Travel Guides: Are They Worth It?

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

06 Jun 2008 03:58 PM

I am a huge advocate of travel guides. Though being that I am a relentless organizer and planner this is no surprise. I am also a member of AAA so stocking up on travel guides is easy since I can get them for free (or at least as a part of my annual membership fee). This doesn't mean I carry a travel guide whenever I leave my home, but I do consult one whenever I am traveling to a place I am unfamiliar with.

AAA's travel guides are very helpful when it comes to finding the best lodgings available, but if you are looking for a themed travel guide that lists the country's best zoos, amusement parks, national monuments or other niche destinations you might consider picking up the following new travel guides:

America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families

Written by Allen W. Nyhuis and Jon Wassner, this travel guide includes surprising statistic such as: "Zoos attract more visitors annually than all U.S. spectator sports combined." The book describes 60 zoos, and highlights unique exhibits, rare animals, and interactive activities. It sells for $15.95.

Fodor's Essential USA: Spectacular Cities, Natural Wonders and Great American Road Trips

This guide book is critically acclaimed and sells for just $21.95. The guide includes classic road trip itineraries like Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway and also provides information on where to stay and eat if you are traveling on a budget. In addition, the book features "best bet" tours and attractions in dozens of locales from the best places to slow down (Maine coast, Western Montana, California desert, North Carolina's Outer Banks and the Florida Keys) to the best destinations for foodies (New Orleans, New York, San Francisco and Texas Hill Country).

Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West

Compiled by Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon, this book lists the most popular author houses and museums; festivals and tours; literary lodgings, and places where "the pages of literature come to life." Among the most visited sites are Charles Dickens' London, Victor Hugo's Paris, Franz Kafka's Prague, Louisa May Alcott's Concord, Massachusetts, and John Steinbeck's Monterey and Salinas, California. The book is published by the National Geographic Society and lists more than 500 literary locales. It sells for $25.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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