Resorts Books

I found this book to be generally pretty useful. My only real issue is that there are quite a few hot spring gems that I'm aware of in CA and NV that aren't featured in this book. I did a recent tour of the Black Rock Desert area in Nevada and I passed several spectacular hot springs that weren't listed in the book. I have also backpacked in to some hot springs in the southern CA area that weren't described.

If you're looking at doing a hot spring tour in NV and CA it might be worth looking into getting some other guide books (in addition to this one) or doing more research online or elsewhere. Once again this book did do a great job of describing in great detail how to get to some very out of the way places, but there are other springs that are well worth exploring that aren't mentioned.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1YSMB6ZYXFYYN Matt. C. Bischoff has clearly and concisely listed all the great hidden and publicly known hot springs in Nevada and California. It's a great regional hotsprings guide.

There have been many guides covering this subject in the past but this one is really the benchmark. Matt Bischoff includes interesting history, and geology notes for his subjects. I have visited a few of his springs listed in the book and found his descriptions to be complete and factual. His maps area really good too, as anyone who has searched for a hot spring just based on someone's verbal directions knows, they can be darn hard to find. Good job, Matt!

Very bland and writing without soul or true appreciation for the environment. Directions poor. Not worth your money. Prefer Gersh's Hot Springs book.

This guide is a great, very detailed instruction book that takes you to the best hot springs around. It lays out detailed directions on how to locate these springs, even down to physical landmarks, and exact distance. Without this type of direction springs like the one near Santa Barbara I would have NEVER found. I really appreciated the fact they tell you the current staus of the spring, if it has been renovated, or is in disrepair, it saves a trip to one that is too rundown to go to. Pay attention to the temperature of the springs also, they give you exact numbers on every spot, and some are too hot to swim in.

I had a lot of fun reading this, but 2 whoppers stopped me in my tracks. May I just say, without spoiling the plot, that (1) no one just finishing his thesis would be appointed head of a department of a university hospital and (2) there is no desert in Nicaragua!

If you are a fan of good, witty chick lit this is a great book. a bit predictable and slow in places, but overall great entertainment.

The characters were actually believable, and I really liked it, appart from the contstant finger nail biting from the main female character, it annoy's me that alliot's characters always bite a certain nail, or lick their lips under stress.

Rosie Meadows was also really good, this book was actually very enjoyable. But after the above, alliot has gone from being fresh milk, to being the dodgy milk that was past its use by date a decade ago.

Please don't read "going too far" by alliot - I can assure you, you'll waste 10 hours of your life on absolute fairy floss, and a character that licks her lips, 152 times in the book.

Yes, it was so bad ... you start actually remembering the flaws, the main character was dumber than dumb, and so completely stupid, that if I met her in the street, I'd want to punch her teeth out, and I've never ever done one violent act in my life.

alliot was obviously on a 3 book deal or something from her publisher, and to fulfil her contract "going too far" was the one - a complete and utter load of crap.

If she was not an acknowled author, I can assure ou, this manuscript would've been binned, and I wish it had. A waste of trees to print complete non-inspired, non-interesting rubbish.

I had enjoyed "Olivia's Luck" by Alliot and really found this book to be a good read as well. The themes are similar in some ways to her other novels (cheating husbands and the wives that learn to pick up the pieces of their own lives). This novel is both humerous and heartfelt.

The one thing that bugged me (repeatedly) is that the dialogue of the Americans in this book was completely British, save a few obvious American slang words. It's hard for me to believe that this book was editted to retain such British sounding dialogue coming from a 13 year old kid or the American doc. Even the doctor's diagnoses weren't spoken as an American e.g. "compulsive obsessive" instead of obsessive compulsive.

Still, this book is worth reading.

Annie is a wanna-be novelist and single mum raising a pre-teen daughter and getting ready to marry the doctor that turned her heart around after she and her philandering spouse called it quits. A summer in the seaside community of Cornwall is just what the doctored ordered for R&R and a chance to complete her first novel. Luckily, his eccentric aunt has just the place for her to stay free of charge,

When she arrives, she discovers that absent-minded Aunt Gertrude rented the house out to Matt Malone, a hunky American psychiatrist who is on a sabbatical to write and reconcile with his teenage son. While she tries to get him evicted, Aunt Gertrude lets her know that his rent has already been spent. With no money of her own to shell out for a hotel, she and Matt enter into an agreement to share accommodations.

Soon their little abode is overrun by relatives, exes and friends. As Matt and Annie develop feelings for each other, she is torn between David, the doctor who rescued her from her self-imposed exile after her divorce, and Matt, who challenges her at every turn. And of course her ex Alex just keeps popping in on her wanting yet another chance.

