Tours and Travel Books

I truly believe this book made our vacation the BEST ever!!!! We never shood in line once!!!!!!!!!!! I highly recommend it!!!!

Traveling to Walt Disney World without reading this book is dangerous. Understanding the many facets and choices to be made is critical and this book provides all necessary info. I have been there many times and always obtain the latest edition of this book with fabulous results.

This is a comprehensive guide to the enormous vacation spot known as "Disney world." We were able to check out all the restaurants and make early reservations before our last trip. My principal concerns were the very small print and low color contrast in the print. Anyone with any reading problems (such as myself) would not find it convenient to use.

This book was such a great help! I purchased several other, but this was by far, the most comprehensive and best written!

I bought this book along with the PassPorter, and this book blows the other away by far! The thickness of the book may seem overwhelming, but you only have to read the sections that pertain to you and your trip. The information was extremely helpful, and delivered in an amusing voice. This book was certainly written for any reader - neither over nor under the majority of readers' heads. Also the reviews of rides and dining were just right - not too in-depth but certainly very helpful.

I highly recommend this book for anyone planning a trip to Disney!

We have always used the Unofficial guide but discovered the Complete WDW just recently. This book has a myriad of awesome colorful pictures--here's what WDW looks like! The only drawback is that, unlike the Unofficial guide, this book doesn't ever criticize WDW or give actual reader input.

Bottom line: it's worth the money. WDW lovers will read and reread the book!

I purchased this book right before a fall trip to Disney World with my 3 teenagers, and it was the best thing I did. A lot of detailed information about restaurants and tips on where to get good snacks was right on target. We were able to find some wonderful out-of-the-way places to eat for a good value while in the parks that we may not have stumbled upon on our own. The book also recommends various attractions by placing a check mark next to them, which helps plan your day if you are trying to make the most of your time. Overall, this is an excellent book with exceptional insights.

Very interesting, informative, with a fantastic amount of interesting pictures of Walt Disney World. It's small size will make it easy to carry- even to take along to the parks. The authors certainly did a lot of research for this book. Wonderful!

This was an excellent guide. The pictures were vibrant, the facts entertaining. This guide is good if you want to learn about the parks/rides/entertainment. It's not a commando scheduler.

This book will give you the best idea on what to expect from a ride. I combined it with the WDWR Econoguide and it was the best mix. I had borrowed about 8 guides from the library and these two are the best.

This book was excellent in giving us advice for which rides to ride, which rides to skip, which places to eat at, and which places to skip (because of the cost, haha). It even has fold out maps so we didn't have to get them separately and tote them all around, and they were very helpful--we used them every day. It also tells you the costs of all the hotels, if you're looking for that, as well. We especially enjoyed Port Orleans French Quarter. This book even has a special place for character autographs for your children so you don't have to buy one for $10! Buy this book and enjoy your trip even more!

I received my copy today of the Passporter 2005. This will be our first trip to WDW and now we are even more excited after reading through this book!!! I love that it is so compact, yet FULL of helpful information. Also, I like that the book can be closed so nothing will fall out. It is perfect to take into the Parks. It is like the Walt Disney World "Bible". A must for first time travelers to WDW!!!!

This is a wonderful book. It is cleverly written and organized with lots of ample room for the reader to journal, take notes and store paper momentos. I can hardly wait to take this with me on our Walt Disney World Vacation in a few short weeks. The authors have provided AWESOME information to make sure that my family has a great vacation. If you are looking for the perfect tour guide to WDW this is it!

I LOVE this book!!! I live in FL but hadn't been to Disney in years, so I decided to buy a planning book before our big trip. Well, I sure got more than I bargained for with this book. It has useful information about every resort, restaurant and ride...and more! The passporter pockets make it convenient to store your hotel confirmations, priority seating confirmations and tickets prior to your trip. The fold-out maps are great too!

In addition to the wealth of information provided in the book, Jennifer and Dave have a wonderful website that I highly recommend for more information about Disney, including updates to the book. If you are planning a Disney trip OR if you just love WDW, GET THIS BOOK. I can't say enough about it.

If you have read any of the other reviews you already know this series inspires strong praise and I agree with all of it. I'd like to add one more reason to appreciate this book- there is NO approximation of the WDW LOGO! you may be wondering why that would be a good thing so I'll tell you. We have a 4year old who can not read yet but has the brand recognition skills of a savant- I have had this book for a few days and not a shread of curiosity about it yet. Which translates into PEACEFUL planning. We won't be tackling the mouse till Dec. and I don't think I can stand almost 3 months of "IS IT TIME YET?????"

