps of almost every back road and trail in the state. They also include reasonable approximations of public lands boundaries, though land ownership is not always as clear as it is on the USGS quads. If you're going to leave the highway, make sure you have a map that doesn't need batteries- get one of these and you'll be able to find your own way around anywhere in the Golden State.



5. How can anybody give this product a 5-star rating?? Being a European I ordered this atlas before I went to California, and it looked great at first sight - the only obvious fault was the binding that did not allow it to be put flat on the table when opened. The only acceptable binding for a road atlas is a spiral spine that allows it to open fully and even be turned "inside out" so you can view one page only. This DeLorme atlas is not user friendly - my wife held it on her knees while I was driving, and the binding made it close itself as soon as she took her hands off the book. Moreover the binding soon proved to be of very poor quality as the pages started to fall out after only 4 days, and that was not due to any abuse from us. As tourists we wanted to use minor roads as well as freeways, and we soon got into trouble. The roads listed as Major Connectors or Major Streets in the legend can be anything from paved 4-lane roads in suburbs to the worst gravel roads only accessible by 4-WDs. One example - the "major connector" leading from Rimrock (page 143 B8) up to State Route 18 near Big Bear City should not be attempted by anything else than a high clearance 4wd with an experienced driver at the wheel. How can DeLorme call this dirt track a major connector?? Inaccurate or misleading information was found in many places, for instance a place called Bagdad (page 132 D4). This place is marked as "City or Town" according to the legend, but not a single house was to be seen there. And that was not the only non-existing "town" in that area. Many places of great interest for the tourist were not specially marked, for instance Calico, one of the best preserved ghost towns in California, is only marked as a town and not as a place of interest. On the other hand DeLorme has found it necessary to mark no less than 8 boat ramps around the tiny Big Bear Lake - what is so important with that?? My conclusion is that this DeLorme atlas is fine if you want to find the best way from one city to another, but if you are a tourist and want to explore the deserts of California, you may miss many interesting spots and even get into hazardous situations if you try to go by their "major connectors".

5 comments about Streetwise San Francisco Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of San Francisco, California - Folding pocket size travel map with BART map, MUNI lines, bus routes.

1. I bought this map for an upcoming trip to San Francisco and it will be perfect for getting us around town. Easy to read and information on public transportation is a plus. Is sturdy and will last for return visits. I use a similar map for New York City and find it essential for exploring new neighborhoods!



2. Used map while visiting San Francisco and it worked well. The print was too small for me to read even with my glasses. A family member read it.
   
   The laminated map held up well.



3. And while the laminate would be nice in the rain, I guess, it makes it bulky to carry around.



4. As always, the Streetwise map is fantastic and most useful throughout our recent visit to San Fran. We used the public transportation (MUNI) extensively and map's markings of all the bus/subway/trolley/cablecar lines were very helpful. Just beware that there are extensive MUNI changes coming on December 5th, 2009 (due to severe budget shortfall and subsequent cuts), so some of the descriptions will no longer be valid. I am sure that Streetwise will have new version out soon enough but this current version will be outdated very soon. Too bad, but it's not Streetwise's fault.



5. I walked everywhere (Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square, Chinatown, Embarcadero...) and this was the only map I needed. It's also the perfect size for a jean pocket or inside my coat.