Customer Reviews

Alabama Off the Beaten Path, 8th (Off the Beaten Path Series)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found so many exciting things to see and do in Alabama thanks to this book that I decided to take a vacation there. I also really enjoyed the author's style and insights.

Very good book, nice to see all the things we have here in Alabama. Good book to have to plan a vacation.

We have used this book extensively and turned up all kinds of hidden treasures and places.

"Off the Beaten Path" describes not just the book but - as far as tourism is concerned - arguably the entire state of Alabama. It doesn't have any of America's great or historic cities, spectacular mountains or collections of theme parks and while it does have beautiful beaches, so do the neighbouring states and they're easier to get to. Consequently, the mainstream travel guides devote little space to the Yellowhammer State.

However, there is a lot to see and do in Alabama and much of it is contained in the 180 pages of Gay Martin's guidebook. It should fill the gap in the market the big guides have left and the disappointing thing is that it could so easily be exactly what is needed - but the gap between what it is and what it could be is critical. I took the guide with me during a week's holiday in Alabama and found it frustratingly difficult to use.

One of the great things about Alabama as a place to visit is precisely that it is off the beaten track: it's wonderfully authentic and this shines through in the recommendations. You get the Alabama the people there live in - the restaurants and cafes they use, for example - and so much the better: this is the real South. There's advice on things to see and do in even the most apparently unexceptional of towns, never mind places that would merit much greater attention were they in a more fashionable tourist area. Hidden gems abound and it all comes with a lot more description than would be found in a conventional guide.

Unfortunately, all this was undermined by the book's structure. As is usual for a travel guide, it's broken down geographically, into five regions. Each of these is further sub-divided, though not by county. The big problem is that the book then becomes almost exclusively narrative; it has more the feel of a travelogue than travel guide. There are no maps, no photos (there are sketches instead), and directions are brief and usually limited to one approach. There are bare lists of places to eat or stay at the end of each chapter but these then have to be cross-referenced to find out about them.

If the reader intends to follow the book as a literal guide - from place to place - that won't be too much of a problem; likewise, if he or she has access to a good sat-nav or set of maps (and a navigator), they should be OK. I had neither which made it way harder than it need have been to find the highlighted attractions. In fact, after a while, I gave up and either used other sources or serendipity.

The publisher is Insiders' Guide. As an outsider, that's exactly how it came across. There's no doubt it contains a fine repository of information but unless you're familiar with the area, you'll need to do additional research each time you use it to get the best out. At the very least, you'll need some better way of finding the places it's describing.

I've given it three stars. On one level, that's generous because in isolation it's only worth two due to the difficulty in using it. However, it is a very informative starting point and taken on that basis and with the knowledge that it is only a starting point, it's a worthwhile buy.