Resorts Books

I just finished reading both of Brown's books on the New York Times best seller list, and Richard Crabbe's book is every bit as worthy of making the list. Richard combines a descriptive, sometimes violent but thoughtful style of writing that puts you in the hunt for Jim Tupper in what must be a breathtaking part of the country- It's fast, sometimes furious and a quality mystery/thriller... Dan Brown, you have company!

In August 1889, Mohawk Indian Jim Tupper kills a Manhattan construction site foreman. Although the police catch him, he breaks free when the Black Maria he?s transported in has an accident. He buys a bayonet before making his way by boat to his home in the Adirondack Mountains where he signs on at the logging camp owned and run by industrialist William West Durant.

At the same time Tupper is making his way home, New York Detective Bureau Chief Tom Braddock and his family vacation at the Prospect House resort hotel. Tom?s son Mike has taken up with the housemaid Lellie and when she is murdered, the local doctor thinks he is the killer. When Tom learns that via telegraph that Tupper is in the area and the maid was murdered by a bayonet, he believes Tupper is the killer. Tom sets out to bring this killer back so that his son?s name will be cleared, but the savvy Indian leads Tom and the authorities on a difficult chase that leads to a greater tragedy for all concerned.

THE EMPIRE OF SHADOWS is an action-packed historical thriller that gives the audience chills, thrills and a sense of adventure. Throughout the whole story line, readers will feel as if they don?t see the full picture because the audience senses there is more than just a killer on a rampage yet everything points to one killer in plain sight. That magic and the ability of Richard E. Crabbe to bring to life a bygone golden age that will never be seen again turns this work into a breathtaking tale.

Harriet Klausner

Just got this book. All I can say is that it's great. Gave me lots of ideas for places to take a fishing vacation that I hadn't really considered before. And when they say for ALL budgets they mean it! There are some real bargains in the book as well as some super nice places. They've even listed places you can only hike to or ride a boat to or take a plane.... Highly recommended!

My wife bought my son and I copies for Christmas. It's been an indespenable help! It's easy to locate a place that meets the requirements of those traveling in your party. I've never thought enough of a book to take the time to write a review, but Simpson did his homework so you don't have to. The descriptions listed contained all the info I needed, plus some. I've already made reservations for my spring trip! It's a bed and breakfast so my wife is even looking forward to this trip. TRAVELING FISHERMEN NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BOOK BEFORE THEIR NEXT TRIP....

As is fitting for a guide on Orlando, the bulk of this book is focused on the various theme parks. In addition, all the standard Fodor's material is here covering restaurants and hotels.

The information is very useful and accurate. The strategies offered for avoiding long lines at the theme parks are spot-on. The book also gives descriptions and ratings of every ride and attraction at each park. The descriptions are almost too detailed (if you want any surprises) and their ratings are sometimes a bit generous. Still, the material is quite helpful in deciding which rides to make sure you see and what can be skipped if time is short.

All in all this is an excellent book that was extremely helpful to me on my trips to Orlando. The writing is clear and concise, the information is organized logically, and the information is accurate and useful.

This guide from Fodor's is well-written, informative and clearly organized to help you get the most from yur visit to central Florida. We don't always buy guides on vacations, but there is a lot to do in he Orlando area, and this guide was very helpful to us.

information is included about accommodations, restaurants and entertainment, with names highlighted for easy location, plenty of handy maps, ratings and useful travel advice, though we were underwhelmed by the incomplete restaurant information for the Disney parks. Fodor's always does a nice job of giving information for travellers with children, disabilities or special needs, and they are good about giving contact information, hours of operation and pricing. Also, their suggested itineraries (based on the amount of time you have) are helpful.

Chapters are about Walt Disney World properties, Universal properties, other properties (SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Cypress Gardens), non-theme park attractions in the greater Orlando area, dining, lodging, shopping, recreation, night life, and Florida's Space Coast. he book concludes with a good index.

This book wasn't perfect. If you're going to be spending a lot of time at Disney properties, for example, you should also get a guide specific to them. And Fodor's is less useful for the budget traveller than other guides. With those caveats in mind, this guide is useful and well organized.

Ian describes in detail the most romatic inns, hotels and getaways available in the Caribbean. He writes the information you REALLY want to know before you travel...location of the room, the activities not to miss, what to expect and special details which set apart his book from all the rest. I read this book cover to cover and marked all the places I wanted to travel based on his recommendation. After I traveled to the first location on my honeymoon (it was everything I pictured it to be, based on his description) I then put it to the test and traveled once again to a location I read about in the book. Again, I was impressed at the detail he was able to capture within the pages.

I plan to travel to each of the resorts he rates highly and would recommend to any reader that enjoys the Caribbean to pick up this book and you won't be disappointed. In fact, even if you don't step foot out of the privacy of your our home, after reading this book, you will feel as if you have traveled to some of the most amazing Hideaways in the Caribbean.

Keown's detailed and forthright travel guide is must-read for anyone looking for an off-the-beaten-track, romantic beach vacation. We each read Keown's descriptions of the various resorts cover to cover and dog-eared the possibilities - then compared notes. Truthfully, any of the resorts he reviewed would have fit the bill, but his thorough evaluation of four areas (dining, sports, rates and the hard-to-capture "atmosphere" category) allowed us to find the right fit for our vacation. He tells you which islands to pick depending on your budget, mood and individual needs, then takes you through virtually every consideration you'll need to select the right resort, down to island taxes, transports, tipping, and room service availability. His pet peeves are the same as ours - no huge hotels, no convention centers, and no cruise ships! Thanks to Keown, we were able to find the perfect romantic Caribbean hideaway for our honeymoon. We loved it so much we're buying the 9th edition for our next vacation.

