Blue Guide Washington D.C. (Blue Guides) [Paperback]

Candyce H. Stapen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Blue Guides | Publication Date: October 12, 2000

This long-awaited Blue Guide is a spectacular tour through the nation's capital city and its environs. Packed with fascinating historical information charting the city's development from the 1600s to present day and highlighting the political luminaries who have called it home, this guide provides the visitor with a thorough knowledge of this wholly unique and grandly designed city. This is the definitive guide to the area, with over thirty walking tours including detailed information on the many federal buildings, monuments, museums, and other important places to see, as well as information on additional sites within the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, and suggested day trips to Civil War battle sites, Baltimore, and Annapolis.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Longtime area resident Candyce H. Stapen has written about Virginia in many books and articles. She’s won many awards, and her 2,000+ travel articles have run in Continental, FamilyVacation Critic.com, Away.com, FamilyFun, National Geographic Traveler, Caribbean Travel & Life, and Better Homes & Gardens.

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Blue Guide; 1st edition (October 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393319970
• ISBN-13: 978-0393319972
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #464,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Travel > United States > Washington, D.C.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Guidebook for D.C. History, March 28, 2004

By 

"bumbiebea" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Guide Washington D.C. (Blue Guides) (Paperback)

This is _the_ guidebook if you want to delve deeply into the City's history. It is chock full of interesting tidbits and historical information that bring the city alive. This is _not_ the guidebook for you if you are looking for the most updated information on museum hours and the like, if you are planning a quick trip the D.C. and want to hit just the main attractions, or if you need detailed maps (and metro information) for getting around the city. In other words, this book will satisfy your desire to really experience and get to know D.C. but it is not the best book to flip through when you suddenly realize that you are lost and need to figure out where to go. For better maps and more succinct descriptions of sites and restaurants, seek out Access Washington, D.C. by Richard Saul Wurman.

5.0 out of 5 stars The guidebook for tourists of architectural and cultural history., May 13, 2011

By 

Daysleeper (Pgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Guide Washington D.C. (Blue Guides) (Paperback)

In the Blue Guide style, this guidebook divides much of the city into sectors (about 5 blocks by 5 blocks in the downtown region) and suggests guided walks in each of these sectors--but with careful attention to the history and architecture of the landmarks and buildings in each region it discusses. It really tells you what to notice about the places you walk by. There is also plentiful information about logistics (e.g., closest subway stations and bus lines, hours, etc.). It's simply a wonderful book and reaches beyond merely comprising a 'greatest hits' list of the obvious things to do in Washington. It's also not a 'picture book', which I'm not too fond of because it's nice to actually see something for oneself!

The one qualm about the book is that it is 11 years old, so some things have moved (like the Newseum) and no doubt the restaurant listings are out of date. But if you have a smartphone, or supplement with Internet research beforehand, I can't imagine you wouldn't get as much out of this carefully researched book as out of some generic Lonely Planet guide just considering practical information itself. It IS the history and architecture discussion, though, that makes this book.