California's Best Bed & Breakfasts, 4th Edition: Delightful Places to Stay, and Great Things to Do When You Get There (Fodor's Best Bed & Breakfasts) [Paperback]

Fodor's (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 1999 | Series: Fodor's Best Bed & Breakfasts

"These books add notes on things to see and do in the vicinity. That alone propels them to the top of the heap" -- San Diego Union-Tribune

"Models for any B&B guide: user-friendly, well laid-out, with lengthy
descriptions." -- Travel Books Worldwide

"Honest...If the wallpaper is peeling, they say so." -- Cosmopolitan


Fodor's Bed & Breakfast guides cover more that just the B&Bs, they also recommend great things to see and do, places to eat and shop, and more.

B&Bs can't buy their way in

Fodor's reviewers visit the top B&Bs and choose only the very best -- places with special warmth, unusual decor, superlative charm. (Some B&B guides cover only properties that pay to be included -- and the innkeepers write the descriptions.)

Critical reviews of 267 handpicked B&Bs and inns

Our writers tell you what's wonderful about each spot they inspect (fireplaces and four-poster beds, hot tubs and antique armoires, lavish breakfasts and teas). They also point out the quirks. They counsel you on which rooms to reserve -- and which to avoid. Every review includes information about the innkeepers, location, ambience, decor, restrictions, rates, amenities, baths (private or shared), and recreational facilities.

Local sights and activities, too

This book is a complete vacation planner: For each major tourist region, Fodor's writers cover favorite things to see and do and don't-miss places to shop and dine.

Facilities charts, maps, and more

Comprehensive charts compare B&B facilities. There are also regional maps, B&B Web sites, and addresses and telephone numbers of visitor information offices and the best B&B reservation services.

The best vacation spots in California

This guide covers Southern California, the Central Coast and Monterey, the San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country, the North Coast, Gold Country, and High Sierra.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"These books add notes on things to see and do in the vicinity. That alone propels them to the top of the heap" -- San Diego Union-Tribune

"Models for any B&B guide: user-friendly, well laid-out, with lengthy
descriptions." -- Travel Books Worldwide

"Honest...If the wallpaper is peeling, they say so." -- Cosmopolitan


Fodor's Bed & Breakfast guides cover more that just the B&Bs, they also recommend great things to see and do, places to eat and shop, and more.

B&Bs can't buy their way in

Fodor's reviewers visit the top B&Bs and choose only the very best -- places with special warmth, unusual decor, superlative charm. (Some B&B guides cover only properties that pay to be included -- and the innkeepers write the descriptions.)

Critical reviews of 267 handpicked B&Bs and inns

Our writers tell you what's wonderful about each spot they inspect (fireplaces and four-poster beds, hot tubs and antique armoires, lavish breakfasts and teas). They also point out the quirks. They counsel you on which rooms to reserve -- and which to avoid. Every review includes information about the innkeepers, location, ambience, decor, restrictions, rates, amenities, baths (private or shared), and recreational facilities.

Local sights and activities, too

This book is a complete vacation planner: For each major tourist region, Fodor's writers cover favorite things to see and do and don't-miss places to shop and dine.

Facilities charts, maps, and more

Comprehensive charts compare B&B facilities. There are also regional maps, B&B Web sites, and addresses and telephone numbers of visitor information offices and the best B&B reservation services.

The best vacation spots in California

This guide covers Southern California, the Central Coast and Monterey, the San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country, the North Coast, Gold Country, and High Sierra.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction


You'll find bed-and-breakfasts in big houses with turrets and little houses with decks, in mansions by the water and cabins n the forest, not to mention structures of many sizes and shapes in between. B&Bs are run by people who were once lawyers and writers, homemakers and artists, nurses and architects, singers and businesspeople. Some B&Bs are just a room or two in a hospitable local's home; others are more like small inns. So there's an element of serendipity to every stay in an inn or B&B. But although that's part of the pleasure of visiting these establishments, it's also an excellent reason to plan your travels with a good B&B guide. The one you hold in your hands serves the purpose neatly. We think it's the best of its kind.


All the establishments we've included promise a unique experience, a distinctive sense of time and place; each is a destination in itself, not just a place to rest your head at night, but an integral part of a weekend escape. For that reason, we tell you not only about places to stay but also about what's up in the area and what you should and shouldn't miss -- everything from historic sites and parks to antiques shops, boutiques, and the area's niftiest restaurants and nightspots.


To create this guide, we've handpicked a team of professional writers who are confirmed B&B lovers: people who know a well-run operation when they see it and are only too eager to communicate their knowledge to you. For all the premier inns and B&Bs in the areas they cover, they've inspected the premises and checkesd out every corner.  They report critically on only the best in every price range -- what's good, what's bad, and what could be better.


Fodor's B&B Critics


Sasha Abramsky, who updated the Central Coast and North Coast chapters writes feature articles for New York Magazine, City Limits, and the Bay Guardian. He also publishes musings on America in several British national newspapers. He currently lives in New York, but has periodic longings to buy a convertible and move out West. His other work for Fodor's includes contributions to Fodor's India and
Fodor's California. Andy Moore, who updated Sacramento and the Gold Country chapters, is a native Californian, born across the street from Disney Studios. He became a filmmaker at age 12, and as an adult , worked for Columbia, Warner Brothers, and Francis Coppola's American Zoetrope studios. Andy is now based in San Francisco, working on his own independent films. He has also contributed to Fodor's California and upCLOSE California. Clark Norton, who updated five California chapters, is a freelance travel writer and a screenwriter who shuttles between offices in New York and San Francisco. He is the author of Fodor's Where Should We Take the Kids? California and has contributed to Fodor's California and upCLOSE California. He also writes for the Washington Post Magazine and has sold screenplays to major Hollywood studios. Bobbi Zane, who updated San Diego County, the San Bernardino Mountains, and the Los Angeles chapters, lives in Southern California and has been writing about B&B travel for more than a decade. A frequent contributor to Fodor's, her byline has also appeared in the Los Angeles Daily News, the Los Angeles Times, and Westways magazine.


Our Best Tip


When traveling te B&B way, always call ahead. If you're traveling to an inn
because of a specific feature, make sure that it will be available when you get there and not closed for renovation. The same is true if you're making a special detour to take advantage of specific sights or attractions. And if you are traveling with
children, if you prefer a private bath or a certain type of bed, if you have mobility problems, if you have specific dietary needs or any other concerns, discuss them with the innkeeper.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's; 4 edition (February 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679001778
• ISBN-13: 978-0679001775
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,139,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fodor's Bed and Breakfast Guide:California, July 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: California's Best Bed & Breakfasts, 4th Edition: Delightful Places to Stay, and Great Things to Do When You Get There (Fodor's Best Bed & Breakfasts) (Paperback)

A good guide for those who need a reference to plan the perfect romantic weekend get away. All you romantic gentleman could use it as a handy guide to woo that special someone and take her to a place which she will definitely enjoy.