The plot was engaging; the execution was so so. It appears that Alliott has either never been to the US or knows no Americans - the dialogue attributed to the American characters is completely British. At one point, Matt uses the term "nutters," I doubt any American, let alone a doctor would use such a term. And let's face it - Annie never really had to make a choice - it was made for her to keep her conscience clear - what a cop out. This one started out with a bang and had me laughing, but towards the end, I was just ... disappointed.

This series of books on both Walt Disney World and Disneyland by Birnbaum are excelent reference books for anyone planning to visit either place. It gives you an idea of how much it will cost for meals, logding and entertainment. As a long time, returning visitor to both WDW and Disneyland, I still find the books handy in planning my visits.

It's your average Disneyland book. Informative, with special attention to details. I have to admit, I agree that after reading this book, and Bob Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 99' I liked the Unofficial Guide better, as it was more informative and helpful. Readers, if you are stuck trying to decide which of these two books to buy, go with the Unofficial Guide; I garentee your satisfaction. E-mail me with comments about which book you chose, and whether or not you liked it.

This is the in-house guidebook to Disneyland, the Happiest Place On Earth. As a result, it tends to be biased, uncritical, and unadventurous. Has some good information on rides and attractions that are not found elsewhere.

If you have never been to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, this book by Birnbaum is a nice, concise way to quickly get up to speed on the resort. After a major expansion in 2000-2001, Disney Imagineers have transformed the Walt Disney's original "Magic Kingdom" into a multiple-theme-park resort. Truly an insider's perspective, the book provides easy to follow (albiet optional) itineraries to both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure; provides cost and recommendations for the restaurants in and around the parks; and lays out the various lodging options, both Disney and non-Disney. Returning Disney guests will most likely not find anything new or revealing in this volume; however, it serves as a wonderful refresher to what has changed since the last visit.

I have been buying this book since 1992. They say in the book they are not in anyway writing their reviews under the eye of Disney. That is not true. There is nothing negative in the book. I am a regular visitor to Disneyland & there is alot of negative things to say about it...long lines, closed up restaurants, rides, shops, high prices, etc. I enjoy the book, but make it more correct & be honest!

Define "romantic", my girl friend said to me, as I looked at her with my best 'I know what it means, don't press me' look. Being slightly romantically challanged, my understanding of the world comes from Clark Gable in 'Gone with the Wind' "Frankly Scarlet, I ...".

Katherine Dyson defines romantic with 100 different definitions via 100 different resorts. These selections span the world, so wherever you're are inclined to stoke the fire of `amore', Dyson has a suggestion. With each resort section you get a detailed profile, as well as web-site and e-mail addresses (impressive!).. Especially useful is the specialized indexes she provides: romance by the sea, romance with tennis, romance with golf, romance with a horse(!), romance on a safari, romance with a private pool, romance with a private fireplace and romance in a city for convenient shopping (Oops, there goes the romance).

Though I could only get to a half dozen of the recommended romantic resorts before I wanted to get back to fish'n in Southern Georgia, I got the general idea. I applaud the great research that Katherine Dyson has done, though I take exception to listing huge commercial resorts as romantic (Half-Moon Club, Sandals Resorts, Disney's Resort etc.). Also helpful would be a list of the most expensive to the cheapest romantic spots; it is amazing how $$$ affects romance with most men. But, pushing these observations aside, "100 Best Romantic Resorts of the World" is an excellent guide for those that have a moon in their eye "like a big pizza pie". Recommended.

The biggest thing I had to do to for our wedding (besides show up) was to plan our honeymoon. This book was the only resource I could find that didn't just list the "if-money-were-no-object" type of resorts. It also listed amazing hard-to-find places that actually fit our budget. The result -- our honeymoon was perfect. I highly recommend this book.

This book was used as reference in a "10 Best" show on the Discovery Channel. It was also named as reference in a "Travel & Leisure Magazine" article for the World's 10 most romantic travel destinations.

If you're a guy and need help planning a romantic vacation getaway, this book is a definite necessity.

How about an edition of this book where the rooms are actual within the price range of a normal family? I picked up a copy at the library and enjoyed reading it but with rooms costing about $500.00-1000.00 dollars a night this book was nothing but fantasy reading material. I have to disagree with a few recs, as well, the Inn at Spanish Bay is not that great, its a modern complex and while its nice, it isn't all that. There are better more historical romantic places to go, such as some of the B&B's in Pacific Grove.

3 stars, interesting, but not accessable to the average joe. Intended for the donald trump set.

