Customer Reviews

Along Interstate-75: Local Knowledge, Entertainment And Insider Tips, for Your Drive Between Detroit And the Florida Border. (Along Interstate 75)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Whether you're a regular traveler along Interstate-75 or use it once each year, Along I-75 is a must. We bought our first copy last year and were amazed. Each exit lists the fast-food places, gas, and local attactions. In Resaca, Georgia, we found out we were driving on top of a Civil War battlefield. In Atlanta, the easy-to-follow map made a difficult trip easy. And in Berea, Kentucky my wife found some great buys at a local craft shop.

The maps are laid out on a straight line making it easy to read even if you aren't good at reading maps. I loved the little stories Dave Hunter tells. For example, did you know that Dwight D. Eisenhower was responsible for the Interstate Highway System and concieved the idea in 1919?

The book is updated yearly, so I bought one as soon as the new edition came out. When we were traveling through Georgia last year the AAA book did not have the new exit numbers and we found it nearly impossible to cross-reference the old numbers to the new ones. Dave's book was invaluable--he had the new numbers. Well worth the purchase.

Also of interest in the book: local speed traps, elevation, county names, geologic features visible from the road, emergency information (you can find the nearest hospital quickly), much, much more.

I thought Dave Hunter was nuts when he announced all those years ago he was going to do a book about the Eastern United States' busiest north-south artery: Interstate 75. But he was really onto something. This book gets better year after year, and justifiably more popular as well.

Even if you're a paid up member of AAA, like me (or any auto club for that matter), this book will be a great supplement to the strip maps, wall maps and hotel guides you usually take along with you. In almost painstaking detail, milepost by milepost, Hunter tells you everything you wanted to know about I-75 and some things you'll probably wish you didn't (although you'll learn something there too).

He tells you exactly where to find the radar traps, what you'll find at every exit between Detroit and the Georgia/Florida line, and this year's constructions zones. And he offers some sage advice on what to do in case you hear a tornado warning on your car radio (listing all the counties that run along and parallel the I-75 route).

For places to stay along the way, he offers suggestions on his favorites; as well as how to save money at any hotel by playing by the hotel industry's own rules. He posits a great tip on how the carpool lanes really work (a potential timesaver in Atlanta). He even suggests advice on what bypasses to take around major cities, parallel routes in rural areas if you want to get off the beaten path, and why one should never stay overnight in a city unless absolutely necessary.

On a personal note, Hunter is a really classy guy. I've never met him in person, but I would like to now, especially after I noticed what I thought was a glaring ommission in the book: a potential shortcut between two cities along the I-75 route. I e-mailed him, and he promised to investigate it on his next trip. A month later, he wrote back saying that he tried that shortcut himself and while it faster it's not worth it because of all the turns one must make to get to it.

A remarkable achievement for a guy who self-publishes this book. If you follow just one of the money-saving tips he offers, the book will pay for itself and you'll want to keep getting each new edition, year after year.

About I-75? I assure you I've traveled this route many times and the last time I happened upon this book first. How wonderful!

If you are an information junkie like DH and myself you will totally enjoy the heck out of this book. From what the "Florence Y'all" water tower really stood for originally to..."what is that stuff growing all over the place?" in Georgia. (thanks to the book we learned that it was Kudzu) The Radar Alerts were very helpful and sure enough 90% of the time there was a patrol car hidden exactly where the book stated. I also like the hotel recommendations and on the trip home we actually utilized one of those hotels and we were very impressed.

There were two things on our trip that I WOULD NOT be without if we were to drive again......XM Satellite Radio and THIS BOOK.

Two thumbs up!

This wonderful books is designed for "snow birds" (those seasonal migrant masses that know, genetically, winter is coming and they must drive south to Florida).

Interstate 75 is one of the most interesting highways in America. It is full of side trips that can last an hour or a day. What Hunter has done is make miles of tedious asphalt fun and entertaining. Do you know where to stop and buy `Chocolate-covered potato chips'? Or, do you know where the `Gone with the Wind' museum exit is? Hunter does!

The book is well laid out and very easy to use. I applaud the way that Hunter uses two sets of maps in the book. The I-75 section in the front of the book runs North to South, or Detroit to the border of Florida. The map pages in the back of the book run South to North. In the center of the book is the travel information, insider tips, special reports, etc. that make the trip enjoyable.

An area of improvement would be a symbol on the maps delineating where significant interstate highway construction is happening Rand McNally Road Atlas 2004 has a great symbol system showing where construction is going on.

Also, someone needs to tell me why this guide and the I-75 guide written by Christine Marks (see my review) both stop at the Florida border! A mystery to me as I-75 does go all-the-way to Miami!

This is the best of the I-75 guides out to-date. You will find tons of useful information you will not find in other guides. If I-75 is your route South (or North) you will appreciate this gem. Get it! 4.5 stars

If I could give this book 10 stars I would. The amount of detail and information it has is just amazing. Dave Hunter and his wife, Kathy, have made the trip to Florida much more fun and interesting. You can plan ahead for side trips, rest areas, even what gas stations and restaurants are miles down the road. I had an earlier version, but it is a good idea to update every other year as things change so often along I75. Get this great little book and you will learn things, even if you have driven this route all your life, as I have. If you are planning a trip down to Florida via I75, this should be your first purchase

A unique and accurate compilation of Highway services, Local history, Insider tips and "secret" escapes off the interstate make for an enjoyable and learning experience for travelling the I-75 to Florida. In it's 7th edition (I myself have all 7) of print the I-75 author Dave Hunter, has incorporated comments and suggestions from readers making it a completely unique drivers guide companion. This book has really found it's market niche!

I purchased this book for an upcoming trip to Florida. It has plenty of tips regarding which lane to stay in (for specific exits and interchanges); where the rest stops are, and how far to the next rest stop; which hotels, restaurants, and gas stations are at each exit; where to carefully watch your speed; and many local sight-seeing recommendations along with some history.

I haven't made the drive yet, but it seems to have everything I expected - and then some.

One note: I probably wasn't paying attention when I bought it, but this book stops at the Florida border, so it is useful from southern Michigan through Georgia. There is another book by the same author - which I haven't purchased yet - that covers interstates in Florida.

America's interstates have earned an attraction all their own. "Along Interstate 75" is a guide to the wonders of Interstate 75, the highway connecting Florida and Detroit. Dave Hunter gives readers everything they need to know to turn a multi-day drive into an entertaining affair all its own, pointing out the attractions that litter the road as they go. With plenty of detailed maps that point out everything from restaurant, lodging, and more, "Along Interstate 75" is a useful travel guide for anyone who wants to avoid the boring road trip.

1999 is my 4th edition bought. Mapping is great and try the insider tips OUTSTANDING! It really does turn a boring trip to Florida into an interesting and fun one. Thanks Dave!

A few years ago, when we purchased a vacation home in Florida, friends gave us the I-75 Guide as a gift. How helpful it has been for all this time, as we traveled back and forth twice a year ! It came time to pack it for this spring's trip and it was nowhere to be found. When we reached Florida and it still had not revealed itself, we promptly ordered another one, updated for this year. We have found it extremely useful in passing through large cities (such as Atlanta) with minimal frustration and in locating facilites along the way. Knowing where gas stations, restaurants and motels are - exit by exit- makes it so much easier to plan your stops during the day. It has also been quite accurate in notations about natural phenomena along the way (kudzu vines, weeping rocks, deer sightings, etc.) Sightseeing information is also of interest and value. We have maps and guidebooks from other sources, but still like to have this one in addition. Keep up the good work !