Tours and Travel Books

How would you like your children to have a _memorable_ birthday party, one where giant mechanized rodents weren't screaming at the tops of their lungs? A party where you're not being nickel and dimed to death for more money to play the games? And do I _need_ to mention the food?

Help is here if you live the the Baltimore Maryland area. For instance, there is the Cloisters Children's Museum, a beautiful stone castle in Brooklandville, Maryland. If you have a winter child's birthday party scheduled there, you can even have a roaring fire inthe fireplace. Try _that_at MacDonalds.

Or maybe your child is a baseball fan - you can check out the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Baseball Center. Of course, it has all sorts of info on the Babe as well as other aspects of baseball history. This could be a good place to take your softball team for the end of season party.

Perhaps you are looking for a special place to get married in the Maryland area, You could check out Brice House, in Annapolis Maryland. It's a beautiful mansion for that special day. Or maybe you'd like something that has a view - you could tie the knot at the Glass Pavillion at Johns Hopkins University.

These places and many more are covered in this detailed book that offers addresses and phone numbers as well as prices and photos of the locations. If you want to plan an even in the Baltimore Maryland area or perhaps check out what this wonderful area has to offer, this is the book for you.

I have read Ford's other book, Unique Meeting Places in the Greater Washington Area, and this book serves as a great compliment to those wanting more options. It is just as detailed, well organized, and helpful, with the added bonus of containing lesser-known sites that may be perfect for your special event!

As someone who travels throughout New England for business, I am always looking for something new and different to talk about with customers. This book gives you that and more. There is something about most of the towns and areas that I visit in the course of my work. I was especially impressed with the amount of work and research that is evident in the book. The author not only has a gift for words, but he also took the time to present the information using clear and concise language. It was fun to just sit and read about the hidden treasures in cities and towns I thought I knew.

I am a New England-born history and trivia buff. I thought I knew everything there is to know about my favorite region, but I never realized just how much I have been missing! This book is chock full of fascinating, well-chosen facts, written in an evocative style that is at times touching, often funny, but always interesting and easy to read. The attractions and destinations the author describes run the gamut from educational to more than a little wacky. The book's organization -- by region and town -- makes it a great reference guide to use as a day-trip planner, or to keep in the glove compartment for quick reference when you find yourself out and about with some time on your hands on a crisp fall day. This is the perfect gift to leave on the bedside table in your guest room, and to give to your favorite New Englander -- I wish someone had given it to me years ago!

Utah Byways showed me that there's a whole lot more to exploring Utah's wildlands than what those 4x4 magazines show. I was very happy to find, using Utah Byways, so many spectacular little dirt roads through this state's incredible wild lands, and they don't even require me to be a serious off-roader. Great book if you like adventure!

Anyone who wants to explore some of the West's most spectacular and historic backways will love this handy, spiral-bound guidebook. It includes the 90-mile-long Transcontinental Railroad National Back Country Byway, the Pony Express National Back Country Byway and Canyonland's famous White Rim Road, perhaps the most exotic and remote 4WD road in North America. All the routes are perfect for a stock sport-utility vehicle.

I used this book when travelling around Vermont last summer. Tons of information on sights to see, outdoor activities, lodging and restaurant. The maps were also very helpful in navigating through the state. I liked the fact that it broke the state up into six main areas so it was easy to find information when I needed it. My only complaint is that they didn't rate things on a star basis so I used this book in conjunction with the Frommer's guide. I recommend getting both because the Frommer's was a bit skimpy on information about things to do and see.

I just bought this book this week, and it is so packed full of great information. Restaurants, the history of the town(s), routes to take, inns to stay at, sports activies, farms to visit, hotels, special events and dates, shopping, etc... My ONLY complaint is that the pictures are all black and white, and there aren't very many of them. But then again, it never claims to be a photographic portrait of Vermont!
Love it. Five stars.

