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Fodor's Essential USA, 1st Edition: Spectacular Cities, Natural Wonders, and Great American Road Trips
With millions of acres of amber waves of grain and a myriad of purple mountains majesty to choose from, selecting a vacation destination in the United States can be overwhelming. That’s why Fodor’s USA focuses on the best trips from sea to shining sea---from the vineyards of Napa Valley to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to the streets of Manhattan. Each section contains all of the crucial information that readers have come to expect from Fodor’s, including the best of the best in hotels, attractions, and restaurants.
Highlights
·A selective approach, focusing on the best trips.
·Evocative itineraries that highlight the best that each destination has to offer and give travelers the freedom to choose among routes.
·Inspirational yet practical, this is a guide that readers can flip through at home to select their trip---as well as take along to use when they’re on their vacation.
·Cultural close-ups give readers a comprehensive picture of each region, including its claims to fame, favorite foods, and local lingo.
Planning tools, including routes linking multiple destinations, tips for what to see en route, and restaurant and hotel listings for “stopover cities,” help travelers plan unforgettable road trips.
Highlights
·A selective approach, focusing on the best trips.
·Evocative itineraries that highlight the best that each destination has to offer and give travelers the freedom to choose among routes.
·Inspirational yet practical, this is a guide that readers can flip through at home to select their trip---as well as take along to use when they’re on their vacation.
·Cultural close-ups give readers a comprehensive picture of each region, including its claims to fame, favorite foods, and local lingo.
Planning tools, including routes linking multiple destinations, tips for what to see en route, and restaurant and hotel listings for “stopover cities,” help travelers plan unforgettable road trips.
- GenresTravel
688 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2008
About the author
Fodor's Travel Publications Inc.
1,837 books63 followersFodor's Travel Publications is a United States-based producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor in 1936.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 11, 2017
Good, high-level look at some of the travel destination offerings within the United States. I enjoyed looking at the possibilities that this country has to offer. While not very deep, it's a good place to start if you're looking at the United States as a whole. I would recommend a more region specific book (or the Internet) if you're looking for more details. Good starting place but should not be your only place to look at travel options.
February 2, 2012
Wandering the wide open spaces, one road trip at a time
No need to pack this book when you head out on your trip. Once you’re off on vacation, Fodor’s “Essential USA” has already done its job.
The value of this travel guide is in the deciding and planning you do before you leave – where to go, how to get there and what to see and do when you arrive. Even the editors seem to acknowledge that the book is best read before packing. They direct you to the Fodor’s website for “research and directions” and to find some “great deals” while traveling.
The book, one in a series of “Essential” guides, is hefty – nearly 800 pages – and that should tell you you’re going to get the complete (though abbreviated) picture of Fodor’s top choices: natural wonders, popular attractions and road trips that cross the country north to south and east to west.
This is the second edition, updated from the 2008 first edition. Not that much of the information appears to be new but the format is fresh. The guide contains 30 chapters organized into four regions of the country: New England and the Mid-Atlantic, The South, The Midwest & Rockies, and the Southwest. Each chapter is subdivided into categories such as where to stay and where and what to eat. There are 40 maps and about 200 color pix vying for your attention. A few pages in the front are given over to favorite foods by region. Another feature that really helps the planning is the list of suggested itineraries offered for each of the regions.
My taste for adventure may be a little offbeat but after reading the destination list for the Southwest, I have my eye on a road trip along what was a stretch of Route 66 between Gallup and Grants, New Mexico that travels across the Zuni and Navajo Nation Indian Reservations (p 22). You’ll take in some great scenery and a great deal of Native American culture. If I go, I’ll pack a tent and enough camping grub for a week along with a copy of “Blood & Thunder,” Hampton Sides’ epic account of the old West. While in the area, I’d like to try the local posole made with hominy called “Hatch Chile. On Labor Day every year the town of Hatch hosts the nationally renowned Hatch Chile Festival, just in case you’re nearby.
America is a big country with wide-open spaces and although “Essential USA” is a thick book, it’s an overview that can’t include everything. The book is selective (that’s what editors are for) and focuses on the destinations Fodor’s thinks are best. Is it essential? I’m not convinced of that but the guide is informative and helpful, especially when you’re still dreaming about your next get-away. As a book to use while planning, it’s best in its class and best at hitting the highlights.
[four stars]
No need to pack this book when you head out on your trip. Once you’re off on vacation, Fodor’s “Essential USA” has already done its job.
The value of this travel guide is in the deciding and planning you do before you leave – where to go, how to get there and what to see and do when you arrive. Even the editors seem to acknowledge that the book is best read before packing. They direct you to the Fodor’s website for “research and directions” and to find some “great deals” while traveling.
The book, one in a series of “Essential” guides, is hefty – nearly 800 pages – and that should tell you you’re going to get the complete (though abbreviated) picture of Fodor’s top choices: natural wonders, popular attractions and road trips that cross the country north to south and east to west.
This is the second edition, updated from the 2008 first edition. Not that much of the information appears to be new but the format is fresh. The guide contains 30 chapters organized into four regions of the country: New England and the Mid-Atlantic, The South, The Midwest & Rockies, and the Southwest. Each chapter is subdivided into categories such as where to stay and where and what to eat. There are 40 maps and about 200 color pix vying for your attention. A few pages in the front are given over to favorite foods by region. Another feature that really helps the planning is the list of suggested itineraries offered for each of the regions.
My taste for adventure may be a little offbeat but after reading the destination list for the Southwest, I have my eye on a road trip along what was a stretch of Route 66 between Gallup and Grants, New Mexico that travels across the Zuni and Navajo Nation Indian Reservations (p 22). You’ll take in some great scenery and a great deal of Native American culture. If I go, I’ll pack a tent and enough camping grub for a week along with a copy of “Blood & Thunder,” Hampton Sides’ epic account of the old West. While in the area, I’d like to try the local posole made with hominy called “Hatch Chile. On Labor Day every year the town of Hatch hosts the nationally renowned Hatch Chile Festival, just in case you’re nearby.
America is a big country with wide-open spaces and although “Essential USA” is a thick book, it’s an overview that can’t include everything. The book is selective (that’s what editors are for) and focuses on the destinations Fodor’s thinks are best. Is it essential? I’m not convinced of that but the guide is informative and helpful, especially when you’re still dreaming about your next get-away. As a book to use while planning, it’s best in its class and best at hitting the highlights.
[four stars]
July 31, 2011
While I wouldn't use this book as a stand-alone for a visit to just one part of the USA, for an overview of most of the country, it's worth a look. We're currently planning a trip for next summer to Yellowstone and the Badlands which is why I chose this as an Amazon Vine selection. Whether or not it's useful for that, I won't know until after we take the trip. I did find the chapters on Washington DC, Walt Disney World and Philadelphia to be spot on for those who are planning trips to those sites. My kids are really enjoying this as well in conjunction with a Rand McNally road atlas to help plan future trips and give them ideas about places they'd like to see.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews