Excursion mileages are given and routes are clearly charted along clear, serviceable maps. The accompanying prose tends to be functional and descriptive, but as a narrative travelogue, it's fairly flat. Still, the book serves as a good stimulus to get your motor runnin' and to explore less familiar areas. After that, having followed a couple of the designated routes, you'll come to realize that the spontaneous turn down an uncharted but promising road can be just as rewarding as the prescribed course. It's the longest, broadest, most complete and most densely packed of the books considered here, covering all manner of landmarks, vistas, trails, museums, mansions, sites and sights, as well as lodgings, shopping and dining suggestions.
Distinct notations earmark special interests for kids, the handicapped, and pet owners.
The authors have done both the considerable legwork and the formidable homework to make the volume exhaustive without it seeming exhausting. Maps are instrumental and thorough, regional divisions sensible. Format is logical, and layouts are clear. Voyagers of every stripe will feel in good company. Curtis' writing strikes just the right tone, employing an explorer's enthusiasm, an educator's respect for facts and a scout's useful advice.