Viennawalks is simply the best book of its type I have ever read. I first bought it in 1985 and have read it each time before I left for Vienna (at last count, eight!). The author's writing style is unlike any walking tour book you have ever encountered - it reads like a novel. One can tell from the descriptions and antidotes that the author is truly in love with the subject - and it shows! By books end, you feel as though you know the Author. I only wish he would write a volume II that explores the neighborhoods outside of the innerestadt (like Hietzing, Neubau, Spittelburg and Mariahilf). I would be the first in line to buy it. One word of advice to the potential reader - Reading the book before you go is certainly advisable, however, it won't mean a whole lot. But, after your return, you will not be able to put the book down! I have personally worn out 3 copies in the past 14 years! Good reading!

Viennawalks is a substantial book, with four detailed walking tours. It contains some of the basic information, such as transportation, eating, telephone usage, and banking (no hotel or restaurant listings). The main part of the book are guided walks around four parts of the city. The Stones of Vienna takes you through the oldest buildings, including the Jewish quarter; Vienna Gloriosa passes St. Stephen's Cahtedral, Mozart's Apartment, the Old University; Noble Vienna navigates through the Hofburg (Hapsburg's residence); and Fin de Siecle Vienna looks at turn of the century art and architecture (Otto Wagner's designs, including the Karlsplatz subway station, the museum of fine arts and the Secession). The descriptions are rich in history are are quite detailed (60-70 pages per walk). It is very readable and contains a few pictures. If you want to take one or more leisurely walks through Vienna, and have the time to go slowly enough to soak up the information from the book and the sites in front of you, then this book is highly recommended.

I bought the "virtual Tokyo" CD first, then I ordered this one. It's pretty cool. Just like being there! I like being able to see all the sights from the comfort and safety of my own home. It's cool to pan up and down and zoom in. Much better than the very amatuer pictures I took when I was there!

Anyway, I would recommend this CD if you're planning to visit the big apple, or just wish you were.

Dave

This CD is so cool! It's so much better than a boring travel book with static pictures. You can see 360 degree views of all the top NY destinations - you just have to see it for yourself. I live in NY and still find this CD fascinating. I also bought it for friends in California who have never been to NY and they love it too!

There isn't much available on this beautiful town. I was glad to find this tour and thought the tour covered everything very well.It helped us make the most of our only day there. The information on the Cathedral was very interesting.I like all his tours of Italy, especially Venice

Even if I'm Italian and I know Siena very well I think that this cassette tape is the best for someone who has four hours free and want to visit the best of Siena. Greatings at the writer. He must be have Italian citizenship. I hope that this audioguide is produced in Italian language soon, so that I can buy it myself.

I always get these tours when I travel. They are inexpensive and thorough. Venice is the best yet. The voice is so clear that I can hear everything, even above street noise.

Glad to see this new tour with The Cicerone. We like his tours and use them whenever we go to Italy. I think the maps are fabulous because they are so large I can see them without my spectacles.

A friend turned me onto this book after attending a reading (and a mini-walk) by the author. I thought that I already knew Brooklyn, but -- boy! -- was I surprised! Who knew how much I was missing by not looking upwards (which the author, thankfully, reminds us to do constantly) or the history behind buildings that I constantly dismiss, passing them by without a second look and with hardly a thought? I've already done three of the walks and plan to do more in the fall when it's not so hot. They are easy to follow and make for a more interesting outing than the usual weekend social fare, such as dining, shopping and movies (lots of dining and shopping options are recommended in the book, too, though_ -- bars, as well). Also,the easy-to-read text is further enhanced by great photography that just jumps off the page. I plan to give copies of this book to friends as gifts. (My hard-to-buy-for boss will love this, I think.) For anyone who wants some excercise, fresh air and a leisurely day of looking and learning, this book is a must-have. I hope that the author plans to do other boroughs as well.

I really enjoyed reading this attractive, well written guide and learned a great deal about Brooklyn. I'm looking forward to going for some walking tours and using this as a guide. Highly recommend to tourists and anyone interested in shedding a few pounds while walking through Brooklyn with this handy, informative, fun guide.

I loved the drawings and the maps, and the book was a wonderful companion during my recent stay in Hong Kong.

A simple, elegant, easy-to-use guide for anyone interested in architecture and history. I loved the layout, so easy to follow, and as for the drawings, really pretty. Highly recommended.