Vacations Books

I have read this book cover to cover and absolutely love it! I am in the process of planning our summer vacation; this book is so informative and helpful. I am looking forward to a GREAT summer vacation with my family.
I'll let you know....

I grew up in New England and wanted to get a refresher. It was OK but I wanted more.

It was geared to entertaining a family with young kids, not us any more.

We just got back from our New England trip and used this book as much as possible. While it had some useful items, overall we found the AAA Guide more useable and helpful. This text was out of date on some items (the LL Kids no longer exists, we discovered, after a drive to Freeport, ME) and for many others it exagerated its "wow" factor. It also doesn't distinguish between places for small toddlers (the Portland, ME children's museum which my 4 year old loved) versus older kids (like my 10 year old who was board at the Portland musuem). Places are identified by address and phone only (no directions), the maps are difficult to use as they only show parts of each state (be sure to get a New England road map from AAA). Also, the restaurant recommendations are good for the most part only if you are looking for standard kids menu fare, i.e., chicken nuggets, etc. Our kids want better food, e.g., lobster while in Maine, and so we had better luck on our own (or from recommendations from the "locals", like ordering take out lobster cooked at Bayleys in Old Orchard Beach and eating it back at our condo (with our own side dishes) and in a more relaxed state than we could ever have at a restaurant with 3 kids.

While I wouldn't discourage you from getting it since there are some helpful ideas, don't expect to rely on it as your primary tour book.

I bought this book because are planning a trip to Cape Cod. It was very informative and answered all of my questions. I highly recommend it if you have children because it offered hints and tips about traveling with children, price ranges for each activity and things you should not miss while in each vacation spot. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is the format. Sometimes a "hint" or description of a place would start in the middle of a page that was describing something else. It was a bit confusing at first. Otherwise it was well written and informative. I feel prepared to leave for Cape Cod (or any New England spot) today!!

The Retreats are mostly exceedingly expensive or wildly funky (it takes a special person to really enjoy a sojourn in a teepee). The photography is beautiful, which is a saving grace for the book.

Perhaps this reader is overly attuned to comfort, but I was dismayed at all the circular stairways, ladders, and challenging skywalks to enter or navigate these homes-away-from homes. Some were set in such boggy, swampy areas, all I could think of were mosquitoes and other unpleasant insects. If readers are expecting examples in the United States, they will be disappointed; most of the retreats were set in the British Isles.

The book illustrates a variety of settings: seaside, desert, mountains, lake and forest as advertised. "Little Retreats" is fun to read, but I would not recommend it as a practical guide.

a wonderful and diverse photo essay on many small houses around the world. Great detail provided - so great ideas that can be projected into your own project.
good writing providing background and approach to each house by its owners, great photos.

Lovely book, wonderful photos of creative little retreats. Lovley word descriptions, too. But it was not what I was hoping for. Few interior shots that show how the spaces actually work. No floorplans, no useful information on how to plan or design a little retreat of your own. Lovely book though.

"Little Retreats" covers what it sets out to do. It's not a house plan or how-to book---and it doesn't claim to be. It succeeds in the task the author set for it, with pictures of charming, whimsical, personal homes. Places are quaint without lapsing over into funky and the text is concise. Looking through it is like a tiny vacation as one imagines having a private space of one's own as a refuge.

I rated it at four stars instead of five because while I like it, I'm not passionately in love with it or transformed by it. (The recently released "Storybook Style" raises the bar for perfection in a home & garden book, in my opinion.) It's an enjoyable book and I'm glad to have it in my collection.

She did it again. Worth the wait...terrific new book.
Job well done Molly and Tom!
Love that they included the dogs.

We love this book. So many excellent ideas. Our family being animal people, absolutely love that this book is dedicated to Buddy who happened to be at the right place at the right time. The cottages are beautiful as well as the landscapes and the celebration of four-legged friends is a beautiful plus!

This is an item we accidentally happened upon due to recommendation from previous purchases. We will certainly integrate some of the ideas in our tiny cottage as well with much enthusiasm. Very nice reading indeed and beautiful photography. It sits with pride on our coffee table for when the need for inspiration hits.

I had high expectations for this book. Had I realized it was written by the same author as Camps and Cottages, I may have thought twice before I bought it.

Just like its sister book, Camps and Cottages, Vintage Cottages features California cottages exclusively. That should have been reflected in the title or subtitle.

Secondly, the photography disappointed. Too many little heavily styled micro views of bookcases and table tops. I longed for wider shots to get a better sense of the whole house.

And last, the spaces feel artificial to me. A heavy stylist's hand is evident in many of the photos. There is even an obvious product placement of the author's other book, Camps and Cottages.

