Pack your suitcase, load up the car, and head for the open road! In the tradition of National Geographic Traveler magazine's award-winning annual feature showcasing the world's best auto trips, National Geographic presents Drives of a Lifetime: Where to Go, Why to Go, When to Go. This lavishly illustrated, hardcover travel planner and gift book gives you every bit of information you'll need to navigate 400 amazing driving routes in some of the world's most fascinating locales.
This practical travel planner provides specific, in-depth descriptions of the sights each drive offers. A clear, detailed, easy-to-read map of each route. Useful information on the best time to travel. And insider tips to help you get the most out of every fabulous trip. Abundant sidebars call your attention to standout sights along the drive or entertaining background information on the region and its culture.
While handy indeed as a planner, Drives of a Lifetime doubles as a full-color gift book with more than 200 dazzling, large-format photos and crisp, evocative text that will enchant armchair travelers. The book immerses you in the unique appeal and beauty of hundreds of inviting locales.
Sample entries include the road to the spectacular ancient ruins in and around Angkor Wat in Cambodia; the Natchez Trace Parkway, along an ancient Native American trail through Mississippi; the scenic old coastal route from Dublin to Wexford in Ireland; an off-road dune drive in Dubai; the famous ocean views along the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia, Canada; the Winelands Route through South Africa's Western Cape; a drive among the incredible land formations in South Dakota's Badlands; and an archaeological tour through Syria. In addition, you'll find several fun Top Ten lists: skyscraping drives, Mediterranean island roads, African wildlife excursions, and more.
Chapters organized by theme include Ultimate Road Trips, featuring famous drives such as Highway One down the California coast; Over Hill and Mountains; By Sea and Shore; The Road Less Traveled, highlighting unpaved and untamed routes and safaris; Village Byways through some of the world's most picturesque hamlets; and Historic Trails, tracing the paths of history's great builders and explorers.
Whether you travel these storied routes by car or through the pages of the book--countless wonders await your discovery in
Drives of a Lifetime.
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From Drives of a Lifetime
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| INDIANA | The short drive across northern Indiana’s Amish country features well-groomed farms and quaint villages. An Amish store in Shipshewana sells a colorful array of goods. (Philip Scalia/Alamy, p. 185) | MASSACHUSETTS | The restored 18th-century Hartwell Tavern stands on Battle Road, where the Colonists fought the British. (Brian Jannsen/Alamy, p. 241) | MICHIGAN | At Point Iroquois Lighthouse near Monocle Lake, you can tour the small museum and climb the tower for views of Lake Superior. (Mike Briner/Alamy, p. 67). | IRELAND | The road around Lough Corrib runs some distance from its shore, but takes drivers through dramatic moorland and mountain landscapes. (Art Kowalsky/Alamy, p. 94) |
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| ALASKA | Turnagain Arm, part of Alaska’s Cook Inlet, is surrounded by forested and snowcapped mountains. (Julie Buehler/Shutterstock, p. 124) | ARIZONA | The spires of Cathedral Rock rise high above the desert, glowing red as they catch the sun. (Stockage/Dreamstime.com, p. 128) | JAMAICA | Small fishing boats bring an extra splash of color to an iridescent river near Ocho Rios in Jamaica. (Bill Bachmann/Alamy, p. 255) | VIETNAM | Brilliant flags line the Hien Luong Bridge over the Ben Hai River, a memorial to Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh. (David R. Frazier Photolibrary, Inc./Alamy, p. 259) |
Review
“Our editors’ pick as the top book of the year…Belongs on the bookshelf of every avid road tripper. It is sure to inspire automotive travelers of every sort to find their own roads less traveled.” –Automotive Traveler Magazine
“It’s a guide for the worldly road warrior…Even armchair travelers could get their fill in the pages of this beauty.” –San Jose Mercury News, Sunday Times (Central Contra Costa), Oakland Tribune
“With choices from all over the world, this book has something for everyone ready to take a trip. Even if you weren’t planning to take the road less traveled, one look at some of the enticing photos that accompany the narratives…may persuade you otherwise.” –The Sunday Oregonian
“National Geographic Traveler magazine’s editor-in-chief, Keith Bellows, provides an introduction to this beautiful, stirring guidebook that is a pean to hitting the open road; and what follows is an attractive and well-presented series of information (with maps) to some of the best road trips that anyone can experience.” –Booklist
“Inspiring, photo-rich…” –Chicago Tribune
“For the worldly road-tripper…” –Associated Press, –Richmond Times-Dispatch, -Newsday, -The Sun (Baltimore), -Philadelphia Daily News
“With choices from all over the world, this book has something for everyone ready to take a trip…enticing photos accompany the narratives.” –Sunday Denver Post
“It’s a guide for the worldly road warrior…Even armchair travelers could get their fill in the pages of this beauty.” –San Jose Mercury News, Sunday Times (Central Contra Costa), Oakland Tribune
“With choices from all over the world, this book has something for everyone ready to take a trip. Even if you weren’t planning to take the road less traveled, one look at some of the enticing photos that accompany the narratives…may persuade you otherwise.” –The Sunday Oregonian
“National Geographic Traveler magazine’s editor-in-chief, Keith Bellows, provides an introduction to this beautiful, stirring guidebook that is a pean to hitting the open road; and what follows is an attractive and well-presented series of information (with maps) to some of the best road trips that anyone can experience.” –Booklist
“Inspiring, photo-rich…” –Chicago Tribune
“For the worldly road-tripper…” –Associated Press, –Richmond Times-Dispatch, -Newsday, -The Sun (Baltimore), -Philadelphia Daily News
“With choices from all over the world, this book has something for everyone ready to take a trip…enticing photos accompany the narratives.” –Sunday Denver Post
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the usual NG high quality publication. With its big pictures and small maps, it is easy to add many places to one's travel wish list and to relish memories of places already visited. For each destination, there's a summary of driving distance, recommendations of when to go, and a planning reference to a web-site. The book is organized into sections like "mountains," "sea & shore," etc.