Have found this resource (this the seventh edition) to be very useful especially in finding course when traveling. My wife and I have used this to great benefit when traveling out of state, and through it have found some delightful courses, resorts, etc.

What is unique about it is a state-by-state ranking of golf courses (public and resort) by players who have supposedly played them in last year. Rating them from 1 to 5 stars, comments are also included. Those with less than 3 star rating have only basic contact info. What is new with this edition is grouping courses within a 30 mile radius of major town, while those that don't meet this requirement are placed into an "Elsewhere" category. This aids greatly in desiring courses in a certain area. Whereas in older editions, one had to tediously search through all the state's listing to find desired area. Here that grouping has been nicely accomplished.

Found that most of the ratings help, knowing however that it typically is being rated by golfers who enjoy that course's challenges, e.g. high handicapper will rate 5300 yd. course from back tips high while mid to low handicapper would differ typically. So, assuming this when viewing the ratings will aid the particular golfer and his skill and course tastes immensely.

I travel alot on business and try to golf while on the road whenever I can (and have now golfed in all 50 states and over 300 courses). This guide (previous editions) has been my constant companion over the years. It offers the most comprehensive and useful advice on finding a good course in any area. The reviews are on-target, and I have never been steered wrong when picking a course based on this book. In addition, I am a "cheap" golfer, who hates to play courses over $50 a round - this book helps pick the best course for the buck. The information provided (address, phone#, distance from major city center, when opened, architect, #holes, #yards, course rating, slope, Green Fee, Cart Fee, Credit Cards taken, Discounts, How far in Advance Tee Time can be booked, Walkability, Season, Notes and Golfer comments) is everything you need. It also has a city and alphabetical index of courses. The only information sometimes out of date, are the fees. But it offers website addresses for the courses, so you can get more up-to-date green fee info, or more details on the course. The 7th Edition beats the 6th, by organizing courses by metropolitan areas within each state, with an "Elsewhere" section for the more rural areas. For instance, for Nebraska, it is separate by Kearney/Grand Island, Lincoln, Omaha and Elsewhere, beside adding new courses. My only gripe is that I wish it were updated more often, as new courses are springing up everywhere. Finally, the quality and durability of the book are excellent, as it has held up to much travel abuse and wear. If you travel alot and want to know the best courses to play in the area, there is no better book or website. Note: The picture of the cover of the book in the Amazon ad is not correct (it is the 6th edition). The 7th edition has a golfer in a red shirt without a hat in a similar pose . Also, I got 12 free months of Golf Digest with the book, which made its value even more worthwhile.

The best golf resort book yet. You can spend hours daydreaming with it or use it as the basis for your next golf vacation. The pictures put you right there ready to tee it up (and pay up).

Excellent book......a must to buy

As an avid golfer and golf book reader, I can honestly say this is the best golf travel book I have ever read. Very informative, wide-ranging, and brilliantly accurate. Can't wait for a new edition!! I've memorized this one.

After just returning from a wonderful vacation playing golf for a week on the Monteray Peninsula, I can tell you that the reviews contained in this book for all of the peninsula's courses are right on the mark (both positive and negative). The text is coversational and the advice/recommendations are very good. Keep in mind though, the courses and facilities recommended are not necessarily for the bargain golfer - but then again, they have reviewed some of the most beautiful and well renowned courses in the world. I highly recommend this book - it is a very conversational read and contains lots of great stories. It is a very useful guide for investigating and planning golf vacations around the world.

Mr. Tolles has reached a perfect balance of scholarly research and easy reading in a "coffee-table book" format. As someone who lives in the area with a strong interest in Tolles' subject matter (I own the annex building to the Sunset Hill House hotel) I can also vouch for the accuracy of what he has written.
A wonderful book, beautifully presented, highly readable and visually involving. Anyone with a love of history, architecture, romance, travel, or their ancestors is sure to enjoy it as much as I and my guests do.

This well-researched and informative book about the grand resort hotels of the White Mountains is simply one of those books which you add with pride to your library collection. It shows the hotel's importance in the architectural and social historical realm of New England and American history. It is full of andedotes on the hotel industry and is a vastly entertaining social picture. The book is full of many illustrations of present and long-gone hotels, 200 b&w and a number of color plates. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the hospitality history of this country, and the importance in the realm of things that the hotel places. Dr. Tolles have expertly brought this subject to life and I commend him for it.

This book is the most thorough book on Acapulco that I have seen to date & its strictly on Acapulco unlike many others...

The Guide was very helpful in getting our family oriented in an area where we had never traveled before. The resturant advise was right on as were the warnings about the traffic!! It was used by several members of our group to find interesting activities from surfing to fishing to ski boats.

I agree Hawaii is very healing as well as this book (very helpful to healing) also check out "World Ventures with Wayne Nugent and Mike Azcue."

*****
This book, Healing Vacations in Hawaii, is excellent for planning an transformational vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii. Note that this book is the "Big Island Edition" and does NOT cover Oahu (where Honolulu is), Maui, or any of the other islands. Hopefully future books from the author will, though, as it is an incredible resource.

Part of the book is general history and interesting facts about the various areas of the Big Island. The rest (about 90% of the book) is descriptions of different retreats, alternative healers, and spas that are available on the big island. About 45 different healing experiences are profiled in depth, and more are listed in the back of the book. It is amazing to see the variety of healing experiences and healers that are available in this area of the world. The stories are well-written and illustrated with portraits and other photographs.

Although the book is paperback, it is larger size and contains almost 300 pages of text, black and white photography, and maps.

The book also covers general considerations when planning a healing retreat in Hawaii, and interesting tidbits you'd not encounter elsewhere, like how to behave when you're swimming with dolphins.

You couldn't find a better book, or find a better place to start with your travel preparations for a healing retreat. Highly recommended.
*****