Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Arizona New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips (Regional Travel Guide)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Most travel guides organize their information geographically. This one takes a different tack and attempts to organize trips by theme. As much as I normally like Lonely Planet guides, this one does not work for me. I toured Arizona with this book in tow, and found the information frustratingly superficial, scattered, and unfocused. A paragraph on Sedona, AZ may be followed by one for Phoenix (100+ miles away) followed by one on Tucson (another 100+ miles). This book jumps around a LOT. Do people really plan vacations by "theme"?

If I'm in an area, say just south of Phoenix, I want to be able to look in a guidebook and find interesting places to visit in that vicinity. This is the way most travel guides are organized, and rightly so. This book will be of little help for that kind of reference.

Sure, this book can be an entertaining read--but it is more suitable for armchair travel and trip planning than take-along reference. Besides, one of the joys of travel is variety--how many people really want to base a tour of the Southwest solely on beers, green chilies, or the margarita? This book even tells you what music to play in your car as you travel Route 66--what happened to spontaneity and travel serendipity?

Still, there are some useful tours: the chapter on the Rim-to-Rim hike through the Grand Canyon makes sense. The "48 Hours in Greater Phoenix" tour is similarly focused. I should also point out some rather courageous coverage of polygamist Mormon sects in southern Utah. These particular chapters succeed because they are more geographically centered than the scattershot theme tours.

If you like the idea of taking a trip based on one theme, buy it, but there are much better guides out there for real reference.

Lonely Planet's `Arizona, New Mexico &the Grand Canyon Trips' offers 56 themed itineraries and 1,005 local places to see. And, if New Mexico and Arizona aren't enough, side trips to Utah, Colorado, and Las Vegas are also offered.

The guide seems to attempt to offer a new, edgier approach to travel advice, and I would assume that the target audience is the 20-35 age range. It's most effective if viewed as a weekend/short trip guide; it's not detailed enough to serve as the sole guide for out of state visitors. But it can be a good starting place for planning a brief visit to the area. And it's refreshing to see a new approach to travel guides.

Thematic trips - iconic trips, route oriented trips, food and wine lovers trips, outdoor trips, history and culture based trips, offbeat activities, trips for urbanites, - are provided. This was, for me, an effective method of organization, and the strong point of the guide.

Small maps outlining individual trips are included in the chapters, but these are at best a general guide and wouldn't be adequate for a traveler new to the area. Driving times and directions are often included.

When I carefully read the suggestions for the areas I'm familiar with, they weren't bad. The ideas here are good, but definitely not all inclusive. They verge on superficial. But [and it's hard not to type this in all caps], this is not a travel guide meant to stand alone for the traveler unfamiliar with the area. By all means read this one and get some good starting points, then buy a good thorough travel guide, and a good map, and have a great trip.

If you like the other guides in the series, you'll probably like this one.

58 themed itineraries with easy-to-use maps, advice and tips from local experts plus the "must-do" trips and family-friendly/pet-friendly listings are some of the delights in this Lonely Planet guide.

Starting with the iconic trips which include cruising the Mother Road (Route 66), Gunfighters and Goldminers which covers the area from Prescott, AZ to Bisbee, Saguaro National Park in the Tucson and surrounding areas, Lake Powell on the Colorado River, Four Corners, where you can stand with a foot in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico are but a few of the exciting trips to take using this expert guide. I like the sidebar that shows the starting and ending points, miles traveled, best time of year to make the trip and the time you should allot to see everything.

In addition, there are sections on food and drink, day trips in the Phoenix vicinity, 48 hours in Las Vegas, Grand Canyon Region trips, Art excursions; in short, everything to make your travels more enjoyable. Tips from local travel experts will highlight places to see and things not to miss.

Also included is a listing of places to eat and sleep in every major location plus websites for further details. Additionally, there are suggestions for linking trips for those having more time.

Having traveled this part of the country, I found the guide superb as well as accurate in meeting expectations for every major tour. The only item I felt could have been touched on was the world famous birders' paradise near Sierra Vista, AZ. This is a major attraction and only a few miles from Tucson, Tombstone and Bisbee. However, it was completely omitted in this otherwise outstanding guide. Perhaps this is because the guide is planned with themed trips rather than exploring all the attractions of a particular area. I felt this might not work as well for some people since they probably don't plan their travels based upon "themes." Still, the authors have done an outstanding job and this is reflected in the details given in the various sections.