This book definitely contains a lot of helpful information about romantic resorts. However, I was disappointed that there wasn't more colored pictures of each resort. Some resorts have no pictures at all. If you want to see pictures of the resort, which most people do, I would recommend looking up the resorts in the book online. That's what I'm doing.

I used this book when I took my family to Ocean City at the end of the 2006 season. It is organized by topic rather than by place so it was hard to find the Ocean City specific items. Information in the book was also very much out of date. The Ocean City aquarium that the book referred us to had burned down 5 years ago. A nice restuarant that the book talked about was a vacant lot when we tried to visit it. This type of thing happened at least two other times. Things weren't entirely bad. There were some gems in the book, but you had to dig for them.

This book is quite enjoyable. Mr. Edelstein's prose is both witty and informative. A true gem for anyone who vacations, or plans to vacation, at the Jersey shore.

My wife and I love the Shore. We spend a lot of time there and found this book to be a great guide. It's not only accurate but it's also a really fun read! I love it and will be giving it as gifts to a few of my shore-loving friends.

Although I did find the book somewhat useful in giving an overview of what people might do for a weekend at the Shore, I was a little disappointed in how briefly the author described many of the attractions. The book didn't really seem to give a sense of what the places were really . Would especially have liked to know more about good places to eat, like mini-reviews, not just a few short listings. Also wuld have liked more general stuff to read and more detail on activities for children in preschool to middle school range. Just didn't seem to be a really serious effort to help first-time visitors or people in need of real information.

Never could I have imagined a writer so eloquently describing the New Jersey Shore. I look forward to reading Mr. Edelstein's next product. Where in the world has this guy been? Buy it you'll love it!

Ranch Vacations contains great information about dude ranch vacations. Lots of pictures.

Kilgore also maintains Ranchweb <http://www.ranchweb.com> which features even more pictures and details about the dude ranches for those who are seriously considering a vacation on a dude ranch.

The book is a great starting point.

Gene Kilgore's Ranch Vacations is what all travel guides should strive for. Gene succinctly provides critical information on almost 200 ranches. He's identified and presents information on the major features that are important to ranch guests (number of guests, season, cost, closest airport and medical centers, activities, children's programs, accommodations, dining). He introduces a little history/background on each ranch (which largely seems to be taken from ranch brochures) but he also includes his own capsule summary with each review that accurately captures the essence of that ranch. Ranch Vacations allows the reader to easily compare ranches to one another to find that perfect vacation destination!

Gene also cross-indexes the ranches so it is easy to narrow down ranches that offer cattle work, fly fishing, English-style riding, or those that are adults' oriented, resort-like, and wheelchair accessible. The guide also contains wonderful black & white and color photos of the ranches.

While I've done a lot of ranch searching on the internet, and use Gene's ranch website extensively, I always come back to my Ranch Vacations guide. It provides fingertip access to side-by-side ranch comparisons - something that is still difficult to do on the internet!

Gene runs a web site which we reviewed, and we read his book as well. We booked a ranch -- Wit's end--based on his book review, and the great web site for the ranch. It was a bad experience. It is impossible, so far as I can tell, to write and post a negative review on Gene's site. It appears he takes commissions for booking people into the places he writes up. So beware. The mystical person who appears on the cover of the book likely does not exist. It is a sales document, so that he can get commissions booking people to the ranches. Go back and read the book and you will see there is not one negative comment in it, just as there are no negative comments allowed on his web site.

Gene Kilgore's 'Ranch Vacations' should also be called America the beautiful because his various editions create a veritable smorgasbord of panoramic delights.

This is the quintessential America-the great ranches of the Great Plains states - and a whole lot more, including Canada and even the eastern regions of USA.

The vastness, colour, scenery, atmosphere all leap out of the pages of these books-enough to make this Aussie want to pack his bags and go a ranchin' tomorrow.

The only problem is determining location -there are just so many choices available in so many states.

While more information can be found on the web Kilgore's book has the advantage of easy cross reference and is transportable.

In this age of terrorism the beauty, tranquility and grandeur of America stands in ample contrast to those who wish to destroy the Great Republic.

Unlike those who seek to wreck and destroy, the people in this book, including the author, seek to build by offering the best hospitality and advice possible-and in doing so reveal an authentic part of America to both the reader at home and abroad.

My wife and I have been on six ranch vacations, and over the years purchased three edition's of this book. There is no better starting point in planning a ranch vacation than this guide. It allows the reader to narrow his search to the type of dude ranch one is looking for.

As with any travel book - they tend to get dated quickly. This book is great for the commercial hot springs, but watch out on all the ones which require off-road or trail travel - google them first before going.
Several in BC were simply not where they should have been.
GPS coordinates would have been helpfull to include.