If you are going to Walt Disney World you should invest in this book. It will really pay off. Disney offers so much to do, and can be so crowded, that you have to know what you're doing before you get there to have a good time. This book makes that possible. Nice to look at, well organized and well written, it will save you hours of wasted time at every theme park and provide many other interesting ways to spend your time. The restaurant and resort chapters are first-rate, too. I bought five Disney World guides before our trip, and this one was the most useful. Beforehand I thought only our kids would enjoy Disney, but thanks to this book I, and my wife, had a great time too.

I was so impressed with this colorful guide to my FAVORITE PLACE -- Disney World! My family makes the trek to Orlando twice a year, and I thought I knew a lot about it. After reading this Complete Guide I know about a thousand times more than I did before! I can't wait to go back and look for some little treasures I learned about from this book, like the Mary Blair doll in Small World, or the funny things the birds say after everyone has left the Tiki Room.
There are photos on nearly every page, and they make me feel like I am right there strolling down Main Street USA or about to go down Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach. These pix alone are reason enough to get this guidebook. They will make you want to book your next vacation right away.
Do yourself a favor and get this book!!!

Anyone who is headed to Disneyworld should buy this book, even if you have been there before. It has really helped me plan our trip. I have been using it for the past two weeks to get ready and now I feel like a real expert. Lots of great information and photos, very well organized and fun to read too!

I have a whole shelf in my bookcase just for books about Disney World, and The Complete Guide is now my new favorite.

What you notice first is the color. The cover is a brilliant red, with a great pic of the trolley show performers on Main Street USA. Inside are bright glossy pictures on just about every page. These are not the typical staged shots you normally see from Disney World. There is a backstage photo of a Lion King dancer putting on makeup, a shot of the author from the inside of a Richard Petty race car, Tweedledum taking a cell-phone call from a guest and a close-up of the Cinderella mosaic at the castle. There is even a historical photo of Warren Beatty signing his cement block in front of the Great Movie Ride. I could go on and on just about the photos in this book.

My reason for really loving this guide, though, are not about the pix. I love the explanations on each attraction's back story. I have gone on these rides not knowing the story, but am looking forward to riding again now that I can put the ride in perspective. For example, I never knew the full story behind DinoLand, the Harambe Village or Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom. Now I do!

If you are interested in a beautiful Disney World guidebook that is unprecedented in its depth and details, check this one out. You won't be disappointed!

Julie and Mike Neal are a husband-wife team who appear to live at Walt Disney World. From what I understand, Julie does the writing and Mike does the photography. Both excel at their respective crafts.

Literally every feature at Disney World is described in honest detail. There are lots of hints on how to optimize your time.

It is not, in my opinion, an exaggeration to describe this guide as the equivalent of a paid companion, intent on making your experience at Walt Disney World unique and thoroughly enjoyable. Visitors of every age can plan the itinerary best suited to their interests with the help of this marvelous guide.

Don't think of visiting Walt Disney World without consulting this book, preferably several months in advance so you can really take advantage of its detailed descriptions and comments.

Jerry

San Francisco has over 50 hills with scenic vistas and small neighborhoods - so these nearly 30 urban walks are top picks for any who want to walk the city's byways. The revised expanded edition has been updated with new maps and color photos and adds three new walks, while an appendix lists the City's 600-plus public stairways. It's a 'must' for any San Francisco travel collection going beyond the general-interest city guide.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Great book to have for anyone who enjoys an adventure. Lots of walking options within the city

We've have been using Edition 1 (published 1984)for ten years. It's our most often used reference for San Francisco hiking. But the copy is now very worn and torn from carrying in back pocket on all those stairway hikes. Almost lost it several times on loans to friends. We are buying the latest edition (No. 6) as a replacement. We'll keep and treasure Edition 1.

We love to see the City close-up and enjoy the neighborhoods. During our reviews of Russian Hill, Pacific Heights, and San Francisco's crookedest street (Lombard Street) - we've used this book to find secret stairways and understand their twisted history. This book is an invaluable resource to making your trip to San Francisco unique -- and get some good exercise too!

Adah's book is a great collection of walks all over the city. As the name implies, all the walks focus on the stairways for which San Francisco is so well known. This has two implications: one is that these walks will wear you out; the second is that, on sunny days, you get incredible views from the tops of all the stairways Adah has you climb.

For locals, the 27 walks cover the entire town from Glen Canyon to Lands End to Potrero Hill. No matter how long you've lived in San Francisco, I guarantee you'll see great spots you've never been to before.