I down-graded my "stars" for two reasons:
(1) There is no over-all way to look at a world map and see where these trips are located. You can use the index at the back of the book but that's not nearly so helpful as a visual map would be.
(2) Since this is a "driving" reference, one would think it would give some clue as to the availability of rental cars and/or motorbikes. Perhaps the authors didn't want their book to become quickly out-dated. But other than referring to something like Lonely Planet publications, the reader is left wondering how he could make many of these trips.
As usual, Amazon made the purchase easy and inexpensive.
I down-graded my "stars" for two reasons:
(1) There is no over-all way to look at a world map and see where these trips are located. You can use the index at the back of the book but that's not nearly so helpful as a visual map would be.
(2) Since this is a "driving" reference, one would think it would give some clue as to the availability of rental cars and/or motorbikes. Perhaps the authors didn't want their book to become quickly out-dated. But other than referring to something like Lonely Planet publications, the reader is left wondering how he could make many of these trips.
As usual, Amazon made the purchase easy and inexpensive.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By B. Beck
Format:Hardcover
From the size of the book, it's obvious that this is going for the typical coffee table-type design. And yet, it has a lot of words and not that many pictures for that goal. As for the pictures themselves.....I'm not going to judge their artistic merit, but I've had preferred more pictures of the drives themselves. Talking about the Mount Rainier loop, for instance, they give a stock photo of Rainier taken from the hiking trails near Paradise (I know since I've taken variations of that exact shot myself when hiking). Nearly all the other examples are similar - generic shots of the countries the drives happen to be in, with little to no relation to the actual drive itself.
As far as the content, it feels rushed - they tried to cram in so many drives that there's barely any room for any info about a particular one. Maps are tiny (usually fitting in a 2"x2" square) and descriptions are brisk. Finding a specific drive is challenging - they're organized by content category (rivers, urban areas, etc.) rather than geographic area, so, for instance, attempting to find a drive near your current location is difficult (the index makes an effort towards this, but a map would be far better). I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting to get out of this book, but I ended up a bit disappointed.
As far as the content, it feels rushed - they tried to cram in so many drives that there's barely any room for any info about a particular one. Maps are tiny (usually fitting in a 2"x2" square) and descriptions are brisk. Finding a specific drive is challenging - they're organized by content category (rivers, urban areas, etc.) rather than geographic area, so, for instance, attempting to find a drive near your current location is difficult (the index makes an effort towards this, but a map would be far better). I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting to get out of this book, but I ended up a bit disappointed.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Char
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book as a Christmas present for my dad. We have a love for travel, and this book proved to be a source of inspiration for us. The info about each of the destinations was helpful and the photos were beautiful.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful book....
Lovely book...it was a gift for some retirees who want to do some traveling and exploring around the U.S. in the near future. Read more
Published 7 days ago by M. Shimmel
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful book
This is a beautiful and big book. The only suggestion I would like to have seen is larger maps for sure and maybe a bit more info on each location.
Published 1 month ago by TAI CHI
3.0 out of 5 stars
Cursory
Disappointing book. Unless you have a previous familiarity with the drive in question, none of the descriptions and the solitary photo of each drive would compel you to take the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by camille
5.0 out of 5 stars
Greate gift!
That book was given as a birthday gift and person who got it is very, very happy with this gift!!!!
Published 2 months ago by Iwona J. Dabrowska
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great photos
Great book, may be less places but a bit more detailed, would have been better, Anyway it will be a reference on any trip.
Published 3 months ago by Alexis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Livro excelente !
Com certeza um excelente livro, como todos da National Geographic. Pra quem gosta de viajar de carro ou motorhome como eu, este é um livro mais do que especial, é... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Daniel Machado
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gourmet Coffee Book For Drivers
When I look through this book, it's like taking a mini vacation. Pictures/descriptions are inviting. Impressive book to have on our coffee table that guests naturally pick up.
Published 4 months ago by nance
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drive
Another Gem from National Geographic! So many great trips. This is also a great gift for your friends and family to plan and enjoy some fantastic adventures.
Published 4 months ago by BOB
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful book
What a beautiful book. The photos are just lovely. And the drive descriptions and details are excellent. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Marjorie E. Harvey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great!
Bought for a gift and the book arrived on time and was at a great price for the amount of information and pictures.
Published 4 months ago by kad
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