I didn't think this book provided any more information than what can be found on the internet. I would not buy it again if I had the chance.

This book good guide for people who like travel to interesting, fanny pleases. Actually you can found same information in the WEB but for that you will lost a lot of time and will not be sour you found all of them or not

We all remember Jayson Loam who created the original guides to the hot springs back in the 70s and 80s. Even then he was so spring chicken, but he kept a hale and happy outlook on life based on his habit of immersing himself in the beautiful waters of America's hot springs (and wells). Now that Jayson has passed on to his happy reward--he died about ten years ago, at a great age--the torch has been passed on to a new generation of hot springs watchers and dippers, and Marjorie Gersh-Young has updated Loam's findings with some new material (lots of it) on her own. It's great and so are the photographs that illustrate every location.

My only dispute is, I don't see why Puerto Rico is in the book, it is a great state (or whatever it is) but it is not in the Northwest by any means! I forget what Jayson Loam had to say about including Puerto Rico among the Northwest region (if any). But in general, Gersh-Young does a splendid job of compiling and sharing the healthful habit of hot springs with a wildly enthusiastic crowd. Did you know that the Native Americans believed that hot springs provide "Big Medicine" direct from the Great Spirit? That's only one of a thousand charming facts you'll learn from this new edition of Loam's magnificent classic reference work. It's a bargain at any price!

Photos make this book more valuable than any list of hot springs. Cool Trails recommends this guide for hikers who want to relax in a hot spring at the end of a long hike. Many of the hot springs in the northwest are developed to some degree, and very few of the wild springs are far enough from a road to be considered "hikes." Still, most are located in areas rich in trail hiking opportunities. Covers AK, BC, AB, WA, MT, OR, ID, WY and some other areas of the US.

The Last Resort, is a medical thriller in the Hideaway series, that deals with an inherited psychological disorder. When twelve year old Carissa Cooper goes missing in Cedar Hollow. We learn that when she was a very small child, her mother abandoned the family, and Carissa subsequently had nightmares about monsters that her dad Cecil and stepmom Melva helped her deal with. At the time of her disappearance, Carissa was a fairly well adjusted child. However, when she innocently decides to do a school project on her family's history, she unwittingly stirs up an old secret that someone is willing to commit murder to keep hidden. Her older cousin Noelle has a gift of premonition, which she has fought for many years. Yet she senses something is wrong, and leaves her home in Springfield to race to Cedar Hollow. Soon she runs into Nathan Trask, her childhood friend, who has been praying for Noelle to return. He becomes her ally as they seek to unravel her family's past and to find Carissa. The suspense builds as they are racing against time. The evidence shows the abductor is a family member, and some of the family are in such denial they are giving cover to the abductor. What are they hiding? And why? And how does a psychological disorder come into play in this mystery? With Nathan's help, Noelle renews her childhood faith in her Lord as they explore what has been called "The Cooper Curse." As the book unfolds, redemption comes in many forms to many of the characters, as they learn to more fully trust in the love of God. The end of the book gives us a riveting rescue scene. It's a good read.

Hannah Alexander (the husband and wife writing team of Dr. Mel and Cheryl Hodde) has written another exciting episode in the Hideaway series. Hideaway is a small town in the Ozarks peopled by families who have lived and worked there for generations. The Cooper family has been prominent in Hideaway history and has weathered more tragedies than one would expect in such a peaceful, bucolic setting.

When Carissa Cooper was six years old, her mother left and was replaced by monsters that hid under her bed and in her closet, terrorizing her every night. But her loving father Cecil, caring stepmother Melva and nearby extended family helped her, and now, at age twelve, she is a fairly well-adjusted young lady. However, when she decides to do a school project involving her family's history, she unwittingly stirs up long hidden secrets that have been haunting the Coopers for many years --- secrets so powerful that Carissa is abducted and nearly killed in an effort to keep them from being exposed.

Her cousin Noelle, who has the gift of premonition, senses something is wrong and races to Cedar Hollow from her home in Springfield. There she runs into her childhood friend Nathan Trask, who has been praying for her to return home so they could renew their once precious friendship. He becomes her ally as they seek to unravel not only the mystery of Carissa's abduction but also of the secrets that threaten the lives of the entire Cooper family.

However, evidence points to the fact that the very family that is in danger also harbors the one who is guilty of past crimes as well as the current abduction. None is above suspicion, including Carissa's brother Justin, her cousin Jill, and even her great-aunt Pearl. Has the family history of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) transformed somehow from a neurosis to a psychosis?