Recommended.

This is the second Trips book that I have read. The scattered organization of the series is supposed to give readers trip ideas, but the book tries way too hard to be hip and cool. Too many ideas are presented with little information about the attractions or locations. The major sections of the book are trips by region - Arizona, New Mexico and the Grand Canyon; trips by state - Arizona and New Mexico; and attraction - Grand Canyon. Each major section includes selections from multiple authors for driving, dining and lodging along with a suggested music selections. I really don't like it when authors try to suggest songs to readers and act like they are the best ideas. While some of the trips make sense: Rafting the Colorado, Gunfighters & Gold Mines, Southwest by train; Some are Unusual: Big Skies & Weird Science, Into the Vortex, Albuquirky, Out of this World and Some are designed around food and drink: Green Chile Adventure, Steak Lovers Arizona, Grapes & Hops in the desert, Brewpub crawl and Margarita Marathon. At most you get a line, maybe a paragraph about an activity or location, a sidebar and an end of section wrap up with phone numbers and websites to visit. The too brief information contains their "hip" suggestions for what to do, most of which was not interesting to me.

Lonely Planet does a great job with their main travel books, but they really need to rethink the Trips series. Too many authors, lots of suggestions in all directions and not enough information really hinder this book. I highly recommend the AAA Tourbooks that are free to AAA members, in this case the Arizona and New Mexico Tourbook. They are annually updated, comprehensive and packed with valuable information that is missing from the Trips series. One example is a section on the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. In the Trips series it mentions a rough road and a hike. The AAA Tourbook will let you know about camping conditions, restrictions that apply with on the reservation and that you should not photograph the Navajo people, their property or their homes without permission. A gratuity is usually requested and that many roads in the reservation are private property. They also mention notes about steep canyon drives, activities that may be too strenuous for some and other important really useful information. What a difference it makes. You can pick your own trip ideas from a well organized book. The Trips book is seriously lacking.

I like this series because it tells you the most interesting places to see on your trip and because most of trips just last 2 or 3 days. There are some for a week or more, but it's great for seeing your own state at your own leisure also.

It has 58 themed itineraries and 1005 local places to see in Arizona, New Mexico and the Grand Canyon plus trips to Utah, Colorado and Las Vegas.

Some of the Iconic trips include the Four Corners Cruise, Motoring the Mother Road (Rte 66), Rafting the Colorado, A Green Chile Adventure, Gunfighters and Gold Miners, Rim to Rim Canyon Hike, Dam Diving, In Search of Georgia O'Keefe, Billy the Kid Byway, Southwest by Train.

Some of Route trips include the Fantastic Canyon Voyage, Trail of the Ancients, Ice Caves and Wolf Dens on Highway 53, Fiber Arts Trail, High Road and Low Road, Following the Turquoise Trail, Geronimo Trail Scenic Highway.

Food and Drink Lovers tours include: Steak Lovers Arizona, Grapes & Hops in the Desert, Brewpub Crawl, Organic New Mexico, Margarita Marathon, New Mexico's Wine Countries.

Outdoors types will enjoy the tours of Monument Valley, Rim Country, Desert Wanderings, Sedona's Red Rock Adventure, Flagstaff's Northern Playground, Hiking in Grand Canyon, Water Rafting and fishing the Rio Grande, Utah's National Park plus much more.

There are the History and Cultural Tours like Arizona Architecture, Pueblo Life, In the Footsteps of DH Lawrence, A Geology Expedition and more.

There are some offbeat trips listed like Big Skies & Weird Science, Into the Vortex, Polgamy Country, Albuquirky, Out of this World, Cowboy Time.

If you are the city type there is 48 hour trips planned out for what to do in Greater Phoenix, Las Vegas and Santa Fe.

It gives a lot of website addresses for you to go to in each section so you can get familiar ahead of time with what you are going to see. Lots of little tidbits also listed to grab your interest. I love this series and will use it much more than just a regular guidebook.

I live in California and I've been to both Arizona and New Mexico a lot, been to the Grand Canyon too. Several times. But I've never taken the train from Williams mentioned in this book. I plan on it.