Most of the walks are well off the beaten path for visitors, but a couple cover the classic tourist areas of North Beach, China Town, and Telegraph Hill. The Russian Hill North walk, done on a sunny day, will have anyone believing San Francisco is the most beautiful city on earth.

Adah provides maps, directions, and a great deal of color commentary for each walk. She tends to focus on eccentric details of the local architecture and flora for each walk, lending a whimsical quality to the whole experience.

Two last things to keep in mind. First, because the views are such a big part of these walks, Adah's trips are much better in good weather than in bad. Second, Adah is sometimes a little loose with her directions; I recommend cross checking the directions and the map often.

I'm planning to take my two teenagers cross country this summer and this is a GREAT book for finding interesting places to show them. It has excellent maps, clear directions, and well-written descriptions of what you will (and won't) see so I can figure out what sites will best entertain the different family members. I only wish we had time to see more of the places they describe. It even tells you what other nearby attractions there are. Kudos to the authors!

My wife and I love to go on factory tours and visit company museums when we travel. It's corny, I know, but fun. This book gives wonderful examples of some of the best tours and museums around. Whenever we're going on a road trip, we always consult Watch It Made in the U.S.A.: A Visitor's Guide to the Best Factory Tours and Company Museums (Watch It Made in the USA) to help us decide where we might like to go. I would very much recommend it for families with young kids who might enjoy such tours, and probably retirees who have the time and interest for them, as well.

This is an excellent book for anyone who is interested in things made in the USA. It gives a nice description of the facilities, locations, tour times, cost and lengths, age appropriateness, and phone numbers.
We like to travel the country and will use the information to plan our trips. The book is well organized and very helpful.

This is my first review in Amazon.

I am always curious about how things are made,
and after watching many episodes of "How do they do it",
and "How it's made" on discovery Channel.
I started to look for extra resources for a better understanding on these "behind the scenes" mysteries.
Then, I found this book.
And this book is a real treasure!
The book is well organized,
It provides many detail information about the factory tours,
and the brief background of the companies.

Thanks to this book,
now I have some itineraries in mind.
I plan to visit KitchenAid's factory in the near future for my mom.
(My family is in Taiwan)
She is a big fan of KitchenAid mixer. ha.
I will also visit Airstream company as well,
Owning a travel trailer is my dream, and I want to know how it is made,
And I will be more determined to realize this dream!
Maybe one day I will write a similar book "Watch it made in Taiwan" in a mobile trailer office. Who knows?!

Great book, I did not know that a book like this existed. Will definitly come in handy when planning trips. Checked information on places we have already been and information was accurate.

This is a genius of book. Picture his TV Show on Travel Channel with some bite. He goes over many things as he travel the byways of not just travel, But lifes quirks. In all his travel semgments he goes over the eleations, and the pitfalls. Like the hearfelt moment about his guide in Memphis, or the rude treatment he got in a B&B in Boston. The book will help, or hinder your appreciation of tourist traps. For a nice laugh at, or with Cash Peters --- buy the book!

I discovered Cash Peters' Travel Channel show over the summer (where he's dropped off in some strange land--he has no idea where--with no money whatsoever and has to convince locals to feed and shelter him for a day) and was given this book over the weekend as an early birthday present. I am glad to report that Gullible's Travels is even wittier and more fun than his TV show! Peters visits and writes about a number of cities and tourist traps, as well as some of the oddest, most tasteless and inane destinations imaginable. Not only are the locations themselves simply brilliant, but Cash Peters' running commentary on these places would crack up a 1692 Salem Puritan. Sure you can learn a thing or two and maybe get an idea about where to go when you make your own vacation plans, but the real attraction here is Peters' himself and his goofy way of perceving everything. I suppose one could ask for a more serious guide thru these "bad taste" sites but it'd be hard to come up with one who was more bizarre. Peters is a likable bloke and while I'm not sure I'd let him crash in my house should his Travel Channel producers ever drop him off to film an episode in Mason, Ohio, I'd love to hear his comments about my home town. I can only imagine the things he'd say...

I had never heard of Cash Peters before having read a rave review of "Gullible's Travels: The Adventures of a Bad Taste Tourist," but after having bought it, read it, read funny bits aloud to anyone nearby who would listen, and having read it yet a second time, I now count myself among his most ardent fans.