If you are interested in real vintage cottages, spaces where people really live, the book to get is The Cottage Book: Living Simple and Easy.

I HATE THIS BOOK!! THIS WAS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT--IT SHOULD BE CALLED VINTAGE CABINS. WHEN I THINK OF " VINTAGE COTTAGES " I THINK OF QUAINT VICTORIAN TYPE DWELLINGS. THE MAJORITY OF PHOTOS IN THIS BOOK DEPICT RUSTIC, BACK WOODS, NORTHERN CABIN TYPE HOMES. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS BOOK. THE BEST PART OF THIS BOOK IS THE COVER.

Rubbish!!

This was one of my favourite books when I was younger. This edition was a profound disappointment. There were typos on virtually every page and - it's acknowledged in the text - several pages were missing!

I will think twice about buying books from Amazon, and particular in EasyRead format, again.

When I found this series, I loved them. I went right through What Katy Did and What Katy Did at School. I love romance, and was excited when I found that there was romance in What Katy Did Next, I loved the book. But was slightly disappointed 3/4 through the book, and at the end. I must say again the book is a fabulous one, but if you are looking for romantic classics, I wouldn't turn to this series. There is very little romance I must say. And I was not pleased with the ending. But in spite of that, the series was delicious!

Since these books are by a classical author, one would expect all titles in the "Katy" series to be available.

I really liked "What Katy Did Next." I am a big fan of all of the Katy books, and, although this book is not quite as good as the others in the trio, it is still wholesome, descriptive, and, well--it has a touch of romance mixed in.
In "What Katy Did Next," Katy is invited to go to Europe for a year with her friends Mrs. Ashe and Amy. Katy promptly decides to go, packs her bags, and departs on a vessel bound for England. She stays in Europe for six months, sees the places she has dreamed about, and, as aforesaid, has a romantic scene just at the end.
This is a sweet and satisfying read, especially for girls 10-14.

I bought this book thinking it was going to be a guide to the artistic & cultural attractions of Central Florida. There was no description given on this site so I just assumed that's what it was. I purchased this book and was very disappointed. Even though it wasn't what I expected, I still have many other complaints about this book.

First of all, this book was very poorly organized. The author jumps around within many of the chapters, making you wonder whether you are on the getting here, accommodations or kids chapter. There were also no graphics whatsoever. Not even a list of bullet points. There is no index so if you have to look up something, you'll just have to read the entire book over again.

Be forewarned that the book does give any specific information about anything. It was the author's intent not to list any restaurants, hotels, etc. as this information is always changing and he did not want to have his book become outdated. I was OK with this and I thought it was a unique concept but it should be noted in Amazon.com's description (as most "guide" books are mainly just a book of lists). Come to think of it, I don't even think he mentions any theme park by name - that's how generic this book is.

I thought that most of the tips in here were common sense and didn't even need to be written down, published and sold! For example, there is a section about how to clean a wet toilet seat in a public restroom. The book also instructs you to wear sunscreen (in Florida, can you imagine?) and it tells you to make sure that your child knows your cell phone number. If someone has a 3-digit IQ, I think it is safe to say that they do not need to be told about these things.

Lastly, it was double spaced with large margins and a large font so it's more like a 50 page book instead of 164.

As a Central Florida resident, I am an annual passholder at most of the theme parks and I am a first-hand observer that most people "do not bring their brains with them when they go on vacation". My husband and I say this ALL the time so when I saw a book entitled "Bringing Your Brain on Vacation", I had to get it! Unfortunately it was not what I expected, was not informative and was not for tourists with a 3 digit IQ. Perhaps Mr. Dryer could have published this in pamphlet form and distributed to the many hotel brochure racks. I simply do not see the purpose of an entire book devoted to common sense tourist tips.

Perhaps, I think these are common sense since I've lived here for 3.5 years and have become quite the theme park guru to my friends and family. I just think an accurate description of this book on the amazon.com web site and a more accurate description on the book jacket is in order. I will be donating my copy to the local library. Maybe someone in Central Florida can get some use out of this book.

This book was great! I learned a lot about Central Florida from it and it was also hilarious! The writer has a wonderful way of informing you about the area whilst mocking everything possible. If your planning on vacationing in Central Florida and want an informative guide book that tells the truth in an interesting way, go for this book!

This book seemed to be very helpful to me and some of the others that I know that used this book. It's small, so it's easy to carry and it's cheaper than most other guidebooks (so I was actually able to carry it, rather than be forced to memorize the info).

I recommend this book if you're going to Florida for vacation.