With Nathan's help, Noelle begins to renew the faith of her childhood and learn to accept the gift she has instead of fearing it. Through their efforts the family learns to deal with "Cooper's Curse" and to rely upon God instead of their own feeble attempts to keep the truth hidden out of fear. As LAST RESORT unfolds, redemption comes in many forms to those who learn to embrace the love and grace of God. This is a well-written story with some breath-holding rescue scenes, and a tender love story thrown in at no extra charge!

(...)

Sorry but it's true. I've been a huge Hannah Alexander fan but this one just fell flat. Could not even finish it. I think it's time to retire the town of Hideaway and come up with something new and fresh.

"The Last Resort" is a very good mystery, not real intense but it does drag in spots in the story.

Hannah Alexander's Last Resort, set in the beautiful Ozark town of Hideaway, has it all; romance, adventure and suspense.

Twelve year old Carissa Cooper is working on a school project of her family history when she disappears, an apparent kidnap victim.
Her cousin Noelle rushes to Cedar Hollow from her home in Springfield, determined to find her young niece. Nathan Trask, who has always loved Noelle promises to her help search for Carissa. Evidence points to the fact that the girl has accidently stirred up long hidden secrets the Cooper family has kept hidden for many years. . .secrets so dark someone would kill to keep them from being exposed. As Noelle and Nathan race against time to find Carissa, they strongly suspect the kidnapper may be a member of the Cooper family. But could a family member actually hurt Carissa? Noelle is afraid the answer may be yes.

A strong theme of love, forgiveness and redemption runs through the book as the Cooper family learns to face their fears and trust in God. Last Resort is a well-crafted, engrossing story, one I recommend.

Author has included some email and web site information for ski area accomodations, tourist offices, etc, but it just touches the tip of the iceberg.

Verbier, Switzerland, one of the top ski areas in Europe, only gets 5 pages in the book. Does not provide any commentary on accommodations in Verbier other than number of stars in rating and prices. Some other large ski areas get better treatment. The Arlberg region gets 9 pages of coverage.

Book lacks maps of Europe and of ski areas.

Overall the book is a good starting place for researching a trip, but descriptive information is brief and basic. Still this book is the most recently published on the topic as of 10/98, so the currency of the information should be decent.

This is the third edition of Leocha's ski guide that I've bought. It tells me everything I might think of to ask about each resort. My wife and I rely upon this guide to help make our decisions on where to ski in the Alps before each trip. His mountain and skiing descriptions are right on for all classes of skiers. We've used his recommendations in choosing accomodations and restaurants and haven't been disappointed even once. The very best feature is that it is written so well that we've tried resorts (Arosa, Wengen) that we never considered before and found them to be wonderful.

Ski Europe was a great book for my winter stay in europe. The thing i liked most about it was that it was the only book i needed. It offered all the skiing info i needed for each resort (even a scection in each resort on snowboarding!), but it didn't stop there. Its an all around guide with info on the night life, hotels, and restaurants. it gave concice information about all the aspects of a skiing vacation, which made my off the slope hours much more productive. i strongly recomend this book for any skier or snowboarder, any level.
=Z

I live in Munich and use this book often as a reference. It contains very accurate information on lodging, prices, and qualities of the resorts. Very accurately summarizes the differences in the ski experience between the different countries.

Needs more detailed maps of the resorts and slopes with hotels, restaurants, etc. clearly marked. Needs to be more critical of some resorts so the reader can make a better decision about which one to visit.

Germany-bound skiers should not waste their time on this book. Although Germany has more than 300 winter resorts located in the German Alps, the wooded hills of the Hartz Mountains, the Black Forest, and the Bavarian Forest, Ski Europe, 11th Edition devotes only 5 pages to the entire country. Only two of these pages directly comment on skiing (rather than accomodations, dining, etc.) and they focus only on Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the surrounding area. Even skiing in Spain gets more coverage than Germany in this book!

A very interesting book. Some of the places are REALLY isolated. I'm always a little bit cautious about being so cut off from civilization, in case of a medical emergency. However, if you are young and healthy, the book is filled with great ideas.

A further addition to the title in the form of a subtitle stating 'Within the USA' would keep travelers from anticipating a world-wide coverage of such nature spots: be that was it may, any journeying within the U.S. will relish this gathering of romantic lodges, cabins, out-of-the-way scenic park areas and more. Don't expect a single paragraph of description here: each listing includes multiple paragraphs describing the lodging, surrounding areas, price range, and outdoors services nearby.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

It is a nice overview and selection in helping choose a beautiful location yet away from the crowds if you desire. Thank you Fodors

The book is a good idea that disappoints. By covering all 50 states plus all the Canadian provinces, there is very little for each state. Typically, a state gets 2 to 4 entries. This concept might work better in a set of regional guide books.