Going through the book I see dozens and dozens of interesting places and things to see that I've missed and I thought I knew the area covered by this guide pretty well. The next time I go on the road in the Southwest I'll be taking this book with me, maybe checking out Bandera's Ice Cave or the Hovenweep National Monument or several of the places I've missed, but should see.

The book reads well, not boring a bit like many travel books are and that's a great big plus. If you're going to Arizona or New Mexico, this would be a good book to take along.

I took a vacation to the southwest United States in September of this year and took this fine companion with me. I spent a couple days in northern Arizona seeing the painted desert, petrified forest, and Grand Canyon. I've never been big on travel guides but this little book was great for alerting me to places to eat, places to stay, and attractions I would have otherwise missed. A fine little book that is a great companion for anyone traveling to the Grand Canyon area for the first time.

This is one more volume in the Lonely Planet series on trips throughout the United States. In this instance, the focus is on trips in Arizona and New Mexico, with special emphasis on the Grand Canyon area. As such it does pretty well.

One example is a Four Corners trip. From Las Vegas to Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon to Sedona to Phoenix, ending in Canyon de Chelly. Boy, lots of miles, but what places to see!

In the old days, Route 66 went from the Midwest, snaking through the country, to the west. Much of the old Route 66 has been superseded by Interstate 40, for example. But there is still a kind of enchantment about this old road (think of Bobby Troup's song, getting your kicks on Route 66!). A lot of fun thinking about this trip.

Then, a trip featuring Utah's national parks. From Zion to Bryce Canyon to Arches National Park to Canyonlands National Park.

Overall, a useful volume. We are talking about a vacation to the West. This book begins to outline some possibilities if we actually carry that plan out. All in all, a nice volume.

Meticulously planning a trip or family outing is not something I look forward to! Alas, Lonely Planet has done all foot (and behind the scenes) work for you (and Yes, you do get to meet the authors) and brought together 58 trips and 1005 local places to explore in an easy to follow, beautifully written, themed itinerary.

Lonely Planet's Arizona New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips (Regional Guide) is written the way I like my vacations: Planned, but with plenty of breathing room for getting off the beaten path, packed with light hearted fun, thought provoking ideas, and the little things along the way that one would not ordinarily think of, like looking at the humming birds and lizards, or "pull on a fleece, pour a mug of coffee and ask for your green-chili eggs outside so you can watch the (hot air) balloons float in the shadows of the Sandia Mountains."

Arizona New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips (Regional Guide) is like having your own modern personal concierge vacation staff, right at your fingertips. Ahh, life just got a whole lot easier! :) --Katharena Eiermann, 2009

Arizona, New Mexico, and The Grand Canyon Trips

Lonely Planet makes fantastic guide books, usually with an emphasis on budget accommodations and hanging with the locals. The "Trips" series is a new way to present travel information.
This edition includes Arizona, New Mexico, the Grand Canyon with additional side trips to Utah, Colorado, and Las Vegas. There are 58 itineraries indexed by theme: Iconic, Route, Food and Drink, Outdoors, History and Culture, Offbeat, City, and Day Trips. Lonely Planet favorites are starred to highlight your attention. Local experts are brought in and in this edition include a wine maker, ranger, mining storyteller, and spiritual tour guide.
At about 350 pages, a lot of information is packed into a relatively small book. Not everybody wants to thoroughly research an area, and then plan an itinerary. Take it from someone who knows: it's a lot of work. Trips saves you the trouble by organizing the region into theme based trips. Decide how you want to organize your trip, then let Lonely Planet do the work. My first impression was that this region is best served by skipping all the itineraries save the Outdoors Trips. Why else would anybody go there? But not all travelers are ME, and this guide has something for everyone. There is even a trip that includes getting up close and personal with the somewhat controversial "Polygamy Country".
Each trip has a summary page that highlights how to get there, what to do, eating and accommodation. There may be suggested reading as well. Maps, large and small, keep you from losing your way. There are even suggested music playlists and a Green Index.
My favorite trip? The 5-8 day History and Culture trip called Hualapai & Havasupai Journey. Starting in Boulder City, NV and ending in Williams, AZ this is a trip you would not soon forget. There is a glass bridge cantilevered 4000 feet above the Grand Canyon's west rim with unparalleled views. Hikes, waterfalls, mine shafts, scenery, local tribes, beerpubs. A fantastic way to sample the region.
Lonely Planet has come up with a new way to plan your vacation. Highly recommended.