1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die [Hardcover]

Patricia Schultz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 14, 2007

It's the phenomenon: 1,000 Places to See Before You Die has 2.2 million copies in print and has spent 144 weeks and counting on The New York Times bestseller list.

Now, shipping in time for the tens of millions of travelers heading out for summer trips, comes 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die. Sail the Maine Windjammers out of Camden. Explore the gold-mining trails in Alaska's Denali wilderness. Collect exotic shells on the beaches of Captiva. Take a barbecue tour of Kansas City—from Arthur Bryant's to Gates to B.B.'s Lawnside to Danny Edward's to LC's to Snead's. There's the ice hotel in Quebec, the Great Stalacpipe Organ in Virginia, cowboy poetry readings, what to do in Louisville after the Derby's over, and for every city, dozens of unexpected suggestions and essential destinations.

The book is organized by region, and subject-specific indices in the back sort the book by interest—wilderness, great dining, best beaches, world-class museums, sports and adventures, road trips, and more. There's also an index that breaks out the best destinations for families with children. Following each entry is the nuts and bolts: addresses, websites, phone numbers, costs, best times to visit.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Of the plethora of adjectives suitable for the tone of this witty reference book, the most relevant is proud; from the outset, Schultz declares her own personal connection to the places visited, titling the introduction, "Rediscovering My Own Backyard." Divided by region-starting off in New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, the Southeast and the rest of the U.S., then continues into eastern and western Canada-Schultz's follow-up to the bestselling 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (a global survey) presents grandiose portraits of the two countries' most popular and patriotic spots. Schultz includes plenty of directions for travel, food and lodging, including costs, though this is no budget guide (see the $75 dinner under the Brooklyn Bridge). Still, what Schultz lacks in cost-efficiency she makes up for in scope; quite literally, there's something here for everyone: baseball fields, national parks and campgrounds, major malls, expansive historical estates and more. A fine gift, it should also spark spirited party conversation-who's been where, what to visit next, and which personal favorites didn't make the cut.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Note to our Kindle Readers: The Kindle edition of this book has been formatted with convenient linking in the table of contents that allow the reader to navigate to each state or province in the United States and Canada. The indexes at the end of the book provide terms for use in the Kindle search feature. The general index is organized by region and lists locations alphabetically while the special index is organized by travel interest categories. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1200 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (May 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761147381
• ISBN-13: 978-0761147381
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.6 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (97 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,076,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patricia Schultz is the author of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" and Executive Producer of the Travel Channel's reality show of the same name. Based in New York City, she's also written for Conde Nast Traveler, Islands, and Harper's Bazaar.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

138 of 144 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 1000 Places to Eat Before You Die, October 8, 2007

By 

OpenSkies "openskies" (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die (Paperback)

Let me get my chief complaints out of the way first: this author loves to eat. It sometimes seems that every other entry is a restaurant or local culinary hot-spot, from "Cheese Country" to "Big Pig Jig." These are not destinations, they're cuisines. Subtract those, and you probably have a book better titled 900 Places to See Before You Die. (Assuming all the eating doesn't kill you at number 600.)

Another minor quibble: some of the "places" are actually events, like Burning Man and the Indianapolis 500. I'll overlook it...

She also likes to go in style, and apparently hasn't met a spa she didn't like. Subtract all the ultra-ritzy exclusive hotel/spas, sculpture gardens, resorts, dude ranches and expensive art galleries, which are likely either of out reach financially or simply not of interest to a large base of the potential audience, and you're down to 500 Places to See.

So, then, if you can get it for half price, you've got a bargain.

Now, onto the good things. There are many, despite my protestations above. First is the very idea of the book. It's fun and interesting to see such a list compiled; invariably something important gets left out, but what is created by the greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts compilation is a true sense of America as a destination in its own right, worth of as much attention as any other in the world.

Also, I was made aware of many places I wouldn't have found otherwise, like the Yoder Popcorn Shoppe in Topeka, Indiana. There are many hidden treasures in these pages.

Finally, despite being top-heavy with attractions for the chic looky-loo set as mentioned above, the book is saved from being completely out of touch by its inclusion of attractions that appeal to a broad section of people (as would befit a book about America). Burning Man Festival is here, as is the State Fair of Texas, the Civil Rights Trail, and others.

My strong recommendation is that a second book be created called "1000 Places to Dine Before You Die," (though the publisher may not want to have the words "dine" and "die" so close together), and all the restaurant entries removed from this and placed there. Then the gap filled with what got left out of this book and should have been in in the first place.

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Updating my Travel To-Do List Right Now, June 28, 2007

By 

kdea473 - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die (Paperback)

I asked for (and received) this book for my birthday. I am so glad I did!
I have traveled a lot in the US and am working on seeing the rest of the world, but wanted to know what I was missing here in the US. I anxiously flipped through the book and made a note next to each place I had visited.
I was amazed and impressed to find locations just a few miles from my home that I had never seen. I'll be visiting soon.
I am sure I will think of a couple of places that (I think) should have been included. Overall, though, this book is very comprehensive. It is fun and easy to read.
Nice touches inside include web links, phone numbers, etc. for each of the places. I also like the way the book is indexed in the back: active travel and adventure, culinary experiences, glorious nature, great golf, scenic drives, take the kids, etc. This makes it easy to search for a particular type of site, even if you don't know exactly what part of the country you want to see.

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring read for travellers of all ilk!, May 29, 2007

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die (Paperback)

I loved Patricia Schultz's 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, and gave away copies to friends who loved travelling. This second follow-up, 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die is another winner. Though Canada is not as comprehensively covered as the USA, the book serves its purpose - to entertain and inspire, even armchair travellers like me. There are enough nuggets of information in here, and a treasure trove of ideas that can keep most aspiring/keen travellers happy, content, and entertained.