Customer Reviews

The Great Towns of America: A Guide to the 100 Best Getaways for a Vacation or Lifetime

5 star:		(10)
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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The author includes dozens of towns from California and Oregon, but only four total from New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut combined. Many of the small towns in the northeast are the heart, soul, and heritage of America, but the author -- all of whose books except this one are guides to California and the west -- seems too distracted by gimmicky tourist and ski resort towns to notice.

GREAT TOWNS has a solid selection of towns across America, with no obvious candidates missing. For each place you get an introductory paragraph which provides travel-brochure copy about why the town in question is interesting. There follows a weather chart (the author's own index about how likely mild weather is each month) and then a list of hotels and restaurants. These lists have minimal descriptions, making it hard to really get a feel for the options. And that's basically it.

Obviously it's hard to communicate what truly makes a Great Town 'tick' in a directory-style book. Telluride versus Vail among Rockies ski-towns? Very different flavors, but you'd hardly know it from GREAT TOWNS. I feel there is a distinct lack of critical opinion between the covers. As a result, web browsing is far more informative.

Interesting footnote: at the back is a scoring system to rate 'livability' for people considering moving. Towns that voted for Republican Presidential candidates get a 'good' score on politics.

Make no mistake about it--this book is only a vacation guide. This is NOT the book to read if you are looking for a place for a "Lifetime" (as the subtitle would mislead you to believe.) This is not the book to read if you are considering relocating. It's reviews are very superficial and offer no information regarding school systems, retirement options, etc. As a vacation guide, I find there are better. The Away for the Weekend series by Eleanor Berman are more helpful.

What a great guide to finding some of the best towns in this country! David Vokac really captures the essence of each place drawing you in with a concise description and a pragmatic guide on what to do, where to eat, and where to stay. Unlike other travel guides, this one doesn't cover the major cities. Instead, it introduces you to places with populations under 50,000 that are rich in natural beauty and/or cultural significance. I love just flipping through this book. I can't imagine the fun the author must have had doing all the research!

In the bookstore, "Great Towns" had such instant appeal that I bought it, read it and immediately planned a "Great Towns" trip - up the coast of California. With Vokac's book in hand, I stayed in attractive B&Bs, ate in exceptional little restaurants, and generally got to know five very charming towns in my one-week journey. Anywhere you travel in the U.S., arrange to visit at least one "great town," and try Vokac's suggestions!

David Vokac has created an excellent travel and visitors guide. Along with some of my favorite places, Vokac has included new places which I can't wait to visit! Vokac's excellent format, attention to detail, unique weather guide, and restaurant picks make this guide a must-have. All of Vokac's books are excellent, and his latest is no exception.

Vokac's crisp writing style and well-organized chapters are certainly refreshing in a travel guide. I have visited some of the places in his book and look forward to using this guide to help me discover new leisure destinations. What a great read!

Seeking an eatery, or quotidian travel brochure information for a destination in California, Oregon, Washington, or Colorado? Then this is your book! Nearly 40% of the author's best American getaways are found in these 4 states alone. If, however, Pennsylvania, Tenessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, Nevada or one of eleven other states intrigue you, forget about it; you'll find a total of only three town listings in these 20 states combined. Useful weather data are provided, but otherwise the lack of geographical balance and unique insight left this reader rather disappointed.

I'm planning to relocate and have certain immutable requirements, as well as "wish list" priorities. Mr. Vokac's in depth descriptions of the 100 great towns in America plus his friendly, conversational style, made reading this book a pleasant as well as informative experience. I think one of the best features of this guide is the revelation of personalities and characteristics of the various towns.

It felt more like getting inside information from a friend than doing research, but I've gleaned some very valuable data which has helped me narrow my search considerably.

It's also given me some great ideas for future vacations!

This is a very well-organized and great to read guide. It really hits on a lot of great locations missed by other guides.