Peters' book is all about his last fling as a "bad taste tourist" being paid (not enough, he assures us) to visit tourist oddities all over the world. Among these are the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast; museums devoted variously to dirt, barbed wire, and feet; a hotel which makes a tremendous show of its resident ducks getting into and out of water; a tour of Parisian sewers; a funeral home miniature golf course; and, of course, Graceland. Peters is unfailingly sarcastic, which makes for terrific reading since his hosts are generally unfailingly sincere and enthusiastic about their chosen oddity.

One of the chapters is entitled "The Old Woman with an Armchair Glued to Her Ass." The subtitles on this chapter alone include: "Mr. Moussef asks for a fork - Joseph, Mary, and the teddy-bear Jesus - a touch of unpleasantness in a Boston library - a sticky breakfast confrontation." So you can imagine what the rest of the text is like . . . well, heck, here are just a very few highlights:

"In 1773, the British Parliament passed a wicked piece of legislation called The Tea Act, imposing a tax on all tea imported into the Colonies. The locals were in an uproar. 'Ye infernal bounders! Forsooth, 'tis intolerable what ye do'; or however they spoke back then."

"Boston Common is the oldest park in America. In fact, I think it may even date as far back as Historical Times."

"Nobody in Salem [Massachusetts] is able to mention the witch trials, not even in passing, without also telling you the date of them--1692. It's fun to begin with, and then you wish they'd stop."

On slogans for cities: "Salem's is 'The Bewitching Seaport,' which isn't bad. There's also Minneapolis: 'The Coolest Place on Earth' (though, having been there, I realize that this is more of a stern warning than a slogan); Albuquerque: 'It's a Trip!' and of course Boston's slogan: 'How DARE you Come Here!' "

A sample conversation with a drama student dressed in historically accurate clothes:

ME: Excuse me, which way to the bathroom?
STUDENT: Insolent coxswain! Begone, knave, lest I begroddle thy swank with my jerkin.

The footnotes alone are a scream, so you can imagine what the actual text is like. HIGHLY recommended for anyone who loves to travel and enjoys a good (read: bad) travel story.

In a nutshell: I don't have to buy books because I live in Salt Lake City, which has, arguably, the greatest public library in the country if not the world. So I got "Gullible's Travels" (I think I saw an ad in The New Yorker) and, it's a good thing I have a great library because I can't afford to buy books anyway, but guess what, I'm going to buy this one. Several copies of this one, for gifts. Not even Xmas gifts, just gifts for people who need a good laugh and appreciate real wit. It's that good. I hope a lot of people buy "Gullible's" and I hope Cash Peters laughs all the way to the bank.

In usual Cash Peters style, this book is just what the title of this review says it is: Manic, Zany and TONS of Fun! Cash documents and comments on his journeys and experiences as a travel writer. Hilarious comments and insights by Cash. If you like him on the Travel Channel, you'll LOVE this book. A great laugh and a must read!

The way Malachy Murry brings the reader closer to New York and the great history behind the big city is both exceptional and breathtaking. If you have the slightest interest to know anything about New York - this book comes highly recommanded.
In mid-August this year my wife and I had the pleasure of taking the full tour with Circle Line around Manhatten and our tour guide, Mr Murray, made that the most interesting, informative and enjoyable tours we've ever attended.
Thank you,
Janne & Trond, Norway

Visited NY the last of August for the first time. Malachy was the tour guide on the Circle Line boat tour my son and I took around Manhattan. For everyone who thinks history is boring, you will thoroughly enjoy how he gives you a recap of the how's,when's, where's, and why's of NY. This book models the tour talk he gives while you look around at all of the history and famous sights.
It's light reading that leaves you with an education! He published this by himself so enjoy a handmade product full of his humor and unique twist on the Big Apple. Want to know where that phrase came from? This is where to look!

I ordered Malachy Murray's book after meeting him aboard the Circle Line Tour Boat on August 30th on the 4:30 pm tour. He is one of the most interesting people I have ever met. The book itself is truly unique in that it covers information and facts that a person would never know about unless they delved deeper into archives or lived the experience. Worth every penny and much, much more. My trip to NYC began on the Circle Line and will continue for months while reading and rereading "Unique New York"
John P. Hayden

If you ever get to NYC, take the Circle Line Tour and request his tour. He's great! He's funny, informative, serious, inspirational and takes great pride in his city.

We were lucky enough to get on a boat of the NY Circle Line where Malachy Murray held a microphone in his hand - and the attention of his audience as well. He made history come alive, and through his colourful comments on NYC the two hours on that boat went by without a boring minute.
This book is a fabulous way to remember this great tour of Manhattan, providing anecdotes and facts, and all of it in Malachy Murray's unique style.
Well done, Malachy :-)

I'm glad we brought this book with us. It's the second in the Trailblazer series that we own.

