One for the Road: Moon Metro NYC

by Kelly Amabile on

This week’s One for the Road suggestions start and end with mentions of Moon guides. Today it’s another NYC guide, since this is my home-base (and where I usually try out different guidebooks when friends come to visit.) This week my pal Eszter, from Hungary, is visiting NYC (and the US!) for the very first time. Upon her arrival earlier this week I gave her several guidebooks as reference, since I wasn’t going to be able to show her around that much.

Of all the NYC guides I’ve looked at recently, I recommended the Moon Metro NYC guide as my favorite choice for Eszter’s sightseeing needs. The flip-out map feature of this guidebook series is what really sets it apart from the rest. The first half of the book contains a series of ten glossy fold-out maps that cut Manhattan into size-able chunks. Descriptions of sights, along with some tips and basic historical background, make up the second half of the book.

Different guides serve different purposes, and Eszter agreed that this one would work best for her quick four-day jaunt through NYC. She already had a good idea of what she wanted to see and do, so she wasn’t really looking for ideas. But what she did need was a good navigator, and Moon’s “Unfold the City” guide helped her do just that.

One for the Road: Lonely Planet Encounters

by Kelly Amabile on

I’ve got a friend visiting New York this week for the very first time, and in advance of her visit, I road-tested a few guides to see which might work best to use during her short stay. For the rest of this week, I’ll feature the NYC versions of several guidebook series. Consider this part-two of my previous I Love NY mini-book reviews.

First up is New York Encounter, the Big Apple edition of Lonely Planet’s new series of pocket guides that were launched in May. Geared for “urban adventurers seeking unique experiences” the books are for travelers who want to “rapidly immerse themselves in a city.” They were created in collaboration with travelers who seek info from locals in the know. Some short Q&A’s throughout the book showcase the diversity of personality and place that characterizes these guides: there are interviews with the guys behind the High Line, a pedicab driver originally from the Ukraine, a Brooklyn bodega owner and a curatorial assistant at MoMA.

The focus is on experience. There are limited accommodation suggestions, since the emphasis is on what you can do, and in a city like NYC, sleeping doesn’t really count for much. Organized by neighborhood, each section has maps that show places to eat, shop, drink, see and play. There’s a free pull-out map in the rear too, for when you don’t mind looking like a tourist as you plunge deeper into your encounter with the city.

One for the Road: 1,000 Places to See in the U.S. and Canada

by Kelly Amabile on

Yesterday we suggested a tool to use for logistical aspects of your travel planning. Today we overwhelm you with a list of destination choices for North America, a semi-tribute to America during the recent holiday.

Earlier this spring, Patricia Schultz, author of the mega 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, released a second version:1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die. So now you’ve essentially got about 2,000 places (minus the overlap) to choose from. Yikes!

This 1,200-page monster has loads of suggestions for travelers — things you can do this summer and throughout the year. The book is organized by region, and includes subject-specific indices sorted by interest — wilderness, great dining, best beaches, world-class museums, sports and adventures, road trips, and more. And hey, mom and dad — there’s also a handy index that breaks out the best destinations for travel with kiddies. Plenty to pick from in this one!

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One for the Road: How to Travel Practically Anywhere

by Kelly Amabile on

It’s July 2nd — summer is more than officially here. So where are you going on vacation? Spontaneous travel-types will probably just head off as the spirit moves them. But if you’re a planner currently fretting over your yet-to-be-planned summer vacation, you might welcome some extra help right about now, huh?

And here it is: How to Travel Practically Anywhere. In this “ultimate planning guide”, travel reporter Susan Stellin has effectively organized on paper answers to all those questions that clog up your brain when you first start thinking of when and how to go on vacation. Check out the table of contents: planning, booking, navigating. Stellin covers all the essential bases of the logistics of travel.

This book won’t help you decide exactly where to go — that’s ultimately up to you. But if you need assistance sorting through the tactical details of booking a hotel online, choosing the best cruise cabin or renting a car, condo or cell phone (in the U.S. or abroad), this is an excellent place to start. It’s a handy reference guide that can put your mind at ease when planning any kind of travel — business, family obligations or that all-important summer vacation! (Or fall vacation…if the tips in this book lead you to put off your trip for another season or two.) Regardless of when, where or why you go, be sure to grab a copy of this indispensable travel tool.

The “Why Indie Bookstores Matter” Tour

by Kelly Amabile on

Oh man, do I want to ride along on this one! (In fact, be certain that I will at some point!) My bookstore lovin’ pal Larry Portzline has planned an awesome traveling adventure. The creative genius behind the Bookstore Tourism movement has just announced that he will embark on a 10-week cross country road trip that will include stops at 200 independent bookstores in all fifty states.

What better way to spread awareness of indie bookstores, promote literacy and reading, and spread the word about Bookstore Tourism? Larry will drive across the U.S. and fly to Alaska and Hawaii, celebrating indie spirit all the way. At each bookstore Larry will interview owners, booksellers and customers and ask: “Why do indie bookstores matter?” He’ll post updates, pictures and podcasts on the tour’s blog.

It’s no coincidence that Larry chose “Independence Week” to announce the kickoff of his tour. And what about his April 1, 2008 departure date? “April Fool’s Day seems appropriate for something a little Quixotic like a cross-country trip to support indie booksellers,” he explained.

That’s nine months from today, so hopefully it gives Larry plenty of time to line up the sponsorship he is seeking to help defray the cost of the trip. He’ll also be soliciting folks for suggestions about bookstores to add to his itinerary; and will invite fans to make a donation and ride along with him for a day or two. “We won’t have luxury accommodations, but it’ll be a ridiculous amount of fun,” he said.

The national tour is merely a variation on the group bookstore road trips that he and others have led around the U.S. Except, as Larry makes sure to point out: “Instead of a luxury motorcoach, we’re taking my minivan. And I get the final say on the music choices.” Seems fair and sounds like loads of fun. But Larry — will you be pimping-out the van with a super cool bookstore-on-wheels motif?

Here at Gadling, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on tour plans as things progress. Kudos to Larry for a most excellent road trip idea.