Some poorly copied floor plans save this book from being a total wash. This is a rework and has not been updated. Not recommended.

Bungalows, Camps, and Mountain Houses is an informative glimpse into the architecture of 22 American homes. The book balances both information on the houses styles and diagrams of floor plans (right next to pictures of the houses so you can see the realization). It is always fascinating to look at the different looks and tones in these houses in comparison to your own. If you are at all interested in Architecture or Home Design, this is a great read.

It's great to see this book back in print. With lots of photos and useful floor plans this book is both inspirational and an excellent reference. It's certainly a classic in its field.

Three charming novellas of love and surprising vacations. All three stories are beautifully written, and filled with Christian ideals, friendship and romance.

"A Single's Honeymoon" by Ginny Aiken is the story of Shiloh, a nurse whose fiancé calls off their wedding. Unable to sell the tickets for her honeymoon trip, Shiloh decides to take the trip by herself - a single's honeymoon - to get back in touch with God and His plan for her life. Pastor Mark is chaperoning several college students on a mission trip to build a church. When their cook falls ill and their doctor is delayed, Mark and the kids turn to Shiloh for help. Will she ever be able to relax and listen to the Lord? Or is her problem with "yes-itis" already His plan for her?

In the novella "Love Afloat" by Jeri Odell, Danika is going on a 15-day cruise of the Holy Land. Her best friend arranges for Curly to take the same vacation since Danika and Curly have secret crushes on each other. Can this potential couple overcome the obstacles that are keeping them apart? Or will they allow the difficulties they face to be an excuse for their continued loneliness?

"Miracle on Beale Street" by Elizabeth White tells the story of Miranda and Tony, former sweethearts who haven't spoken since their falling-out several years ago. Reunited "accidentally" by their grandmothers on a vacation in Memphis, will they be able to pick up the pieces of their relationship and start over? Or has too much time passed for them to even be friends?

I am considering ordering this book for my neice, age 16. Has anyone else read it, if so, would it capture a typical 16 year-old's attention and keep it throughtout the "message" it is attempting to convey?

This is honestly one of the best books I have ever read and I read a ton of books. In each story, it challenges you on your walk with Christ, which I never found so strongly in a fiction book before. It makes you look at things from a completely different prospective than your own. Throughout this book, you feel like you are right there with the character, feeling what they are feeling, seeing what they are seeing, and learning along with them. I will never regret buying this book.

This book was great me and my friends loved it.

This book was very bad all it was boring. It was like hey I found a mole wow lets start a zoo. It was not Jerry Spinelli's better book.

This book is a great companion to "Maniac Magee".
VERY GOOD BOOK!

First of all, let me preface this review by saying that this is not a three-star review for content. This book is rich with information and heart, and has been thoroughly dog-eared by this reader. I give it three stars because it might not be as helpful to a baseball fan reading the book for the first time in 2006. Much of the information is now terribly out of date (who but the grizzled Marylandians among us would know that the Baltimore Memorial Stadium facade is no longer with us?) just because of the escalating pace of baseball stadium development. I also find it curiously selective in places: why a Dodger Stadium piece but no Angels Stadium? Why no Shea Stadium (aesthetics and the #7 Train ride aside) but an expansive piece on every other stadium in the NYC area?

These are small complaints, and I still recommend highly - but until there is a new edition (and I will be the first in line), trust but verify.

This is a a great book for those who love to travel to baseball games with the family. My only complaint would be that it doesn't cover every MLB stadium. On the plus side, it includes independent and minor league stadiums.

I picked up this book because, like many baseball fans, I've thought of one day seeing all the major league ballparks (or at least those worth seeing). Baseball Vacations doesn't disappoint, offering information on baseball parks clustered into chapters by region or theme. It's mainly addressed to families, but a couple like us can get a lot out of it too.
My only beef with their reviews came when they labeled Dodger Dogs mediocre, quite a slight to the Dodger fan. Hmm, maybe they didn't try the grilled ones.
Anyway, they offer seating tips (like which seats have obstructed views), parking, lodging, sightseeing and entertainment options, although the latter two would be better served if you accompany your trip with a local guide.

I really like the pleasure they take in describing the historic parks. You can identify with their love for the game.
I would recommend it to the true baseball fan in search of the past.

I have a lot of mad libs and I'm an adult! These are so much fun! Especially when you have just the adults around and get crazy with the words you give.

The shipping and Handling was outragous. I love buying from you and now, I feel, I'll have to watch ALL my shipping costs from now on

I always liked mad libs but this is one of the best of the best mad libs ever!Buy it now!