It's very comprehensive and covers all the highways and offshoots, places that our friends who live there didn't even know about. Everyone knows about Waikiki, but there are better beaches to be found right in this book. The tone is positive and a splash of humor comes along with their valuable advice.

We do a great deal of hiking and this one contains just about every recreational activity you can think of. It sure beats researching on the internet. Having all the info collectively right by our side made all the diff.

It was a tremendous advantage having this Trailblazer guide along. The large walking maps of Waikiki and Honolulu were extremely helpful. Not having to drive made this a relaxing vacation since bus and trolly transportation stops were everywhere. Long beach strolls, great little restaurants, surf lessons, free entertainment and shopping were right at our fingertips. They directed us to San Souci Beach and Kapiolani Park where we grabbed a little alone time. They include the island's history, something most guides don't bother to do. There were so many great excursion listings all around the island, we were sorry we didn't have more vacation days.

So far these have been our favorite Hawaii guides and authors. We cranked up the volume here since we only had five days to see it all. It was a tremendously exciting adventure. Independent travelers, this is the book to use.

My husband and I wanted to go to Hawaii for years and finally got our chance the first week in November. Our goals were bolstered by a friend giving us this guidebook for our 5th wedding anniversary. David had intended on just going there to surf but when we opened the book up a week before leaving all plans changed. The photos inside show the wilder side which intrigued Dave and the historic buildings in Honolulu drew my attention. It's a beautiful walking city and the tour map inside the Trailblazer took us straight to Chinatown for a 4 course lunch, over to the Iolani Palace for the interior tour and our full day ended with two cold beers on Waikiki Beach.

Surfing up on the North Shore took second. We seriously could have stayed on Oahu for another two weeks, there were so many adventures in the Trailblazer yet to dig into. We will bring our 2 year old next November.

We found this to be an extremely well organized book for getting around and not feeling lost. It's a good one to read well before leaving to get an idea of what's there. Driving can be tricky and their maps inside were much needed.

Places we never thought to explore delivered big payouts. Lanikai Beach for instance, was the most beautiful walk we've ever taken and famous Waikiki was wall to wall sunbathers, what we expected.

This book has plenty of maps and photos, step by step driving directions and was a perfect size for carrying right along on our daily escapades. It was indispensible for our first vacation on Oahu.

Our familly is looking forward to returning to Hawaii for a reunion on the island of Kauai this spring break. The Trailblazer book will be first choice.

Best Read. John Annerino's CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST. -Tucson Weekl

CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino features the author's photographs of towering red rock and rushing waters. -Travel-Holiday Magazine

CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino. A stunning overview of the "inverted mountains." -Summit Magazine

For people who love the West, especially those who seldom leave the concrete road, this book provides unbelievably beautiful pictures and stories about gorgeous places in the wilderness. -Rocky Mountain News

Foremost are the photographs. I would call Annerino's canyon portraits the best of a really good lot, even over big-time large-format photographers. While the large-format works are stunning artistic studies of light and color shot with impossibly huge f-stops, Annerino's canyon photographs give expression to the phrase "wearing one's heart on the sleeve." His photos have an active passion that others lack. Anyone who knows him will say he is among the "hardmen' to tackle the Southwestern mountains and canyons, but that he is definitely the most sincere in his passion for place. Perhaps, because of this he lacks a calculated commercial view of the places he photographs. His images also record his own passion, creating compelling and unique photographs. More than any other contemporary outdoor photographer, Annerino's photos mirror his love of the land's people. In the text, Annerino portrays canyonlands people as part of what makes the places special. He has a deep affection for past and present native peoples, but unlike some Anglo North Americans, Annerino isn't a lost 20th century soul. Rather, he seems to have a straightfoward and genuine admiration for native people, and has learned a great deal about them. His research on each canyon's history is impressive. Annerino writes with an immensity commensurate with his subject. His style is old-fashioned, evoking an older, more grandiose era of writing of explorers like Powell and Pattie. While many modern writers seem bent on infusing themselves into as much of the story as possible, Annerino's style is not so full of himself as full of the intensity of his canyon experiences...Annerino is at his best when he writes about Mexico, especially the Big Bend passage where he talks about the injustices served the Mexican across the river at the hands of our national park there. An optimist who sees great things in the canyons, Annerino neither ignores nor dwells on the obvious problems facing the West like pollution and development. And fortunately, CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST is not a treasure map guidebook to these areas. -Desert Skies